Siding As some of the area’s oldest structures, German Village’s frame buildings accent its historic character. A number of these frame structures are still protected by their original siding and there is considerable diversity in design and appearance. The earliest and most common siding is beveled siding. As shown in drawing 10, beveled siding has horizontal, tapered overlapping boards. D E S I G N G U I D E L I N E S P R E S E R VAT I O N & R E H A B I L I TAT I O N
Flush wood siding may have a smooth surface or may be cut to resemble blocks of stone; see photo 13. Another form of siding is overlapping wood shingles shown in photo 14. Vertical siding such as board-and-batten is less common. As drawing 10 shows, boardand-batten siding has thin, narrow vertical battens nailed over joints in wide boards. Wood siding requires some maintenance and regular painting. Despite frequent ads touting its maintenance-free qualities, so does artificial (aluminum or vinyl) siding. Aluminum or vinyl siding may require cleaning, its color may fade, and repair is extremely difficult. Application of artificial siding can cause several problems in historic buildings:
• While installing artificial siding, the installer frequently removes the building’s window and door trim, cornerboards, soffits and fascias, and other important architectural features.
• Artificial siding comes in standard designs and dimensions that often do not match historic material, especially in width.
• Artificial siding damages easily—aluminum dents; vinyl becomes brittle and cracks in cold weather.
• Dampness caused by leaking gutters or water pipes, or from improperly installed insulation, can build up behind unvented artificial siding. This results in dry rot of wood members, peeling paint, or damaged plaster.
• Artificial siding eventually needs to be painted and extensively cleaned and repaired.
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