One important choice you’ll have to make when installing new siding on your house is whether to have the boards run vertically or horizontally. This decision has an impact on more than just the appearance of your home. It can give the impression that your house is wider, taller, or more modern. Selecting the option that best suits your architectural objectives is made easier when you are aware of the visual impact of each orientation.
How Siding Orientation Changes Your Home’s Appearance
People’s perceptions of your home are influenced by the visuals created by the direction that your siding runs. Similar to how wearing horizontal stripes may make you appear broader and vertical stripes can make you appear taller, the same rules apply to the outside of your house.
In American home design, horizontal siding is the conventional option. Boards form lines that extend from one side of your house to the other when they are parallel to the ground. Your house feels larger and more rooted as a result. These lines highlight the width of your property as the eye moves over the facade.
The opposite is true with vertical siding. The eye is drawn upward when boards extend from top to bottom. This gives the appearance that your house is taller than it actually is. Vertical siding can lend perceived height to residences that are smaller or have low rooflines, completely altering the building’s appearance.
The Modern Appeal of Vertical Siding
Vertical siding frequently creates a more modern appearance than horizontal boards if that’s what you’re after. In mid-century modern architecture, this orientation gained popularity, and in recent years, it has had a big resurgence.
Several factors contribute to vertical siding’s modern appearance:
- It breaks from traditional residential design patterns
- The clean, upward lines create a sleeker silhouette
- It pairs well with large windows and minimalist details
- The orientation complements contemporary materials like metal and fiber cement
For modern or transitional-style homes, vertical siding is a popular choice among architects. This orientation can be seen in barndominium conversions, Scandinavian-inspired designs, and newly constructed residences that emphasize geometric shapes and clean lines.
Using vertical siding in the board-and-batten style enhances the visual effect even further. This design creates a striking pattern that is particularly modern by using wide boards with narrow strips concealing the seams. Plain external walls gain drama and interest via the strong vertical rhythm.
When Horizontal Siding Works Best
Horizontal siding is still the most common option for residential building, even though vertical choices are becoming more and more popular. Many homes are a good fit for this orientation because of its aesthetic and functional benefits.
Horizontal siding works particularly well for these situations:
- Traditional home styles like Colonial, Cape Cod, or Craftsman
- Ranch houses and single-story homes that benefit from appearing wider
- Properties in established neighborhoods where most homes use horizontal siding
- Homes with strong horizontal elements, like long porches or wing additions
Horizontal siding has a timeless appeal due to its easily identifiable appearance. It uses conventional proportions to produce a balanced look rather than competing with the architecture of your house. Compared to vertical options, many homeowners find this traditional style to be more welcoming and residential.
The most popular horizontal design, lap siding, consists of layers of overlapping planks. This gives your external walls modest shadow lines that give them depth and substance. The layered approach adds visual interest to your house without creating a lot of contrast.
Mixing Vertical and Horizontal for Maximum Impact
You are not limited to choosing a single orientation for the entire home. Combining horizontal and vertical siding adds visual contrast and might draw attention to particular architectural elements. For homeowners looking to elevate their property’s curb appeal, combining siding orientations can be part of a broader strategy offered through exterior home improvement services in South Jersey.
Common ways to combine both orientations include:
- Maintaining horizontal siding on main walls and vertical siding on gable ends
- Putting up vertical boards as window or entryway accent panels
- Changing orientations while moving between floors or areas of your house
- Using vertical paneling to create feature walls to divide expansive horizontal spaces
You have the opportunity to achieve multiple goals at once with this combined approach. Where necessary, you can add height, but in other places, you can keep the classic charm. By highlighting particular areas of your house, the difference between orientations creates focal points that enhance curb appeal.
Be mindful of transition spots while alternating siding orientations. At organic architectural interruptions, such as inside corners, beneath eaves, or at changes in wall plane, you should transition from horizontal to vertical. Smooth transitions appear deliberate rather than haphazard.
Color and Material Choices Matter
Depending on the color and material you choose, vertical or horizontal siding will have different visual effects. Together with orientation, these elements determine how your house looks in the end.
Both horizontal and vertical siding appear larger in light colors. Pale gray, cream, and white all visually enlarge your house, giving the impression that it is bigger. Horizontal light siding highlights width, whereas vertical light siding increases the perception of height.
Dark hues, particularly when combined with vertical siding, produce striking, contemporary statements. When placed vertically, deep grays, blacks, and navy blues create a dramatic effect that gives your house a modern edge. Dark horizontal siding fits ranch types by giving the impression that your home is lower and more grounded.
Texture of the material is another factor. Metal plates or smooth fiber cement highlight the vertical siding’s crisp lines. A farmhouse or rustic modern look can be achieved by softening the futuristic edge of vertical siding with wood or textured materials. Natural wood horizontal siding gives off a timeless cottage charm, while horizontal fiber cement offers a clean, classical look.
Architectural Style Compatibility
Your home’s architectural style should guide your siding orientation choice. Fighting against your home’s natural design language rarely produces satisfying results.
- Modern and contemporary homes: Vertical siding works especially well, as the upward lines complement clean geometry, minimalist designs, modern farmhouses, and flat or low-slope roofs.
- Traditional homes: Horizontal siding is usually the better fit for Colonial, Victorian, and Craftsman styles, preserving the historical look established when lap siding was standard.
- Transitional homes: Either vertical or horizontal siding, or a mix of both, can work well since these designs blend traditional and modern elements.
- Industrial and barndominium styles: Vertical siding, such as board-and-batten or metal panels, reinforces agricultural influences while still feeling modern and refined.
Proportions and Scale Considerations
The size and proportions of your home influence how well different siding orientations will work.
- For tall, narrow homes: Horizontal siding can help balance proportions by adding visual width. The horizontal lines counteract the vertical emphasis of the building’s shape, creating a more balanced appearance.
- For long, low homes: Vertical siding on select walls or gable ends adds needed height. This prevents the house from looking too spread out or squat. Even vertical accents can lift the visual weight of a low roofline.
- For small homes: Smaller properties often benefit from vertical siding because it draws the eye upward, making the structure feel larger than its actual square footage. This trick works especially well on compact modern homes or tiny house designs.
- For larger homes: These can handle bold vertical siding installations without overwhelming the property. The scale of a bigger house supports dramatic vertical elements that might overpower a smaller building.
Installation Patterns and Visual Rhythm
Beyond just orientation, the specific pattern you choose affects your home’s appearance.
- Wide boards create fewer lines and a cleaner, more modern look. This is perfect for modern homes of any orientation. Wide vertical boards have a particularly modern, architectural appearance.
- Narrow boards produce more lines and visual rhythm. Horizontal narrow boards create classic clapboard appeal. Vertical narrow boards can feel busy if not balanced with other design elements.
- Board-and-batten exclusively works with vertical orientation. The alternating wide and narrow boards create strong vertical emphasis, perfect for modern farmhouse or barndominium styles.
- Dutch lap or bevel siding works best horizontally. These profiles create shadow lines that depend on horizontal installation to show their depth and texture.
Regional and Neighborhood Context
The siding orientation that looks most appropriate and attractive depends on your region. Choosing vertical siding might help your home stand out in established neighborhoods where horizontal siding is the standard. If you want to mix in with the surrounding homes, that contrast can feel out of place, but if you want a fresher, unique style, it might be intriguing.
The styles of existing buildings in the area are very important. Horizontal siding, particularly shiplap and clapboard, has long been preferred in coastal areas because it represents maritime construction techniques and produces the traditional beach cottage look that many homeowners anticipate.
On the other hand, vertical board-and-batten siding is becoming more and more popular for residential homes in rural and agricultural areas. This design seems modern and purposeful while drawing inspiration from barn and farm buildings. The most variation is typically found in urban and suburban areas, where contemporary infill homes often use vertical siding to differentiate themselves from neighboring older, horizontally sided residences.
Making Your Decision
Choosing between vertical and horizontal siding comes down to your priorities and your home’s specific characteristics.
Choose horizontal siding when you want to:
- Honor traditional architectural styles
- Make your home appear wider or more grounded
- Match surrounding homes in your neighborhood
- Create classic, timeless curb appeal
Choose vertical siding when you want to:
- Add visual height to your home
- Create a modern or contemporary appearance
- Make a bold architectural statement
- Reference farmhouse or agricultural building styles
Consider mixing both orientations when you want to:
- Add visual interest through contrast
- Highlight specific architectural features
- Balance your home’s proportions
- Combine traditional and modern elements
Your siding orientation choice significantly impacts how your home looks and feels. Horizontal siding creates width, tradition, and familiarity. Vertical siding adds height, modernity, and distinctive character.
By understanding these visual effects and how they interact with your home’s architecture, you can select the orientation that brings your vision to life. Ready to choose a siding orientation that truly complements your home’s style? Contact us today to get expert guidance and bring your vision to life with confidence.