Types of Home Siding Materials
Replacing your home siding can be one of the easiest improvements to your home to increase value and improve the appearance. Choosing the correct material can be a difficult process but we’re here to make it easy for you. Here at Aluminum Siding.com we’ll break down the pros, cons, and costs of the various materials used in home siding. Among them are cement fiber siding, fiberglass, asbestos siding, aluminum siding, hardboard composite, vinyl siding, and wood siding. Obviously asbestos siding isn’t in use anymore. Additionally, hardboard composite and fiberglass have been replaced with newer materials like the cement fiber siding and the vinyl siding. So let’s take a closer look at the materials we have left.
Aluminum Siding
Aluminum siding has fit the bill as the low maintenance, popular siding option for home improvements and new homes. Aluminum is a versatile material to use for siding. It can come in a large range of styles including a lot of different colors and both vertical and horizontal panels. Aluminum siding is also available in multiple textures like shingle or wood shake.
Aluminum siding is a common siding material used for retro fitting homes. This is achieved by applying the aluminum siding on top of the wood siding that is already in place.
Aluminum is a particularly durable material to use for siding although the painted finishes have been known to fade over time. To alleviate these problems with paint it is advised that you repaint the aluminum siding every few years or consider a vinyl finish to your aluminum siding, although this typically elevates the cost of the siding.
As mentioned previously, the pricing for aluminum siding is moderate unless you buy the vinyl or plastic coated aluminum siding.
As far as maintenance is concerned, aluminum is easy to install and maintain. Denting can be a problem with aluminum siding but it can be easily replaced and is cheap and easy to setup. The upgrade to plastic or vinyl coating for the aluminum siding can make aluminum siding a substantially more expensive product, but the non-coated siding is still a very effective product.
Vinyl Siding
Vinyl siding is next in the evolution of siding materials. Vinyl siding is similar to aluminum siding in that it comes in narrow strips and fastens to the exterior wall of the house. Again, similar to aluminum siding, vinyl siding comes in a wide array of colors. Aluminum siding can also be customized by choosing between horizontal and vertical strips.
Vinyl siding isn’t quite as durable as aluminum siding, particularly in cold weather where the aluminum siding is sometimes subject to cracking. It is also critical to ensure proper installation with vinyl siding because improper installation will result in warped or buckling siding.
One advantage to vinyl siding is that it is typically a little cheaper than aluminum siding. The maintenance on vinyl siding is very low as it rarely ever needs painting for color. If the vinyl siding is cracked though, it will definitely need to be replaced or repaired.
Wood Siding
Wooden siding is one of the oldest types of siding materials. It is one of the more attractive siding options and you can see evidence of this on older historic homes. Unfortunately, wood clapboard siding is a high maintenance siding material. Regular painting and caulking is absolutely necessary. Many homeowners are moving to aluminum or vinyl siding because of the high maintenance level on wood siding.
Aesthetically, wood siding has a large variety of styles, and finishes. Obviously there are different types of wood to use for your siding, but you can also bevel wood siding. Plywood is also one of the wood siding options and is often called T-111.
Wood siding is easy to repair but can be arduous if you’re attempting to apply over existing siding. Wood siding is also particularly vulnerable to rotting, splitting, or warping, as well as insects. In order to maintain the wood siding you will have to be aware of the potential problems that arise with improper ventilation.
The cost of wood siding is going to depend on the type of wood and the style of the siding but it is generally reasonable in price.
Cement Fiber Siding
Cement fiber is the latest in the development of the residential siding materials. Cement fiber comes as close as possible to mimicking the beauty of natural wood grain and is sometimes not noticeably different from wood siding at all. Unfortunately, cement fiber siding is more expensive than most of the other options we’ve listed here.
Cement fiber siding characteristically very durable and is virtually immune to insect damage or rot. Like wood siding it can come in various sizes and cuts and will need to be primed and finished.
The downside to the cement fiber siding is its excessive pricing, but typically that is offset over the life of the siding because it is so maintenance free.