Contractors find it heavy and dusty. The shingle panels on the garage are less eye-fooling, because the spaces between them are far more regular than one would find between cedar shingles. These panels are, however, a new product, and the company expects to address the spacing issue in later iterations. We're using clapboards on the main house in Billerica, shingle panels on the garage, and corner boards and window trim made of built-up planks on both buildings. Silva Brothers carpenters, a traditional lot, find fault in the heavy weight of the product, and in the dust it kicks up when cut with a circular saw.
Masks help, as do the dust-collecting attachments that have been developed for saws.
Nearly dust-free pneumatic or electric shears can also be used. The cementitious corner boards were doubled up to sit flush with the clapboards and sealed with caulk. So quickly, in fact, that the companies that make it are opening at least three new plants over the next few years. As for Dick Silva, painting, scraping and residing are three things he'll be doing a lot less of. For more information on resources used in the Billerica House, visit our Resource Directory .