Siding – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Siding is the outer covering or cladding of a house meant to shed water and protect from the effects of weather. On a building that uses siding, it may act as a key element in the aesthetic beauty of the structure and directly influence its property value.

Siding may be formed of horizontal or vertical boards, shingles, or sheet materials. In all four cases, avoiding wind and rain infiltration through the joints is a major challenge, met by overlapping, by covering or sealing the joint, or by creating an interlocking joint such as a tongue and groove or rabbet. Since building materials expand and contract with changing temperature and humidity, it is not practical to make rigid joints between the siding elements.

Siding may be made of wood, metal, plastic (vinyl), masonry, or composite materials. It may be attached directly to the building structure (studs in the case of wood construction), or to an intermediate layer of wood (boards, planks, plywood, oriented strand board) called sheathing (or sheeting in some regions of the United States).[1]

Thatch is an ancient and very widespread building material used on roofs and walls.

Wood siding is very versatile in style and can be used on a wide variety of homes and painted or stained in any color palette desired.

Though installation and repair is relatively simple, wood siding requires more maintenance than other popular solutions, requiring treatment every four to nine years depending on the severity of the elements to which it is exposed. Ants and termites are a threat to many types of wood siding, such that extra treatment and maintenance that can significantly increase the cost in some pest-infested areas.

Wood is a moderately renewable resource and is biodegradable. However, most paints and stains used to treat wood are not environmentally friendly and can be toxic. Wood siding can provide some minor insulation and structural properties as compared to thinner cladding materials.

Wood shingles or irregular cedar "shake" siding was used in early New England construction, and was revived in Shingle Style and Queen Anne style architecture in the late 19th century.

Wood siding in overlapping horizontal rows or "courses" is called clapboard, weatherboard (British English), or bevel siding which is made with beveled boards, thin at the top edge and thick at the butt.

In colonial North America, Eastern white pine was the most common material. Wood siding can also be made of naturally rot-resistant woods such as redwood or cedar.

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Siding - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia