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In the Nov. 1997 issue of FH, they show installing a “water table” board (usually 1X6) as the bottom course before installing bevelled lap siding. They stick some flashing under the first clapboard and over the water table. So the first course of real clapboard starts above this water table.
Why do they use this water table board? Is that preferrable to having the bottom course be just another piece of clapboard, as long as it overlaps the foundation? Maybe because it’s harder to install something (strip of bevelled top edge) behind that bottom clapboard in order to have it lie at the same angle as subsequent boards?
On a slightly different topic, the old, authentic clapboards (or true reproductions) were installed with 4 or 5 of the bottom courses of boards much closer together (i.e., greater overlap), and the exposed surface gradually increased as they moved up the wall until the normal 4″ or whatever was reached. You see a lot of this in New England. I think Bob Vila or somebody explained this was done for some weather related reason. Does anyone know why they installed it that way?
