Wood board siding, long favored by homeowners because of its natural beauty, is made from boards that have been milled into any of several interlocking or overlapping patterns. Though most are installed horizontally across a house's walls, some types are designed to be applied vertically or diagonally. As discussed in this section of HomeTips, installation methods depend upon the exact type of board siding and, in some cases, the species of the wood.

Wood shingle siding, of course, is quite different in that individual wood shingles, typically cedar, are applied in an overlapping pattern so that they shed rain and seal-out the weather. You'll find more about shingle buying and application here, too.