What sits behind the panels
Weather-resistive barrier (housewrap or equivalent), taped seams, and pan or step flashing at openings move water out — not into the wall.
Vinyl and fiber cement both depend on that layer. Skipping it to "save a day" is expensive later.
Openings are the weak points
- Window and door heads without kick-out or head flash
- Hose bibs and light boxes cut after wrap without resealing
- Deck ledger connections that bypass the drainage plane
- Roof-to-wall kick-out flashing missing at valleys
On our scopes
Better and Best packages name wrap and flash explicitly. We photograph openings before panels go up when you want the record.
Pairing windows with siding is often the best time to do openings once — not twice.