I’m dealing with an exterior remodel of an old 1940’s home in zone 6B. We are eliminating old vinyl siding, the setting up new housewrap -> some brand-new windows -> 1.5 ″ rockwool insulation -> 1 × 4 rainscreen -> extension jambs -> 1 × 8 horizontal lap wood siding.
The most typical technique seems to be setting up trim first, then butt siding to it and caulking the joint. A “contemporary” variation of this I’ve seen is to skip the housing, and just butt the siding to the extension jambs.
The other alternative is to do siding first, then trim on top. This appears less typical, but I like the concept of not having exposed butt joints. The downside would be small gaps behind the trim caused by the siding profile.
Is there any strong argument for or against either method? I’m most thinking about making the most of toughness, but I’m likewise questioning if either approach is easier to get right for a non-professional.
Thanks! -Glenn