Home & Garden Home & Garden

Selecting Siding for Your Home

There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to choosing siding for your home. Where you live is your castle, and this choice has to do with your personal taste. Decide how much work you are willing to put into the choice you make, taking into consideration the installation of it and the annual upkeep. Determine what price range you need to work with and also how the option you select will play a role in the resale value of your home.

In years gone by, there were seven types of siding that homeowners could choose from. The choices were aluminum, asbestos, cement fiber, fiberglass, hardboard composite, vinyl, and wood. Changes have been made over the years in this area. Asbestos is no longer an option because of the risks it poses to health. Fiberglass and hardboard composite are rarely ever used any more either.

The four options that remain are aluminum, cement fiber, vinyl and wood. While deciding which one would be most appropriate for your residence, take into consideration the unique characteristics of each one.

Wood has lots of character and it looks great, but it can be frustrating to take care of because it is a high maintenance material. Some of the tasks you will find yourself needing to do repeatedly include caulking, repainting, and getting rid of insects that have found their way into the wood.

If you do decide that you want wood, how much you will pay will be based upon the style you choose and the kind of wood that you want. Hanging this type of siding is not that much of a chore. The board variety generally has grooves that easily fit into the other. The clapboard variety comes with overlapping joints.

Many of the newer dwellings are built with aluminum siding instead of wood because the maintenance is much less. This is something most homeowners appreciate. You can choose from a plethora of colors, patterns, and grains. The textures that are made available to consumers give the appearance of wood because of the numerous textures available.

Aluminum is easy to put up because it is made up of planks that interlock. The prices range from moderate to high, depending on whether you choose vinyl or plastic coated. The down side to aluminum is that it has a tendency to fade and to dent. It can also be noisy.

Vinyl is low maintenance and a cost-effective material to purchase. It is easy to put up and does not require repainting. Other than an occasional break, repairs are rarely required. It can be purchased in several different kinds of colors, textures, and designs.

Cement fiber is the newest type of material to make an appearance on the market. While it comes with a higher price tag than some of the other options for a home, it also has a warranty for 50 years. It is durable, prefinished, low maintenance, and it does not need to be repainted on an annual basis.

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