We are doing a wood wall feature on our Skyline Drive Project.  The detail involves wood siding on the face of the wall and consists of a vertical 1x4 followed by a horizontal 1x2.  This pattern repeats down the face of the wall.  The wood is clear Douglas Fir and will be stained a dark chocolate color (Benjamin Moore Oxford Brown).

The intent is to have the siding remain horizontal and the pieces appear to be seamlessly linear. The wall is approximately 23 feet in its longest dimension.  Twelve feet is about the longest that 1x2's are available.  To span the distance across the face of the wall, several pieces will be joined together.  

My son was with me one day while I was looking over the construction of the wall.  I was showing him the slight imperfections in the wall.  That's when my son said, "It's wood".  I paused, and returned, "yes, I guess it is".

Wood is organic.  It moves and changes shape over time.  It will degrade if not protected from the weather.  Even when well protected, wood still tends to move with the weather.  These traits must be kept in mind when using it for a finishing material.

The wall meets the intent of the design.  It looks great and it also fits the budget.  

Interestingly, several people have stopped to look at the wall.  They have asked if it is metal.  These questions are reassuring because they are commenting on the straight, linear, and horizontal lines of the wall.  This is just what we intended.

The actual construction of the wall will be the subject of a future post (Part 2).