Unless you’re a trained siding contractor, you’re probably not that well informed on the different aspects that go into installing siding onto a home. At Jacob Sunrooms, Exteriors & Baths we believe that the more informed our clients are, the more informed their decisions are. Informed decisions make for smoother, more efficient installations. That is why we compiled this list of siding terms that you may hear us use when discussing your project. We currently service St. Louis, Missouri and Illinois.
Aluminum Siding: Horizontal planks of aluminum with a baked-on enamel finish
Battens: Narrow strips of wood placed over joints in vertical wood plank siding to seal the joints
Beveled: Clapboards that are tapered rather than cut perfectly rectangular
Brick ties: Accordion-type metal fasteners used to attach a brick veneer to the wood framework of a house
Brick veneer: A wall construction method in which a layer of bricks is attached to the wood framework of a house using brick ties
Buttlock: Located on the bottom edge of a vinyl panel which locks onto the previously installed panel
Carpenter ants: Large black ants that make may make their nests in walls, behind siding, or in insulation; carpenter ants don’t eat wood they excavate wood to build their homes in the cavities left behind
Caulking: Waterproof material used to seal joints at intersections of building components, used with some types of siding
Checking: A crack or split along the grain in wood plank siding as a result of cupping
Clapboard: Overlapping, horizontal wood plank siding made from either rectangular planks or taped planks
Composition board: Blanks or sheets of weather resistant compressed wood fibers used as siding
Course: Each row of siding material
Cupping: A warp across the board in wood plank siding
Detachment: Separation of the siding material-veneer or stucco- from its attachment to the house
Double course: An undercourse of shingles or shakes, not exposed to the weather, is covered completely by a top course
Dust mites: Virtually walking stomachs
Face: The part of the vinyl panel that is visible once the vinyl is installed
Fiber Cement: a siding material that can look like wood but is resistant to fire, rot, and insects
Flashing: A type of sheet metal used at intersections of building components to prevent water penetration, flashings are commonly used above doors and windows in exterior walls and are used under the siding to prohibit water penetration
Channel: A manufacturing component of vinyl or aluminum siding systems which have a curved channel that the planks fit into, used around windows and doors to make a weathertight seal
Lintel: A steel angle iron or beam over window and door openings that spans the opening and transfers the weight of the masonry to the sides of the opening
Milled planks: Various cuts of plank siding, including V-groove, channel, rabbeted bevel, shiplap and drop
Moisture permeable: A surface that allows moisture to pass through it
Panel Projection: The amount that a panel of vinyl sticks out away from the wall, you should choose the largest profile for the style of panel you want
Plywood siding: Plywood sheets, some with a grooved or decorative outer surface
Scarfed joint: Joint used in plywood siding where edges of abutting sheets are angle cut to fit snugly and prevent water penetration
Shiplap: A style of milled plank, used in siding, that is laid close enough so as to appear to be butted
Single course: Wood shingles or shakes applied where each course is exposed to the weather
Spalling: Crumbling and falling away of bricks, concrete or blocks
Stucco: A type of water resistant, plaster like siding material made of cement, sand and water; it may have an acrylic finish
T & G: Tongue and groove, a connection system between components, like wood, in which the tab or tongue of one board is placed into the grove at the end of another board
Termites: Social insects that live either in the ground or in wood and eat wood, they can cause serious structural damage to a home
Vinyl siding: Horizontal polyvinyl chloride planks
Veneer: One ply or one thickness of something; in siding there are brick and stone veneers, there are also veneers of one wood bonded to another
Wall cladding: Another term for siding
Wall sheathing: Sheets of plywood or wood planking used to cover the wall framework of the house
Windload Pressure: A measurement of how well a panel might perform in high wind areas
Wire mesh: A mesh attached to the wall sheathing and studs used to anchor a stucco base coat to the wall
Wood plank siding: Rectangular wood planks, installed horizontally or vertically
Wood shakes: Thick, rough, uneven shingles that hand split, split and sawn on one side, or sawn on both sides, used as siding
Wood shingles: Sawn shingles that are of uniform thickness
If you have any questions or would like more information on our siding products, click here or call us today. Our staff is always happy to discuss your next siding project.
