Finger-Jointed Cove Lap Siding Vs. Wood

Finger-Jointed Cove Lap Siding

• Finger-jointed cove lap siding panels have interlocking cutouts along the back side of each panel. Finger-jointed panels are most often used to create a beveled, or overlapping, design style for horizontal wood siding installations. The interlocking cutouts on finger-jointed siding panels provide three primary benefits. First, they make it easy for the installer to line up and connect each layer of siding panels during installation. Second, the interlocking feature helps bond and secure the panels together. Third, the reinforcement reduces the chance for the panels to become detached.

Wood Siding

• Wood siding is preferred by those who want a home with natural materials for the exterior surface and is used as an option to vinyl siding. It can also be used as an exterior surface cladding option to brick or stucco. Homeowners can choose from many styles of wood siding. The siding can be rough on one side and smooth on the other side so that it butts flat against the exterior wall surface of a home, or it can be rough on both sides. Wood siding panels can be installed horizontally or vertically. And the panels can overlap, have grooves in between the panels or butt flush against each other.

Similarities

• Finger-jointed cove siding is one of the many styles of wood siding available. Like other types of wood siding, owners can select from several wood species for installation. Cedar, cypress and pine are among some of the more popular wood species for wood siding styles.

Differences

• Wood siding is a siding material choice and finger-jointed cove siding is a wood siding product style. There are many types of wood siding styles, of which finger-jointed cove siding is but one. Dutch lap, channel and shiplap are examples of other wood siding styles. Dutch lap panels partially overlap each other. Channel siding panels are often installed vertically and used in rainy climates so that the water can run down the panel and into the soil. And shiplap panels have tight connecting joints and are used in cold climates where you don’t want air to seep in between the panels. Finger-jointed cove lap panels, on the other hand, only have two styles -- the basic panel or a two-lap panel. The basic panel is installed in an overlapping fashion, and two-lap panels are precut with two rows, or laps, on each panel to reduce installation time.