Historic Charleston Foundation - Charleston, SC

harleston's historic timber framed buildings are clad with a variety of types of wood siding. These include beveled and square edged weatherboard siding and flush siding like shiplap and tongue and groove siding.

Common types of wood siding

Beaded weatherboard is most commonly used on Charleston buildings that pre-date 1800. These weatherboards were sawn and tapered at the top for a tight overlap and beaded at the lower edges, creating a strong horizontal shadow line. In contrast, clapboards, which are often confused with weatherboards, were split boards that were generally shorter than weatherboards and were susceptible to leakage as they were not as highly tapered. Flush siding, including both shiplap and tongue and groove siding, are more commonly seen on buildings from the early 20th century.

Cypress, yellow and long leaf pine remain the most commonly used woods for siding on Charleston's historic houses. The wood siding on a historic frame house can be one of its most important character-defining elements, denoting its age and history of repairs.

Split or deteriorated siding should be replaced with new siding that matches the size, thickness and profile of the original siding.
Wholesale removal and replacement of siding is discouraged - replace only what needs to be replaced.
Synthetic siding replacements such as vinyl and aluminum materials are not appropriate for use on historic structures.
It is not advisable to use caulking beneath weatherboard.