Vinyl Siding
Siding Terms
Backerboard—a flat material used on the face of the house, applied between the studs and the siding (or over existing wall surface), to provide an even surface for installing the vinyl siding.
Buttlock—the bottom edge of a siding or soffit panel, or accessory piece, opposite the nailing slots, which locks onto to the preceding panel.
Channel—the area of the accessory trim or corner post where siding or soffit panels are inserted. Channels also refer to the trim itself, and are named for the letters of the alphabet they resemble (e.g., J-channel, F-channel, etc.).
Course—a row of panels, one panel wide, running the length of the house from one side to the other, or, in the case of vertical siding, from top to bottom.
Drip Cap/Head Flashing—an accessory installed with vertical siding to ensure that water drips away from panels and does not infiltrate them; it is also used as a vertical base.
Double Channel Lineal—a siding accessory that joins two soffit panels.
Face—refers to the side of a siding or soffit panel that is showing once the panel has been installed.
Face-nailing—the action of fastening directly onto the “'face' side of a panel (instead of using the nail hem slot). This practice is generally not used in siding installation.
Fascia Board—a board attached to the ends of the rafters between the roofing material and the soffit overhang. Fascia cap is the covering around that board.
Flashing—a thin, flat material, usually aluminum, positioned under or behind J-channels, corner posts, windows, etc., to keep draining water from penetrating the home.
Furring/Furring Strip—usually a wood 1" x 2" strip used to even a surface in preparation for installing vinyl siding. To “'fur' a surface means to apply these strips.
Lap—to overlap the ends of two siding panels or accessory pieces to allow for expansion and contraction of the vinyl product.
Lug/Crimp—the raised “'ears' or tabs on a siding panel, created by a snaplock punch, which can be used to lock a siding panel into place when the nailing hem has been removed.
Miter—to make a diagonal cut, beveled to a specific angle (usually 45°). Sometimes miter cuts are made into an overlapping siding or soffit panel surface, to provide a neater appearance.
Nailing Hem (or Flange)—the section of siding or accessories where the nailing slots are located.
Plumb—a position or measurement that is truly and exactly vertical, 90° from a level surface.
Scoring—running a utility knife blade, a sharpened awl, scoring tool, or other sharp implement across a soffit or siding panel face without cutting all the way through the panel. This weakens the vinyl surface in a specific area and allows the panel to be bent and broken off cleanly.
Shim—a building material used to even a surface prior to installing vinyl siding.
Soffit—material used to enclose the horizontal underside of an eave, cornice, or overhang.
Strapping—a flexible framing material used to even a surface prior to installation.
Starter Strip—an accessory applied directly to the surface of the building and used to secure the first course of siding to the home.
Underlayment—weather-resistant material placed under vinyl siding panels.
Utility Trim—a piece of trim used any time the top lock has been removed from the siding, to secure a siding panel. Also referred to as “'undersill' or 'finish trim'.
Weep Holes—openings cut into siding or accessories to allow for water runoff.
