If you’ve been researching exterior renovations, you’ve likely run into the debate around cladding vs. siding. The terms are often used interchangeably by contractors, manufacturers, and even home improvement websites, making it difficult for homeowners to know if they mean the same thing or something entirely different.
The truth about exterior cladding vs. siding is nuanced. There are similarities, but there are also important distinctions in how each term is used. Understanding those key terms can help you communicate clearly during a renovation, compare siding materials more confidently, and choose the best system for durability, weather resistance, and long-term performance.
To clear up the confusion once and for all, let’s break down the difference between cladding and siding in a clear, practical way.
Explaining the Confusion Between Cladding vs. Siding
The confusion between these two terms stems from the fact that both refer to the outer material installed on a home’s exterior walls. That’s why many homeowners assume that they mean the same thing. However, in modern residential construction, the words often signal slightly different approaches:
- Siding usually refers to traditional exterior materials installed directly over sheathing and a weather barrier.
- Cladding generally implies a more engineered exterior system that includes a drainage plane and air gap for enhanced moisture control.
That’s the general distinction between these two types of exteriors. To give you the full picture, we’ll explain each in detail below.
What Is Siding?
In residential construction, siding refers to the exterior material that you use to protect and finish a home’s exterior. Common siding options include, but are not limited to:
- Vinyl siding
- Wood siding
- Steel siding
- Fiber cement siding
- Stucco siding
- Shingles and shakes
Homeowners can choose one or more of these options based on aesthetics, durability, upkeep requirements, functionality, installation costs, and other factors. Those materials are then installed over house sheathing, which is a composite material made from oriented strand board (OSB), and a weatherproof barrier like house wrap.
Siding serves several purposes. Most apparent is that it’s designed to look great and give your home plenty of curb appeal. However, it also needs to protect your home against rain and snow, wind-driven moisture, UV exposure, and general weather across different seasons.
What Is Cladding?
In residential terms, cladding has a broader definition that typically refers to a performance-based wall panel system that includes the following:
- A layered exterior assembly that includes siding as the outer layer
- An air gap behind the siding that serves as drainage and ventilation
- Furring strips or cavity battens are designed to create the air gap and provide a place to attach the siding
- A rainscreen, house wrap, or breather membrane attached to wall studs to prevent moisture from infiltrating insulation and interior spaces
Whereas siding is a simple layer designed to protect your home’s exterior, cladding is a more complex system that improves moisture management and ventilation.
What Are the Key Differences Between Cladding vs. Siding?
Now that you know the primary difference between how builders put together both cladding and siding systems, it’s time to look deeper. Next, we’ll examine the advantages and disadvantages of cladding vs. siding.
How Does Cladding Improve Moisture Resistance?
The air gap is what makes all the difference in moisture resistance. Even the most well-sealed siding can accumulate moisture behind it, especially during heavy rain, wind-driven rain, or periods when snowmelt seeps into gaps and cracks.
When siding is placed directly against sheathing, it can trap moisture for prolonged periods. With the air gap in a cladding system, however, moisture can flow away easily, and the ventilation provided helps to quickly dry out any remaining dampness.
What Are the Drawbacks of Cladding vs. Siding?
Improved moisture resistance makes cladding sound like a good idea — and it can be — but there are some tradeoffs to consider.
Cladding may not be as wind-resistant, although this depends in large part on the overall wind resistance of the outer siding that you choose for your cladding system, since different types of siding offer different levels of wind resistance.
Additionally, while most homeowners don’t choose exterior materials solely on the basis of insulation properties, cladding limits the insulation your siding can provide. We’ll examine both of these tradeoffs in greater detail below.
Is Siding or Cladding Better for Your Home?
Aesthetically, cladding and siding are the same. Once either has been installed, you won’t see any cladding materials beneath the outer layer. When you’re trying to choose between the two, it’s all about budgeting, weather resistance, and insulation.
Budgeting
Cladding costs slightly more to install than traditional siding because it requires an extra step of installing furring strips to create the air gap behind the siding. This will add a little bit to both labor costs and material costs.
Moisture Resistance vs. Wind Resistance
This consideration is a little trickier because it depends on both your local climate and the type of siding you’d like to install. For example, if you plan to install wood siding, including it as part of a cladding system can be helpful because wood is prone to moisture damage.
The air gap behind it will help it shed water and dry out faster in climates with high humidity or frequent rain and snow. Wood cladding is also relatively durable and inflexible, which makes it unlikely to bow or break in high winds.
However, if you plan to install vinyl siding or another thin, flexible siding material, ask your contractor about fastening it directly to sheathing to provide a solid surface behind it and prevent flexing, warping, and cracking in high winds.
Vinyl is also moisture-resistant, though proper house wrap and flashing are still essential to protect the wall assembly and prevent water damage to interior components like studs and insulation.
Another option is to install steel siding like TruLog to get the best of both worlds. It’s nearly impervious to moisture, reducing the need for more complex wall assemblies in many residential applications.
Steel siding is also more durable than either wood or vinyl, so you won’t need to worry about wind, hail, weathering, or other types of damage taking a toll on your siding. Pair it with house wrap over your sheathing to create an affordable, waterproof exterior that looks great for decades with minimal maintenance.
Insulation
In climates that experience extreme temperatures, insulation may be your primary concern. If that’s the case, neither cladding nor traditional siding will offer much benefit — but there is an option that can help.
The problem with siding as an insulating material is that most popular options don’t offer high R-values (ratings that measure a material’s thermal resistance). For example, wood siding is one of the more insulating options with an R-value of 1. That’s a relatively low level of insulation when compared to the R-values of the insulation within the wall itself, which usually range between R-13 and R-23.
Combine that with a cladding system that features an air gap behind the siding, and the siding’s ability to insulate becomes very limited since outdoor air can flow behind the siding to heat or cool the wall’s inner structures.
If you want siding that makes your home more energy-efficient and comfortable, you need an insulated siding product like TruLog steel siding. Our siding features a foam backing layer, giving it an R-value of 4. Installing it directly over sheathing without an air gap behind it can make a meaningful difference in your heating and cooling bills.
TruLog Steel Siding: The Moisture-Resistant Answer to Cladding
The debate between cladding vs. siding can be confusing at first; still, the main thing to remember is that cladding consists of siding installed over a moisture barrier and air gap to create a more moisture-resistant exterior wall system.
However, you can get that same moisture resistance by making better material choices. You can install TruLog steel siding directly over sheathing, no air gap needed, to provide you with a low-maintenance and cost-effective exterior that’ll improve curb appeal and stand the test of time.
Want to see how TruLog steel siding will look on your home? Check out our visualizer tool to test all of our siding styles and colors and discover the perfect options for your home’s aesthetic.
