Siding Information
Siding Information
What is siding?
Siding is the exterior material applied to the walls of a house or other building meant to shed water. Siding Protects the walls from the effects of the weather, hides insulation, and it plays a big role in the look of any structure. Some walls such as solid brickwork are not covered with siding, but most buildings such as cinder block and wood buildings can have siding added.
What is siding made of?
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). Siding can also be attached with wood strips to masonry walls. An intermediate air/moisture barrier such as house wrap or felt paper may be applied to the sheathing or a modern sheathing material that also serves as an air/moisture barrier such as an insulation board.
Siding may be formed of horizontal or vertical boards, shingles, or sheet materials. In all cases, avoiding wind and rain infiltration through the joints is a major factor, met by overlapping, covering or sealing the joints, or by creating an interlocking joint such as a tongue and groove or a locking channel. Since building materials expand and contract with changing temperature and humidity, it is not practical to make rigid joints between the siding.
How does siding work?
Siding, no matter the material, has two basic functions. The first is to protect your home from outside elements like rain, snow, hail and ice. There are other elements protecting your home, but your siding is the first barrier to entry.
The second function of home siding is design. Your home needs a common and aesthetic exterior. Siding gives it that collective feel we all desire.
Types of Siding
