The Apple Tree on the HIll

The Apple Tree on the Hill
by Debra and Dave Vanderlaan
... An old cottage at the top of a rural community, abandoned in the countryside of... more

by Debra and Dave Vanderlaan

Title

The Apple Tree on the HIll

Artist

Debra and Dave Vanderlaan

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

The Apple Tree on the Hill
by Debra and Dave Vanderlaan
... An old cottage at the top of a rural community, abandoned in the countryside of Oregon about 20 miles east of the coast. The family must have planted the apple tree years ago and now it stands as a guard over the vintage clapboard house...
....................................................................................................................
Clapboard siding got its name from the Dutch klappen, meaning "to split". It was originally split by hand from logs in a radial manner. Later, the boards were radially sawn in a mill.

Clapboards can be cut from trees two different ways: flat-grain boards or vertical-grain boards. Flat-grain boards are to be cut tangent to the annual growth rings of the tree, and vertical-grain boards are to be quartersawn or cut at right angles of the annual growth rings of the lumber. The more commonly used boards in New England are vertical-grain boards. Depending on the diameter of the log, cuts are made from 4 1/2" to 6 1/2" deep the full length of the log. Each time the log turns for the next cut, it is rotated 5/8" until it is rotated a full 360 degrees. This gives the clapboard its taper and true vertical grain.

Traditionally timber clapboard was used without a finish, relying upon good air circulation and the use of 'semi-hardwoods' which would keep the boards from rotting. These boards eventually go grey as the tannins are washed out from the timber. More recently clapboard has been tarred or painted; traditionally black or white due to locally occurring minerals or pigments. In modern clapboard these colours remain popular, but with a hugely wider variety due to chemical pigments and stains. In some conditions clapboards may consist of uPVC boards (known as vinyl siding in the U.S.), or other man-made materials. Recently there has been a much greater use of untreated timber cladding, using woods like Sweet Chestnut or Douglas Fir, with a well-ventilated cavity. With robust detailing this clapboard can last for decades.
See much more fine art photography and digital art images in our big gallery of art www.CelebrateLifeGallery.com

Uploaded

December 13th, 2012