What is the name for this exterior piece?

[Mike Lamb]

Does the wood trim that protrudes at the bottom of the siding have a name?

[Bill Kibbel]

I don't like the term, but it's commonly referred to as water table trim.

[Chad Fabry]

What Bill said. (as always)

[Tom Raymond]

What's wrong with the name? When modern builders try to duplicate it that is exactly what they build...a table for water to sit on.

Edited July 30, 2017 by Tom Raymond
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[Trent Tarter]

I call it the lower trim band. 

[Mike Lamb]

And shouldn't we see a flashing above it and not caulk?

[Jim Katen]

Traditionally, it needs no flashing. The top piece is angled to shed water and the 1st course of siding is beveled at a slightly sharper angle.  Portland is full of houses with this detail intact from the pre-war era. 

[AHI in AR]

Sometimes referred to around here as a drip cap. Unfortunately, not always sloped as it should be in newer homes.

[Chad Fabry]

  On 8/2/2017 at 12:11 PM, Mike Lamb said:

And shouldn't we see a flashing above it and not caulk?

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What you should see is no flashing and no caulk. Caulking the bottoms of any clapboard is a really bad practice. An even worse practice is caulking the bottom of the bottom clapboard.

Around here the water tables are angled as Jim pointed out but most of them have a profile that mimics the depth of the clapboard and precludes the need for a flashing.

[Marc]

The drip cap we have here is separate from the water table.  Fits under the lowest course of clapboard like Chad's drawing but also fits over the water table below.  It protrudes from the wall about a half inch more than either clapboard or water table.  The only homes that have it here are about 100 yrs old or older.

[Greg Booth]

  On 8/3/2017 at 10:12 AM, Chad Fabry said:

 

What you should see is no flashing and no caulk. Caulking the bottoms of any clapboard is a really bad practice. An even worse practice is caulking the bottom of the bottom clapboard.

Around here the water tables are angled as Jim pointed out but most of them have a profile that mimics the depth of the clapboard and precludes the need for a flashing.

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........and on the bottom surface (just below what you can see in Chad's sketch), just in from the outer edge is a routed groove. The purpose of which is to break the surface tension of the flowing water so it drips off, rather than flow down onto the band trim and foundation surface......Greg

[BADAIR]

  On 7/28/2017 at 2:01 AM, Chad Fabry said:

What Bill said. (as always)

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it's a good thing when the Heads are aligned

proper water table trim when produced from wood requires the bottom kerf or expect premature failure