| This article talks in brief about all the types of Sidings | | | | Some of the siding materials are made out of: |
| available in the market. It tells you the advantages | | | | Wood |
| and disadvantages of each of the Sidings. Siding is | | | | Here, wood is placed in overlapping horizontal rows or |
| the outer covering of a house meant to shed water | | | | "courses", called clapboard. In colonial times, Eastern |
| and protect from the effects of weather. | | | | white pine was the most common material. Wood |
| It may comprise horizontal boards, vertical boards, | | | | siding can also be made of unpainted |
| shingles, or sheet materials. In all four cases, avoiding | | | | weather-resistant woods such as redwood. Jointed |
| wind and rain infiltration through the joints is a major | | | | horizontal siding may be shiplapped. |
| challenge, met by overlapping, by covering or sealing | | | | Plastic |
| the joint, or by creating an interlocking joint such as a | | | | Wood clapboard is often imitated using vinyl. It is |
| tongue-and-groove or rabbet. Since building materials | | | | usually produced in units twice as high as clapboard. |
| expand and contract with changing temperature and | | | | Plastic imitations of wood shingle and wood shakes |
| humidity, it is not practical to make rigid joints | | | | also exist. Vinyl or plastic siding has grown in |
| between the elements. | | | | popularity due to the generally low maintenance and |
| Siding - Option's Today | | | | low cost appeal it offers. |
| This serves a very important role in home building | | | | Metal |
| simply for the fact that it does not only serve a | | | | Utilitarian buildings often use corrugated galvanized |
| decorative purpose but it protects the sheathing | | | | steel sheet siding. Formerly, imitation wood clapboard |
| from the wear and tear of extreme climates | | | | was made of aluminum: 'aluminum siding'. |
| Something that is not talked about too often is the | | | | Composite materials |
| building paper. This is an essential part of siding. After | | | | Various composite materials are also used for this |
| one decides what kind of siding one wants, one will | | | | purpose for instance, asphalt, asbestos, fiber cement, |
| always have to buy building paper, which is black in | | | | aluminum (ACM) etc. They may be in the form of |
| color. It is the base of the covering. It is this layer | | | | shingles or boards, in which case they are sometimes |
| onto which the siding material is attached too. Since it | | | | called clapboard. |
| is behind the actual visible layer, it is left out | | | | The main function of siding is protection, from |
| sometimes, but nevertheless, it is an integral part of | | | | extreme weather or from excess water. It protects |
| any siding project | | | | the house from these agents. Because this adds an |
| Different Types of Sidings | | | | aesthetic appeal to the house one lives in, there are |
| Siding may be made of wood, metal, plastic, or | | | | many researchers today who are trying to study and |
| composite materials. It may be attached directly to | | | | develop new forms of siding which will provide a lot |
| the building structure (studs in the case of wood | | | | of security to the house, without compromising on |
| construction), or to an intermediate layer of | | | | the aesthetic appeal. |
| horizontal planks called sheathing. | | | | |