Cladding vs. Siding: What’s the Difference?
Learn the differences—you’ll be clad you did
Many people use the terms interchangeably.
Cladding really refers to a more complex system that includes ventilation or insulation.
Cladding more often refers to more rigid building materials, like brick or stone veneer.
Siding attaches directly to the exterior wall, while cladding includes a gap for ventilation.
It’s easy to get confused when differentiating between cladding and siding, largely because many people use the terms interchangeably, and any standard siding material can function either as siding or cladding. There are some important differences, though, and the safety and weather resistance of your home depend on which you choose.
Cladding vs. Siding: Key Differences
Siding is any material that attaches directly to your exterior wall to improve the appearance of your home and provide protection from the elements. Cladding provides the same things, but it’s a more complex wall system that allows for ventilation to reduce moisture and mold issues. It can also include insulation between the siding material and your exterior wall to improve home energy efficiency.
What Is Cladding?
The term “cladding” refers to a siding system. It’s made up of the siding itself, which reduces your home’s exposure to rain, snow, and wind, as well as an air gap between the siding and the exterior wall to allow for drainage and ventilation. The air gap adds minimal insulation to your structure, and cladding can include a layer of insulation behind the air gap for better temperature control. Many people associate the term with harder siding materials, like brick and stone, but you can use any siding material as part of a cladding system.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Less risk of mold | More expensive |
| Moisture protection | Harder to install |
| Better insulation | Less DIY friendly |
Best for:
Homes in areas that see excessive rain or moisture.
Maximizing building efficiency.
Installing new siding without removing the old siding.
Pros of Cladding
Cladding makes use of an air gap that helps dry out any moisture that gets behind your siding. This is ideal in areas where high humidity and excessive rainfall would otherwise create problems with trapped moisture, mold growth, and wood rot. Cladding systems are especially beneficial for wood siding, which can absorb moisture and hold it against your structure without that ventilation.
That air gap improves insulation slightly, but you can also couple siding with an air gap and rigid insulation to make your house even more energy-efficient. Keeping your conditioned air inside will mean lower heating and cooling bills.
Cons of Cladding
Cladding involves more than just adhesives or fasteners holding your siding to your home, so the installation is more complex. It takes more time to install and uses more materials, so it’s more expensive.
The more complex installation also means it’s less DIY friendly. It’s still possible to DIY, but you need to take greater care to create ample space for ventilation and drainage, so it’s best to leave the installation to a siding professional near you.
What Is Siding?
Siding is a simpler system than cladding, involving just the siding and often a layer beneath. You attach the siding directly to your exterior wall—usually over a simple weather barrier like house wrap—using adhesives or fasteners. It creates a finished look for your home and protects against the elements, but there’s no ventilation or added insulation. Most people associate the term with softer siding materials like vinyl or wood.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Simpler installation | No added insulation |
| Easier to DIY | More prone to mold |
| More affordable | Moisture issues |
Best for:
Homeowners who want a more affordable way to finish their home’s exterior.
Homes in areas where moisture and water exposure aren’t a major concern.
Homes in more moderate climates.
Pros of Siding
Siding is a pared-down version of cladding that doesn’t include an air gap or insulation, so it uses less material and goes up more quickly. This makes it a more affordable option in terms of both materials and labor.
The simpler installation makes it easier to DIY, too. It’s still best to hire a siding pro for a clean appearance, but with some patience and practice, most DIYers can tackle simple siding installation.
Cons of Siding
Siding leaves your home with a lower level of efficiency, as it doesn’t include insulation or an insulating air gap. You may notice higher energy bills as a result of going with siding over cladding, especially in extreme climates.
In areas with high humidity or excessive rainfall, simple siding solutions also leave your home more prone to moisture problems, mold, and wood rot. This is especially true if you choose a semi-permeable siding material, like wood.
Cladding vs. Siding
You should understand all the differences between cladding and siding before deciding which is best for your home.
Appearance: Tie
Cladding systems and simple siding systems both include an outer layer of siding to complete the look of your home. You wouldn’t be able to tell from the outside if a home has siding or cladding, so in terms of appearance, they’re equal.
Options and Customization: Cladding
Whether you go with siding or cladding, you can choose almost any siding style and material. These include vinyl, wood, metal, stone, or brick. The only exception is stucco, a more complex option with ventilation.
Durability: Cladding
Cladding is slightly more durable in some cases, especially if you choose wood siding. The ventilation gap in a cladding system with wood siding will allow it to dry out more quickly, reducing the risk of rot.
Price: Siding
Cladding requires a more intricate installation and additional materials, including furring strips and insulation. As such, it’s more expensive than the cost to replace siding.
Ease of Installation: Siding
Cladding requires setting up an air gap using furring strips and ensuring good ventilation. Siding is simpler to install and just involves attaching siding directly to your exterior wall.
Efficiency: Cladding
The air gap and optional insulation you’d use with cladding help to boost home energy efficiency, which means lower heating and cooling bills. Both cladding and siding will improve home value, but cladding can provide a higher ROI due to the boosted efficiency.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have stucco on the outside of your home, it’s technically considered cladding and not siding, but beyond that, it’s impossible to tell without a little digging. Without damaging the siding material, expose part of it to see if there’s an air gap between the siding and your exterior wall. If there is, you have cladding. If the siding is affixed directly to the exterior wall, you have a simple siding system.
Stucco is considered a type of cladding because it includes a built-in ventilation layer, a weatherproof membrane beneath that, and, often, a layer of insulation to improve building efficiency. The multiple layers of stucco—the scratch coat, the brown coat, and the finish coat—also create a more complex building membrane, so it’s more accurate to call it cladding. However, homeowners and contractors alike refer to stucco as siding.
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