SIDING
As some of the area's oldest structures, German Village's frame buildings accent its historic character. A number of these frame structures are still protected by their original siding and there is considerable diversity in design and appearance.

The earliest and most common siding is beveled siding. As shown in Drawing 10 , beveled siding has horizontal, tapered overlapping boards.

Flush wood siding may have a smooth surface or may be cut to resemble blocks of stone; see photo 13. Another form of siding is overlapping wood shingles shown in photo 14. Vertical siding such as board-and-batten is less common. As drawing 10 shows, board-and-batten siding has thin, narrow vertical battens nailed over joints in wide boards.

Wood siding requires some maintenance and regular painting. Despite frequent ads touting its maintenance-free qualities, so does artificial (aluminum or vinyl) siding. Aluminum or vinyl siding may require cleaning, its color may fade, and repair is extremely difficult. Application of artificial siding can cause several problems in historic buildings:

a.While installing artificial siding, the installer frequently removes the building's window and door trim, cornerboards, soffits and fascias, and other important architectural features.

b. Artificial siding comes in standard designs and dimensions that often do not match historic material, especially in width.

c. Artificial siding damages easily - aluminum dents; vinyl becomes brittle and cracks in cold weather.

d. Dampness caused by leaking gutters or water pipes, or from improperly installed insulation, can build up behind unvented artificial siding. This results in dry rot of wood members, peeling paint, or damaged plaster.

e. Artificial siding eventually needs to be painted and extensively cleaned and repaired.

Recommendations
1. If original or historic siding survives on a building, it should be repaired and preserved. Sometimes asphalt, cement, or other types of shingles or coverings have been applied, and very often the original siding underneath is in surprisingly good condition.

2. Replacement or repair siding should be wood and should match any existing siding in appearance. Siding should be selected from the types illustrated here, using the correct siding for the building's era.

3. Only if physical, written, or photographic evidence shows that your building had another type of siding in the past can you consider changing the siding (for example, from horizontal to board-and-batten). Always base such choices on sound research.

4. Siding should cover only areas that were originally covered by siding, and the new siding should duplicate the appearance of the original as closely as possible. Shingles or vertical siding should be repaired or replaced in kind rather than being replaced with horizontal artificial siding.

5. Artificial siding on historic structures is strongly discouraged. However, if such siding is proposed, be prepared to show that architectural trim such as cornerboards, window trim, door trim, soffits, fascias, and other ornamentation and detail will be retained, and repaired, if necessary, and that the new siding will match the width and profile of the original. Any source of moisture or other problems affecting the original siding must be found and corrected.

6. Artificial siding is an acceptable treatment for new construction or on new additions to existing buildings. Appropriate widths and configurations are encouraged.

7. Painting is the appropriate treatment for wood siding in German Village. Avoid varnishes, stains, and bare, weathered wood. If wood siding won't hold paint, find and cure the problem (often interior moisture generation), don't just cover it up with new materials.