- 5728 East Lake Sammamish Parkway SE Issaquah, WA 98029
- 425.392.3631
- sales@issaquahlumber.com
Tucked into the forests of Roslyn, this JMK Homes build called for siding that could match the setting — strong, natural, and built to withstand the Cascades. The team specified Southern Yellow Pine from the Cascade Collection by Amble Wood Co., paired with GRAD, a concealed fastener rainscreen system, and a new system for the JMK crew.
Brent Cole walked in with a bit of skepticism. “It seemed daunting at first,” he recalls upon product delivery. By the end of the project, his skepticism turned to advocacy.
The learning curve, Cole says, is almost entirely front-loaded. “Once it’s set up, it’s pretty straightforward,” he said. His team used the garage-door header as the anchor point: a full, uncut board was set at the desired elevation and then carried around the entire house with a laser. Every board lines up, all the way to the breezeway.
One field adaptation became a favorite. Instead of using pin nails, the crew installed the GRAD rails with modified truss screws — initially because they assumed a pre-drilled hole was required. It wasn’t, but the screws proved to be a gift: an entire wall could be hung, then strung and plumbed by backing out the screws, sliding in shims, and snugging back down.
If the budget allows, we will definitely push it to all of our clients. It’s beautiful, strong, and has a built-in rain screen. You really can’t go wrong with that.
This home has an 800-amp service with a generator and disconnects—a lot of exterior gear to integrate cleanly. Adjustable electrical boxes, specified early, allow the crew to accommodate GRAD’s 1½-inch reveal (the original plan assumed ⅝-inch siding). Plumbing penetrations, vents, and exterior receptacles are all lined up crisply and painted black to read as intentional design rather than clutter. Brent notes he constantly gets compliments on those details.
Flashing details required some work, and he suggests pre-installing foam at the base course next time to block pests — a small refinement, not a pain point. His bottom line: the first house takes a week to dial in. The next one should install at the pace of conventional siding.
You could remove a single board if you want — without disrupting any other pieces of siding.
For a first-time installation, The Mountain Home showcases what is possible when premium wood, a smart system, and a careful crew come together: a facade that’ll hold up and, over time, still look purpose-built.
