Sunday, April 28, 2024

4 Types of Siding: Comparing Vinyl, Wood, Metal, and Fiber Cement

house siding options

Metal siding is low maintenance and durable, making it a good choice for storing lawn equipment and other items that weather or pests may damage. Wood siding is also popular for sheds, as it’s relatively inexpensive and easy to install. It comes out of the factory looking like it will on your house. Unlike vinyl, fiber cement siding is almost always created to mimic another material, usually natural wood. Full brick cost ranges from $6 to $10 per square foot but it can go up to $12 while a brick veneer can range from $4 to $6. The cost of installation is not incorporated which can be high, especially for full brick exterior because it requires specialized skills.

Choosing a Siding Material

Felida home show spotlights stucco-style siding - The Columbian

Felida home show spotlights stucco-style siding.

Posted: Mon, 27 Sep 2021 07:00:00 GMT [source]

It requires little maintenance and suffers very little from normal wear and tear. Though it’s in a class all of its own, many people compare fiber cement and vinyl side by side. Better yet, brick doesn’t ever need to be repainted or refinished. In fact, it ages beautifully and looks even better after a few decades. Horizontal wood siding is made using thin wood strips placed horizontally, in some cases using tongue and groove. Some of the woods used include cypress, pine, Douglas fir and spruce.

Vinyl Siding

As long as there isn’t major damage to the vinyl siding and you remove it carefully, you can reuse the siding for other projects. Your vinyl siding can be power-washed, but you need to be cautious of this process. You will also need to check your warranty before engaging in the process. Some manufacturers advise against using a power washer to clean your home, and it may void the warranty. On average, vinyl siding will last for at least 20 years with little maintenance. However, depending on where you live and what your vinyl siding is exposed to, it can last for up to 40 years.

Fiber Cement Siding

Whether primed or prepainted, fiber cement must be refinished periodically, though less often than wood. The disadvantage of stone veneers is they’re not as durable as actual stone, plus they are prone to water penetration, unless the installation is perfect. And despite improvements in manufacturing processes, including better pigments and molds, the faux stone has a hard time passing for the real thing.

Can vinyl siding be recycled?

In many cases, this is something you can do yourself, but you also have the option of calling in a professional for help. In general, vinyl siding doesn’t require a lot of maintenance to keep it looking good. However, if you find that there is a collection of dirt and debris or mold or algae on the outside of your home and you want to clean it, you can accomplish that task. The best cleaning solution for your siding includes a combination of water and white vinegar. In addition, if you have a contractor working on your house, they may also have access to recycling facilities or know where the nearest one is located. Otherwise, consider doing a search online to find the closest vinyl siding recycling center.

Siding Material and Quality

But for a siding job, there are some specific questions homeowners will want to be answered before they sign a contract. Any hailstorm demands a good, hard look at the roof and siding. While roofs have some shock absorption built in, siding usually does not, and hail can cause denting and cracking to most types of siding. Any damage that can be repaired should be, and promptly, to avoid further damage. But if the denting is severe, repair may be impossible, and siding replacement may be necessary. Like other contractors, siding installers have busy seasons and slower seasons.

These can be mixed and matched to create a truly custom look for the home’s exterior, but that custom look will come at a higher cost, as unusual moldings are often special-order items. Board and batten can be much more expensive than other siding options, such as vinyl. Because it requires quite a bit of wood pieces and is a much more complex installation process, both material and labor costs can go up if you choose to do your whole home.

Some other options can be less costly at the outset, but vinyl’s minimal maintenance cost makes it less expensive over the life of the siding than any other type. Once behind the siding, water can swell or damage the substrate underneath, making the siding loose and unsteady. On siding that involves mortar, such as brick and stone, water can seep into cracks between the mortar and the bricks or stones and loosen them, destabilizing the whole wall. Signs of these kinds of damage call for a professional inspection and potentially a siding replacement. Heavy and difficult to install, concrete siding is nonetheless a great low-maintenance, low-cost option for some homes. It needs to be sealed, and it can be painted (but once painted it will need repainting every few years).

If you pressure-wash the siding, set the pressure between 1500 and 2400 pounds per square inch (PSI). Use a 40-degree tip at a minimum of 12 inches away from the siding. Some manufacturers specify that you shouldn’t pressure-wash their products. Cement fiber siding is an especially popular choice in areas that experience extreme weather, such as hurricanes, blizzards, or wildfires.

We’ll help you find the most qualified siding installers in your area. All of aluminum’s other positive qualities also apply to steel, though; steel siding is exceptionally resistant to fire, pests, and bad weather. And, at the end of its long lifespan, steel siding can be recycled instead of simply put into a landfill, making it an eco-friendly siding option.

This characteristic helps to create a durable concrete home exterior. It also comes with all the same advantages as vinyl siding, including incredibly durability and warranties of up to 40 years or more. The only real disadvantage to note, other than the fact that engineered wood is not quite the real thing, is the fact that you can’t repaint or restain it. Engineered wood holds up well to extreme temperatures, moisture, fire and insects.

house siding options

The tangerine colored portion in the front makes the entire building pop, drawing and catching the eye. Sometimes modern design merely needs to update a more traditional look to get the desired style. This contrasting siding uses trim to set off the stained wood section from the darker areas.

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