Cottage Style Siding Require A Gap Between Them

The original cottage siding remains a favourite for its looks and sustainability.

Cottage style siding require a gap between them. Narrower 1 x3 strips or battens are nailed over the seams or gaps where the two planks abut to help keep out the elements rodents and insects. Do not caulk between siding and any built in receiving channels located at or around windows. The tongue actually fits in the groove and once installed on a surface the boards have a gap between them that s about the width of a nickel hence the name. So you don t get the warping that causes shiplap to look crooked or uneven.

Always caulk between the siding and the trim. Vertical boards a series of wide boards are placed vertically with a series of narrow boards in between them. Due to their irregularity shakes virtually always have a few gaps. And you often don t have to prime nickel gap either or worry about filling knots.

Weigh the difficulty of installation the maintenance needed and the material s durability. Leave a 1 8 gap between the siding and the trim or other materials to allow for structural movement. The wood may be smooth or rough finished. Depress the trigger on the caulk gun until caulk begins to squeeze out of the nozzle.

To allow for seasonal expansion and contraction a 1 gap is usually left between wider vertical planks. Installed properly any siding can deflect water resist rot and block pests. These are vulnerable to penetration by driving rain. The air space between cladding and sheathing doesn t need to be great but it needs to allow continuous drainage without creating pockets where water can be trapped inside wall assemblies referred to as perched water.

Always prime or paint any cut edges that are inserted into a window j channel. Cedar shingles which all share common dimensions can be installed flat with minimal gaps between them. Correctly installed siding should also allow air to flow through from top to bottom taking advantage of natural convection to remove moisture. Drop siding similar to clapboards the top of each horizontally placed board is fitted into a groove in the lower edge of the board on top of it.

But when you consider siding don t decide based on looks alone. Vertical trim gap caulking. A felt underlayment is necessary to ensure that shake siding remains watertight.