Types Of Siding

One of the basic requirements in the construction of a home is the siding, used in the exterior. The task of purchasing the right siding for your house is a very difficult task, be it the case of an under-construction house or that of the replacement of an existing siding. Amongst the basic things that you need to take into consideration, before purchasing the siding, are the style of your home and type of siding that you want to use. Home sidings are today available in various types of materials and you have to decide which one will suit your needs perfectly. To help you make an informed decision, we have provided information on the different types of home sidings, in the following lines.

 

 

It was in the mid-20^th century that the trend of using aluminum sidings came in vogue. The best feature of aluminum is that it is easy to use, easy to maintain and also pretty durable. It does not crack, can easily cover thin clapboard and is fireproof too. At the same time, aluminum siding is quite reasonable and is considered fairly environmentally friendly. The only problem is that you cannot set a ladder against it as it will lead to a dent in the siding.

 

Bricks have been used for the purpose of home siding since ages and even today, their popularity seems to be pretty high. The best part of brick siding is that it stands the test of time and easily sustains adverse weather conditions. Brick also comes in a wide range of colors, within the earth tone palette. Though the initial cost of having a brick siding is high, it proves to be economical in the long run. This is because it doesn’t need repairs as quickly as other sidings.

 

If nature is what you desire to be the theme of your house, then cedar shingles siding will work the best for you. In fact, it looks brilliant on the houses that have a natural setting. In this case, the shakes or shingles are usually stained in the earth tones like browns and grays. The look it imparts is great. Another excellent feature of cedar shingles siding is that it does not need to be painted too often, leading to a drop in the maintenance cost.

 

If wood is what you will like your siding to be made of, why not go for engineered or composite wood. Such a siding is made from wood products only, however a few other materials are also added. The resultant look is wooden, albeit with much less cost than the original wood sliding. Engineered or composite wood comes in the form of long panels. You can install these pales on the exterior and make your house look trim and seamless from outside.

 

In case durability is what attracts you more, then you should go for seamless steel siding. Being made of steel, it is pretty resilient and, at the same time, it can be manufactured in such a way so as to give the wooden look. Another god feature is that whether the outside temperature rises to boiling point or plunges to freezing point, steel siding will neither swell nor shrink. You do not need splicing during installation and there will be no tension of re-painting too.

 

Stone is the material to be used for home siding if continuality and resilience is what you are looking for. The material looks extremely good, when used as siding, and can easily weather extreme conditions, like hailstorm, snow, ice or blistering heat. The only problem is that the high durability of stone also commands a high price. If you do not want to spend too much, you have the option of going for Corning, which is pre-cast stone veneer and facing.

 

Stucco can be described as combination of cement with water and other ingredients, like sand and lime. Since the Renaissance period, stucco has been a favored material for home siding. The reason is that it is extremely strong and boasts of great sturdiness. Since a stucco surface is pretty hard, it is very difficult for the moisture to seep inside the house. The original stucco is expensive. However, you have synthetic stuccos - reasonable, but not as durable as original.

 

Vinyl siding can be taken to mean a siding made of polyvinyl chloride i.e. a plastic prepared from PVC. Vinyl siding does not rot and saves you from having to worry about flaking paint and the dipping attractiveness of your home siding. On the other hand, this siding is prone to cracking and splitting. It even starts looking stained and washed out after a few years. At the same time; vinyl siding, being made from PVC, is not at all environment friendly.