Clapboard Siding

Clapboard siding runs from end to end on your house, or horizontally.

It is sometimes called 'horizontal' siding or Ship Lap Siding because it looks like the sides of the old-world sailing ships.

Clapboard style is the most popular home siding in America.

It has been around for centuries, and still the number 1 siding around.  Always a classic look.

Vinyl Clapboard Siding Styles

Clapboard has several different 'styles' or 'profiles'

Triple three inch, double four, double six inch, double four Dutch lap, double six Dutch Lap, six-inch lap, four inch Beaded.

Clapboard Vinyl Siding Styles 

Three basic styles of clapboard siding.

• Clapboard or Horizontal Siding. Designed to look like freshly painted wooden planks. It comes in smooth or textured grain that looks like fresh sawn cedar.
• Dutch Lap Siding. A clapboard siding style that has a distinguished shadow line on the top of each plank. It gives the look of a handmade plank. 
• Beaded Siding. It has a distinguished shadow line on the bottom of each plank. These shadow lines are decorative. It gives the siding a 'handmade' look. 
• If the siding is made of wood, it is more expensive generally because it is harder to make. In vinyl siding, there is very little cost difference.

Vinyl siding has become the number one siding sold in the US and it has the most options of any house siding.

Wood is wood, there are several different wood sidings available but the most common is pine or cedar. With the cost of wood skyrocketing, vinyl is the most economical option by far. 

Let's review Vinyl Siding since it is the largest selling home siding sold. 

Most Popular Clapboard Styles

Clapboard Vinyl Siding is the most popular home siding. It has the most textures, colors, styles, thicknesses, and even comes in insulated or non-insulated versions.

Dutch Lap Vinyl Siding

Dutch Lap vinyl siding has a beveled top edge that creates a shadow line. This creates a more in-depth look. In early times carpenters actually cut the top-notch edge on each siding plank. This greatly increased the price of the siding because of the extra labor involved. It became known as a 'higher end' siding used by homeowners who had more wealth than the regular people.

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Beaded Clapboard 

Beaded siding has a notch that runs along the bottom of each siding plank which produces a pronounced shadow line. 

In early America carpenters actually cut the notch in each siding plank. This greatly increased the price of the siding and was used by the more influential homeowners.

It was considered a high-end siding used by homeowners who wanted something a little more special than the standard smooth lap clapboard siding.

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Difference between Siding Style and Type of Siding

Clapboard siding comes in several Types. 

• Wood
• Vinyl
• Engineered Wood or Concrete Board
• Hardie Board

Ship Lap Siding is a 'style' of house siding, commonly referred to as 'horizontal' siding, or just Lap Siding.

Ship lap style siding comes in many other 'types' of house siding such as vinyl, wood, concrete board, fiber cement board, and Hardie Board siding. 

There is a difference between style and type of siding. We generally refer to style and type as the same thing but there is a difference. Don't worry, however, your contractor will know what you are talking about.

Keep in mind, generally speaking, 'Type' of siding will refer to the material the siding is made of, ie; 

• Wood
• Vinyl
• Cement Board
• Engineered Wood, 
• Hardie Board.

The 'Style' of siding generally refers to the look of the siding. Sometimes referred to as the 'Profile' of the siding.