Show off your home’s good side with the right siding style
Choosing siding styles for your home depends on your architectural style, with traditional lap fitting nearly any design and board and batten suiting rustic or farmhouse homes.
Your home's exterior look also depends on material choice, as vinyl offers affordability while wood creates classic appeal with more maintenance requirements.
Modern synthetic materials let you achieve traditional shake or shingle looks without the upkeep, giving your home timeless style with less maintenance effort.
Hiring a local siding professional removes the guesswork from measurements and installation, helping you avoid moisture intrusion and structural damage from improper siding work.
Deciding what kind of siding is right for your home means choosing from an extensive array of siding styles. Eight of the most common siding styles are: traditional lap, board and batten, Dutch lap, shake, tongue and groove, beaded seam, shingle, and scalloped shingle. Our guide breaks down these popular siding styles and what home styles they’re often found on.
This style of siding is the most common in the US. Traditional lap siding consists of horizontal planks that slightly overlap, giving this style its name. Traditional lap siding is available in a broad range of widths, materials, and colors, allowing homeowners to create a custom exterior look. Vinyl is the most common material for traditional lap siding, but it’s also available in wood, engineered wood, fiber cement, and other materials.
Traditional lap siding is incredibly versatile from a design perspective and can be found on houses of all architectural styles, from historical to modern.
This vertical type of siding alternates wide planks (boards) with narrow strips (battens) to create a rustic, textured look that creates visual height. Board and batten can be used on the entirety of a home’s exterior or as an accent to highlight vertical architectural features like gables or towers. This siding is available in different widths of boards and battens to customize the look of your siding.
Board and batten siding is commonly used on rustic homes, modern farmhouse style homes, and as an accent for homes with distinct vertical features.
Dutch lap siding differs from traditional lap siding with its distinct notched or beveled edge, creating a dramatic shadow line in between planks. The boards’ concave face gives this siding a more decorative appearance than traditional lap siding while still maintaining a classic look. Like traditional lap siding, Dutch lap siding comes in many colors, materials, and widths.
Dutch lap siding is as versatile as its traditional counterpart and can be used on almost all architectural styles.
Shake siding offers a rustic feel with thick individual shingles with rough, uneven edges. Shake siding was originally made from wood, most often cedar, but modern shake siding also comes in vinyl, fiber cement, and other materials that don’t require the maintenance of wood and aren’t prone to rot and other moisture problems. High-quality synthetic shake siding can be virtually indistinguishable from cedar shakes, giving you the look of wood without the upkeep.
Shake siding is common on coastal homes, particularly in the Northeast. It’s found on home styles including Cape Cod and Craftsman homes, as well as rustic cabins.
Tongue and groove siding consists of interlocking planks that fit snugly into one another, reducing the need for additional fasteners. This siding can be installed either vertically or horizontally and is resistant to warping since it’s fastened and supported for the entire length of the boards. Tongue and groove siding is traditionally made from wood, but is also available in engineered wood, vinyl, and fiber cement.
Tongue and groove siding’s modern, refined aesthetic is popular on many styles of homes, including mid-century modern, Craftsman, bungalow, and contemporary.
Beaded seam siding adds visual interest to traditional lap siding with a rounded edge, or “bead,” along the bottom of each board. This siding is installed horizontally and offers a classic, elegant look as well as added protection against the elements.
Beaded seam siding is often used in historic home styles like colonial, Cape Cod, colonial revival, as well as to evoke a cottage-like feel.
Like shake siding, shingle siding is made up of individual shingles layered over one another, but unlike shakes, shingles have a straight, uniform edge. Shingle siding can be installed in a straight line or offset for a staggered look. Shingles are traditionally made of wood, but modern alternatives include vinyl and fiber cement.
Shingle siding is found on many of the same styles as shake siding, including Cape Cod, Craftsman, coastal, and cottage homes.
Scalloped shingles have a rounded bottom edge, creating a fish scale-like effect. This siding is often used as an accent on historic homes to accentuate architectural features. Like other types of shingles, scalloped shingles have historically been made from wood, but are now available in materials like fiber cement and vinyl.
This eye-catching siding style is often seen on Queen Anne or Victorian homes and is used to highlight features like gables in many different home styles.
Improperly installed siding can lead to moisture intrusion, damaged exterior materials, structural damage, and mold growth, among other problems. Unless you’re experienced in measuring for siding, removing old siding, and installing new siding, hire a local siding pro to get the job done right. Hire a siding contractor who specializes in the type of siding you’ve chosen to ensure the project goes smoothly. The cost to replace siding can be a major investment, but new siding offers a return on investment (ROI) of up to 80% with quality siding installed properly.
The guys at PaveWay are top notch. From the estimate to the job being completed,all was done in a timely and professional manner. I myself was a DOT Engineer Inspector(know what to look for) and got to talking with Cameron and he himself was a Contract inspector for a few years,same job as...
All Star Paving and SealingWe live in a condo and had space to add a tall cabinet. The problem was the space was already occupied by our catsâ litter box. We needed to still keep the litter box in that same corner. Beiler Custom Cabinets was able to work with our need and design request. What was created was an...
Beiler Custom Cabinets, LTDWe had a gutter blockage that was causing water to sheet down the side of the house and ultimately it started to come in at a window (need mortar people next). Called around 7:30am, and he responded by 8am. He was able to come out the same morning and do a look over and clean out. He also...
Kevin was thorough and efficient with the repairs he made to our exterior cedar siding.
KMM Homes ImprovementI purchased the "Big Deal": $199.00 for exterior pressure-washing of one- or two-story home up to 2,000 square feet. They cleaned the siding only. I wasn't aware when I bought the Big Deal that they would not do any other surfaces other than the siding (i.e. sides of the gutters or stucco). I...
Complete Home ServicesOn 11/3/15, I called Todd of Todd's Roofing and left a message. He promptly called my back and I indicated that I needed a roof repair for a roof that had a leak. He explained his basic prices, gave me the I'm not the cheapest or the highest speech, and he agreed to come by the property...
He was knowledgeable and nice, but was lacking on the customer service side with the follow up. He charges the same amount as a professional engineer.
Inspector C.H.R.I.S.This brownstone is historical and the carpentry work is very detailed. I was very happy to secure a company in NY and living in OH to complete the request. Wood work on this brownstone has been existing since approximately 1888 and West side did a GREAT JOB. I will not be able to...
Westside Home ImprovementI was very impressed with Miller Cantrell! I live in an old home in which the sewage line that runs from my home to the sewage system is a line of clay tile. These eventually collapse and need to be replaced - an expensive problem and sure to happen at the worst time. I told them that my...
Love the staff and my doctor dr Dickerson is patient kind and attentive. Great bed side manner.
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