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Clapboard (architecture)
Encyclopedia
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board (with regional variants as to the exact definitions of these terms), is a board
used typically for exterior horizontal siding
that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below. It is often found in New England
architecture.
Clapboards, can be cut from trees two different ways: flat-grain boards or vertical-grain boards. Flat-grain boards are to be cut tangent to the annual growth rings of the tree, and vertical-grain boards are to be quartersawn or cut at right angles of the annual growth rings of the lumber. The more commonly used boards in New England
are vertical-grain boards. Depending on the diameter of the log, cuts are made from 4 1/2" to 6 1/2" deep the full length of the log. Each time the log turns for the next cut, it is rotated 5/8" until it is rotated a full 360 degrees. This gives the clapboard its taper and true vertical grain.
Clapboard siding got its name from the Dutch klappen, meaning "to split". It was originally split by hand from logs in a radial manner. Later, the boards were radially sawn in a mill.
In Australia
and New Zealand
, this kind of cladding
is known as weatherboard, and was extensively used in forested regions from the Colonial period to the mid-20th Century.
Newer, cheaper designs often imitate the form of clapboard construction as "siding
" made of vinyl
, aluminum, or fiber cement
.
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
used typically for exterior horizontal siding
Siding
Siding is the outer covering or cladding of a house meant to shed water and protect from the effects of weather. On a building that uses siding, it may act as a key element in the aesthetic beauty of the structure and directly influence its property value....
that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below. It is often found in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
architecture.
Clapboards, can be cut from trees two different ways: flat-grain boards or vertical-grain boards. Flat-grain boards are to be cut tangent to the annual growth rings of the tree, and vertical-grain boards are to be quartersawn or cut at right angles of the annual growth rings of the lumber. The more commonly used boards in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
are vertical-grain boards. Depending on the diameter of the log, cuts are made from 4 1/2" to 6 1/2" deep the full length of the log. Each time the log turns for the next cut, it is rotated 5/8" until it is rotated a full 360 degrees. This gives the clapboard its taper and true vertical grain.
Clapboard siding got its name from the Dutch klappen, meaning "to split". It was originally split by hand from logs in a radial manner. Later, the boards were radially sawn in a mill.
In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, this kind of cladding
Cladding (construction)
Cladding is the application of one material over another to provide a skin or layer intended to control the infiltration of weather elements, or for aesthetic purposes....
is known as weatherboard, and was extensively used in forested regions from the Colonial period to the mid-20th Century.
Newer, cheaper designs often imitate the form of clapboard construction as "siding
Siding
Siding is the outer covering or cladding of a house meant to shed water and protect from the effects of weather. On a building that uses siding, it may act as a key element in the aesthetic beauty of the structure and directly influence its property value....
" made of vinyl
Vinyl siding
Vinyl siding is plastic exterior cladding for a house, used for decoration and weatherproofing, as an alternative to traditional wood siding or other materials such as aluminum or fiber cement siding. It is an engineered product, manufactured primarily from polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, resin, giving...
, aluminum, or fiber cement
Fiber cement siding
Fiber cement siding is a building material used to cover the exterior of a building in both commercial and domestic applications.-Usage:...
.