Clapboarding (also called weatherboarding) is a facade or wall cladding made of horizontal boards that overlap at their lower edge like roof tiles. Each board laps its lower edge over the top edge of the board below, so that rainwater is shed outward and cannot run behind the cladding.
Application
A clapboarded facade is common on timber-frame buildings, sheds, garden houses and traditional farmhouses. The boards are fixed to battens (counter-battens), which creates a ventilated cavity behind the cladding. This air gap is important: it lets moisture escape and keeps the timber dry, greatly extending its lifespan.
The overlap makes the facade watertight without any sealant. Because the boards can move (expand and shrink), the construction stays flexible. Commonly used timbers are spruce, larch, western red cedar and Douglas fir.
Characteristics
Clapboarding differs from other claddings such as tongue-and-groove, where the boards interlock in a groove. It is recognisable by the pronounced pattern of shadow lines formed by the overlapping boards. The overlap is usually 2 to 4 centimetres, depending on the board width.
Related terms
- facade cladding
- weatherboard
- tongue and groove
- batten
- timber frame construction
- larch
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