Dutch Lap Vs Clapboard Vinyl Siding

Vinyl siding is an alternative to clapboard and has grown in popularity since the 1950s.

Dutch lap vs clapboard vinyl siding.

Clapboard cladding originated in colonial times and is among the oldest architectural styles found in the u s. Dutch lap or german siding is a type of drop siding which unlike clapboards is non beveled and not lapped in installation instead it is edge matched with a shiplap or less often tongue and groove so that it installs flat on wall framing even without sheathing. While it used to be known to crack and fade with time technology has advanced making vinyl siding more durable and effective and a good alternative to clapboard. The difference is the grove on the top edge dutch lap and one smooth with no grove clapboard.

Dutch lap siding was first used by northern europeans and brought to the united states especially the mid atlantic states during the colonial period. Dutch lap cladding comes in wide range of profile choices and the bevel can be cut with different types of details to alter the cladding s visual effect. It comes in many different styles colors textures both in insulated and non insulated forms. Some pros to vinyl siding are its affordability as well as the fact that it doesn t have to be.

The lower half hangs at a 90 degree angle. Dutch lap vs clapboard. The defining difference is style clapboard also called traditional tends to be flat either resembling or actually made from simple long boards fixed on top of each other with a back angle while simple it has always remained the most traditional and common type of. Cedar dutch lap aka novelty german drop siding has a rabbeted edge overlap is also larger.

It is the most popular siding sold today. This profile resembles the look of boards that have been beveled on the top half at a 45 degree angle. Below is a photo montage of these sidings. Dutch lap and smooth lap are two of the most popular vinyl siding styles in the clapboard family.

When i looked up dutch lap in vinyl i found it is narrow compared to its wood version. Clapboard siding is siding where long narrow boards or panels are nailed horizontally across the house. My first choice is the clap board because of its resemblance to wood. The most popular styles are double 4 and double 5 lap.

Wondering if this is all really an issue and if i should just go with my preference which is dutch lap. The siding guy told me that he prefers the traditional because it lines up better with the front side shake siding and that dutch lap tends to also get dirtier more often than the traditional. Untapered lap siding is usually larger and often of imitative materials. In your example the drop is larger than normal and a bit odd looking.

Clap board siding looks much the same in every material vinyl hardiplank wood.