Exterior Siding Many houses have more than 1 type of exterior wall covering. For example, the main part of a frame house may have one type of siding and the gable ends another. The current trend for masonry houses is to incorporate some panels of horizontal or vertical wood siding above or below the windows or other places, that will harmonize with, and complement, the brick or other masonry finish. We will describe here some of the conventional wall-covering products that are in current use in most areas. Some of these have been in general use for many years and their popularity no doubt will continue. Others have been developed more recently. There are also many new wall finishes being developed in which various materials are used to create different designs and effects. One of the most traditional exterior siding materials used on North American homes is wood siding. The pleasing, deep shadow effect caused by the thick butt edge of bevelled siding emphasizes the horizontal lines that add to the appearance of many homes. Bevelled Siding Often referred to as lap siding and sometimes as clapboard, bevelled siding is milled from solid lumber. It is generally cut from cedar, pine, or spruce, in widths of 100 to 300 mm. The 235 mm width is extensively used in modern frame construction. There are several types of lap siding; 4 of these are shown in Figures 24:1 to 24:4. Lap siding can be used over any type of sheathing. However, if it is used over fibreboard sheathing, all siding joints must be placed over studding because fibreboard will not support nails. If solid 19 mm tongue and groove or square-edged stock is used as sheathing, #15 felt building paper must be placed between it and the siding. For an example click Here! Rustic Siding Another type of siding that is used either with or without sheathing is rustic, or drop, siding; it is milled with a tongue and groove or shiplap edge from pine, spruce, cedar, or other softwood. Two varieties are shown in Figure 24:12. Fibreboard Siding The material used for fibreboard siding is a wood product made by compressing wood fibres with adhesives into a strong, durable strip or she et that do not easily split, splinter, or crack and that forms a good, smooth base for paint. some fibreboard siding is made in a wide range of prefinished colored surfaces of baked-on vinyl that do not require painting for 10 years or more.