Different Types Of Siding For Your Home
When the time comes to consider types of siding for your home, whether new construction or remodeling, the material and style you choose will have a huge impact on the finshed look of the home. That's why it's vitally important to do your homework, learn all you can, and boldly pick a house siding that expresses your unique personality, shows off your home in it's best light, and complements rather than clashes with the other homes in your neighborhood. Here's a primer on many of the various types of exterior siding you could choose, with the emphasis on the economical and universally available.
 Vinyl siding, one of the most common and economical types of siding, is made from PVC. One of the major advantages of vinyl is it's durability and resistance to rot. It also will never flake the way paint will. Unfortunately, vinyl needs to be protected from abrasions, heat, and being struck by foreign objects or it may split, melt, or crack. Additionally, older vinyl may tend to fade over time, which can give your home a dingy appearance. The effective life of vinyl siding ranges from 15 to 40 or more years.
> Cedar shake siding, cedar lap and gap, cedar shingles, and other types of wood siding look really attractive in natural surroundings. If the other homes in the neighborhood apply this look, or your home is in a wooded setting, then shingles or shakes stained in complementary hues and shades of earth tones are a really great look. These materials also have lower maintenance requirements than traditional clapboard siding, which requires periodic application of paint.
Another siding material does a great job of creating the look of wood and vinyl, without the upkeep, is fiber cement - also known as hardie board (because it was invented in Australia by James Hardie) and cement board siding. Cement board was developed to withstand extreme conditions of climate and insect infestations, and at the same time retain the beauty of wood. Hardie planks won't rot, and they won't deteriorate the way most other exterior siding will. They are also energy efficient, and therefore economical, even though the upfront cost is comparable to other types of siding. Cement board siding gives you the appearance and texture of wood, yet is far more durable and long lasting. Masonite siding boards are manufactured from a composite of wood fibers, resin, and wax, and the resulting material is both strong and dense. Masonite comes from the factory already stained or painted, and you can also paint them yourself if you so desire. The primary benefit of masonite is it's low upfront cost. Finally, if you want the look of a real log home, without the high upfront price tag, look no further than log look vinyl siding. That's right, some homes that you thing are real log cabins are actually log cabin look alikes! This is a great, cost effective way to get the log home of your dreams. You may even decide that you can install the siding yourself! Hopefully, you now have an idea of the tremendous variety available in exterior siding materials, and the many types of siding available for your new home or remodeling project. Other materails available that we haven't discussed here are steel, aluminum, stucco, and real logs. Be bold, and choose a siding product that expresses who you are, and puts your home in it's best light.
|
