When Re-siding Your Westchester County Home, Terminology Matters

When Re-siding Your Westchester County Home, Terminology Matters

Choosing the right siding for your home can be difficult. Style, color, type – you name it, the variations are seemingly endless.  Then you have to choose trim treatments; I understand siding is complicated. I have spent my life in the siding industry and am still amazed by all of the parts and pieces that go into a modern siding system. I say, siding system because the actual siding is just one of the many parts that go into your home’s exterior wrap and protection. 

The siding itself describes many elements and we understand the number of parts that go into a home’s siding can be daunting.  As Westchester’s go-to home siding company, we want to help unpack the terms for you and help make it all a little less overwhelming and confusing. 

If you feel like your home’s siding and all of its parts are only described online in a foreign language, have no fear. Learning the verbiage of home siding will not only help you feel more involved in your upcoming residing project but also guarantee that your project is completed to your liking.

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Gables

These are the triangular parts of a home’s exterior wall that stabilize a peaked roof.

Fascia

Usually found at the end of rafters to hold up gutters, fascia are the boards that you can see under the roof’s overhang.

Frieze

Typically under the roofline, the frieze is a decorative board that runs horizontally along the side of the house.

Lap Siding

Also known as clapboard, lap siding is any type of wood siding that overlaps horizontally from the bottom to the top of the house.

Siding Exposure

Also known as the reveal, siding exposure is the space that you can see between the bottoms of adjacent rows of siding. This term is usually used when referring to lap siding.

House Wrap

Also called a weather barrier, house wrap protects a building’s exterior from harsh weather conditions, such as rain, before the siding is installed.

Shingle Siding

Shingle siding, or shake siding, is made from separate pieces of wood or fiber cement of varying sizes that cover the sides of the house. 

Panel Siding

Available in various shapes and textures, panel siding is made from longboards that are usually paired with batten strips, although they can be found on their own.

Battens

Made famous with the current farmhouse trend, battens are narrow wooden strips that run vertically along the outside walls of a house, creating a clean, orderly appearance.

Soffit

This is the exposed underside of a house’s overhang.

Get New Siding for Your Home With Giant Siding and Windows

Learning these common siding terms will ensure that your house doesn’t end up with shingle siding when really you had panel siding and battens in mind. 

When the time comes for you to update your home’s exterior with new siding, GIANT Siding and Windows is here to help. Contact us today for all of your exterior home improvement needs. We can help with roofing installation, window replacement and of course siding design and installation. 

As Westchester County’s only Elite Tier Contractor within the James Hardie ALLIANCE, my team is able to guarantee warranty compliance.

At GIANT we pride ourselves on our craft, reputation and commitment to excellence.