Why Choose RM&Co. Essentials Siding?

Yes. Thicker is better. 

Not only is there a direct correlation between “thicker substrates equating to greater quality” – but thicker siding ensures an increase to all key performance indicators: strength, durability, resistance to rot and exposure to elements.

Milling at 3/4″ thickness vs. 5/8″ thickness also serves to increase overall heat and sound insulation values, and allows for a much more stable fastening to the exterior of your project.

To deliver the exceptional beauty and performance your project deserves, it follows that a premium substrate necessitates a premium finish coating. 

While most mass-produced siding products are coated with automotive grade paints – these finishes are designed to leave a hard, protective film over the top of the wood to create a buffer to the external elements. Extreme weather conditions, such as high-heat, varying moisture conditions and even colour choice, often cause premature failure, and require the siding product be stripped and ultimately refinished on a regular basis. The process can be both tedious and expensive.

Penetrating coatings, including our choice of TimberPro and Sansin physically infiltrate the pores and fibres of the wood and provide for a truly beautiful, rich finish with a low sheen. 

Recovery and refinishing times are also superior to paint as they simply need be cleaned, and then the coatings re-applied as needed. No mess, no flaky paint chips.

Although penetrating coatings are inherently more expensive than paint – the offset and ease of recovery/refinish and extreme durability, coupled with the substantially more rich and vibrant colour retention – makes TimberPro and Sansin coatings the go-to premium solution, for a premium siding product. So much so, that we know you will actually see the difference immediately.

Simply put – products for exterior use should have the pitch set, and be milled, manufactured and coated at the correct, normalized moisture content. The truth is, most mass-produced siding products, are not properly kiln dried, and one of the leading causes of failure or non-compliance.

Pass-through, conveyor type kiln drying is very much akin to drying something on an assembly line. Mass-produced siding products by their very nature, are manufactured in high-speed, high-volume environments where quantity is the name of the game. Hence, the wood, once manufactured, is ushered through the kilns at a high speed, at a very high heat to burn off excess moisture without setting the pitch entirely. The result is a siding product with varying amounts of moisture, that is less stable and accepting of surface coatings.

As with all of our products and offerings – quality and attention to detail are of the utmost importance. Closed-Door, Precision Kiln Drying allows for a tremendous amount of oversight and control in the pitch-setting process – and in most cases, 96h – 120h inside the kiln at a steady, controlled temperature (as opposed to a few hours at very high heat) provide for a premium-grade, pitch-set siding product at the correct moisture level of 10-12% for exterior applications.

Forestry is part of our national heritage and dialogue. From Ontario’s provincial tree, the White Pine to the Majestic Maple and Cedar  – when the world wants quality wood, it comes to us. Time honoured traditions of logging and forestry ensure that locally sourced raw materials are sustainably grown and harvested, are of the highest quality, and support the local communities and economies.

Raw wood products sourced in Ontario are known worldwide for their rich colours, remarkable grain, overall strength and durability against the elements.

We are pleased to be supporting the livelihoods of a Provincial industry consisting of approximately 150,000 people, with environmental and forest management practices amongst the best in the entire world. Sustainable forest management practices ensure that for every tree harvested, three take root. Ontario wood products also require far less energy than other materials to mill and manufacture, generate less air and water pollution, and have a lower carbon footprint than sourcing wood outside of the country.

Lastly, and most importantly – it allows our team, and network of suppliers to visually inspect and in many cases – to hand select the wood, right from log – for use in our Essentials Siding Series products. With a given provenance – we actually know what the species used for your project is, and where it came from.

Interestingly enough, mass-produced siding products in the modern context, are almost exclusively made from Spruce. Prized for its long lengths – Spruce is well-suited for industrial milling applications. Although readily available and relatively cost-effective, Spruce trees are inherently prone to disease and insect infestation with milled planks exhibiting low resistance to rot and warping, and contain a disproportionately large amount of pitch and resin compared to Cedar.

Eastern White Cedar is an entirely superior substrate for siding applications – although previously at 2-3x the cost as compared to Pine and Spruce – often out of reach for most budgets. Current market conditions now allow us to offer Eastern White Cedar at a cost only marginally higher than the alternatives – making it the de facto choice for a premium siding solution. This wood mills tremendously, accepts all types of Surface Penetrating and Surface Coating finishes, is extremely resistant to rot, bugs, decay and moisture, with long-lasting dimensional stability and resistance to the elements. Heat transfers evenly through Cedar – keeping your interior cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, and insulates very well against noise.

Yes!

Eastern White Cedar is but the beginning. With full access to domestic, exotic, and modified woods such as Hemlock, Western Red Cedar,  Fijian Mahogany, Accoya® and Thermory® Modified – a world of options opens up for your project. 

We would be more than pleased to discuss the pros and cons of any wood species for use in your build, and furnish comprehensive pricing and timelines to your team. 

One of our goals with the Essentials Siding Series was to offer all “optional” and “premium” elements of mass-produced siding as standard. Available on select RM&Co. Essentials Siding Series profiles, end-matched siding allows for a much faster and cleaner installation process (due to the form and function of some profiles, such as Large Channel, end-matching is not possible).

With no painting or cutting of plank ends required, installers also do not have to land seams over strapping. End-matching also provides for a closed end-joint (vs. a butt joint) and increases protection against water penetration. The entire process of installation is greatly expedited and simplified. The fit and finish, exemplary.

Looking for something even more unique? Have your own ideas and inspiration? From sketch on a cocktail napkin to CAD drawing to precision, hand-ground knives – custom profile design services are available for your siding order.

Whether it’s a slight tweak to size, shape, angle, or creating a match for a tough to find, out-of-production style – or even matching 150 year old millwork – we start by digitally scanning and measuring the reference piece and ultimately (re-)develop the profile using state-of-the-art CAD software.

Profiles can be then be rapidly prototyped on our CNC template maker in cast acrylic, and once approved for production – the templates are then used to hand grind high-speed knife steel which is placed into the cutter heads, re-measured using precision optical control systems, fed to our moulder, and then are ready for shaping.

With accuracies of less than 0.005mm possible, we are perfectly prepared for true custom fulfillment – from cocktail napkin, to precision cut template, to finished product.

Simply put, this means that all of your solid wood finishes and custom specifications are always milled and manufactured to ensure optimum material yields and are cut to the precise size – each and every time.

And even better: all under one roof. It’s maximum value, and minimum turn-around time.

Each and every time.

Yes! 

Each made-to-order mill run can be stored in our secure, climate controlled warehousing facilities until ready for delivery to its final destination, where we then leverage a fleet of in-house overland and marine vehicles in conjunction with our logistics partners for all types of delivery points.