Blog | PJ Sullivan Exteriors | Midland Park, NJ | Design/Build

Factors to Consider When Choosing the Right Siding Profile

Written by P.J. Sullivan | May 13, 2021 10:00:00 AM

Choosing the right siding profile is an important step of planning a siding replacement project with siding and window replacement companies. In today’s post, PJ Sullivan Exteriors shares the factors you should consider when choosing the right siding profile.

Horizontal Vs. Vertical Siding

Despite all the options offered by siding manufacturers, siding comes in two basic forms: horizontal and vertical. Most homeowners would be familiar with horizontal siding, particularly clapboard siding, which features overlapping horizontal boards that form a tilted look. This overlap lets the house exterior shed rainwater efficiently. Dutch lap siding is a variation on traditional clapboard siding that features beveled sections, which creates a flatter look. Wood shakes are typically installed in rows, and can be considered horizontal.

Vertical siding, on the other hand, features boards that span the height of the exterior, and are typically seen on farmhouse style homes. A popular style of vertical siding is board-and-batten siding, which features alternating wide and narrow boards. Some homes feature a combination of horizontal and vertical boards to create contrast, or to highlight other features, such as custom entry doors.

Width

In siding terms, width is the short side of the board. Siding manufacturers offer siding products in different widths. Wide siding emphasizes the face of the siding board, which makes it ideal if you want to show off wood grain or other surface textures. Narrow siding emphasizes shadow lines, making it the better choice if you’re choosing siding with solid colors and raised profiles. Siding width can also affect installation time. Choosing a wide siding profile means the installation will require fewer boards, which means faster installation times.

Thickness

Manufactured siding made of vinyl or fiber cement come in various thicknesses that allow even more flexibility in siding selection. Thinner boards can be manufactured into bigger pieces (with more than one board on a single piece) that allow shorter installation times. Thick boards allow deeper surface relief for more realistic textures like wood grain, and can be manufactured into more complex profiles.

PJ Sullivan Exteriors is one of the siding and door replacement companies serving the Tri-State area. Give us a call at (201) 857-0600 or (914) 768-3002. You can also fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.