Vinyl siding is considered to be a an exterior cladding.  It is not designed to be used as a weather-tight barrier.  The siding is designed in such a manner that the material underneath the siding can breath.  It provides some protection from the elements, but should not be considered to be the barrier to rain, snow or other inclement climate conditions.

The installation of vinyl siding is accomplished using horizontal or vertical sheets of vinyl that fit into or connect to an assortment of finishing trims and moldings.  Note, each manufacturer's product will vary somewhat, but each will have a finished trim piece to handle most circumstances.

Before you start your siding project you should understand siding terminology:

Sample Types Of Vinyl Siding:

Insulated Straight	Hand Spit Shake	Half Round	Dutch Lap Smooth
Cedar Perfections	Board Batten	Beaded Smooth	Straight Wood Grain
Straight Smooth	Rough Sawn Cedar Shingle	Dutch Lap Wood Grain	Beaded Wood Grain

The manufacturer's will usually have matching fascia and soffit panels.  In most cases the fascia material is installed after the siding and soffit panels.

When choosing your soffit you must decide on vented or non-vented.  For further information on attic ventilation follow the link.

Sample Types Of Vinyl Siding Moldings & Finishing Trims:

Starter Strip	J-Channel	T-Channel	Finishing Trims
Lineal	F-Channel	Flexible J-Channel	Drip Shield (formed on site from aluminum)
Outside Corner Inside Corner

Continued........