Siding Basics

Brick and stone are technically siding, but they are not discussed in this center because masonry work is needed, which requires a whole other set of skills. Click on this link if you are looking for brick and stone masons.

The studs that make up the support structure for your walls have a layer of sheathing attached to them. Sheathing is just plywood used for this purpose. If you see a home being built, this sheathing is easy to recognize. Over the sheathing is a layer of building paper (typically black), and on that the siding is applied.

Sheathing rarely goes bad because of the amount of treatment and glue that is involved in keeping it together. Although if water is allowed to stand on the sheathing or free flow over it, it can rot very quickly, usually the siding and roof protects the sheathing from any water.

Siding is the first line of defense for the elements that surround your home, but siding is also decorative since it's the first thing you see. Years of research and development have gone into make the different siding types as durable and stylish as they can be.