Sidings

Sidings are very common for forming out the outer layer of house in case of renovation, decorative or weatherproofing purpose. In many cases the steel sheets are screwed on furring strips. Metal sidings are made of various materials like coated and galvanized steel, aluminium, copper. Aluminium is sometimes prefered because of its long durable finish and its leightweight. Some advantages for metal sidings are:

• low maintenance  costs
• almost no fading of color
• many aesthetical variations in shape and design available
• fire resistance is very good
• perfect for ventilated curtain facades

From a historical point of view sidings wikipedia names Frank Hoss who invented firstly a new way of water tight connection for metal siding sheets: "His experiments began in 1937 with steel siding in imitation of wooden clapboards. Other types of sheet metal and steel siding on the market at the time presented problems with warping, creating openings through which water could enter, introducing rust. Hoess remedied this problem through the use of a locking joint, which was formed by small flap at the top of each panel that joined with a U-shaped flange on the lower edge of the previous panel thus forming a watertight horizontal seam. After he had received a patent for his siding in 1939... "

The illustration above shows some common dimension for siding profile sheets. Of course there are many other variations available especially those who offer the mimic of wood. Some specialized manufacturers offer powder coated sidings with an additional embossed vinyl layer in wood design. The visual effect can hardly be distinguished from real wood. More cross-sections will be added analogous to the image database.