Western Red Cedar

DIY guide

Cedar Shingle Installation Guide — Walls, Sheds & Exterior Projects

Two complete walkthroughs: structural exterior wall construction and a faster interior accent wall method. Use the tabs below.

How to Side a Shed with Cedar Shingles →

  1. 1
    Gather materials

    Cedar shingles, Type 304 or 316 stainless-steel ring-shank nails, chalk line, level, tape measure, hand saw or circular saw.

  2. 2
    Prepare the wall surface

    Install sheathing if needed and apply a weather-resistant barrier across the entire wall.

  3. 3
    Snap your starting line

    Use a chalk line to mark a level line for the first course at the base of the wall.

  4. 4
    Place the first course

    Begin at the bottom — set first course shingles with the butt edge aligned to the chalk line.

  5. 5
    Nail the shingles

    Drive each nail approximately 2 inches above the butt line and 3/4 inch from each edge. Use two nails per shingle. Shingles wider than 8 inches get two additional center nails.

  6. 6
    Leave expansion gaps

    Maintain 1/8 inch spacing between adjacent shingles in a course to allow natural expansion.

  7. 7
    Overlap and stagger

    Each successive course overlaps the one below. Offset joints by at least 1.5 inches from the course below.

  8. 8
    Work upward course by course

    Continue snapping level lines and repeating courses until you reach the top of the wall.

Product spec sheet — plan your purchase

Each shingle
⅜" – ⅝" thick × 18" long × random width 4" – 14"
Coverage per bundle
One bundle covers approximately 15 square feet at a 7.5 inch exposure.

Double-course method note

#3/#4 undercourse shingles installed as the first (undercourse) layer beneath a higher-grade outer shingle create wider exposure, deeper shadow lines, and a more dramatic wall profile. Measure undercourse needs in linear feet, not square feet — approximately 32 running feet per bundle.

Bundle calculator

For a 10 ft × 8 ft wall: approximately 6 bundles (includes 10% waste allowance).

Coverage based on 7.5 inch exposure. Actual coverage varies with exposure choice.

Ready to grab your bundles?

Western Red Cedar Shingles — Item #3976, available in-store at Lowe's.

Buy at Lowe's
Download Our Cedar Shingles Brochure (PDF) ↗

Have what you need? Pick up Item #3976.

Buy at Lowe's