6 Home Siding Choices

Siding provides a homeowner with an excellent way to add definition and color to their home’s exterior. There are plenty of options that will help you to generate the ideal façade.
Aesthetics are of course important, but you should also consider ability to resist water, durability, versatility, and ease of installation.

Brick

Manufactured using fired clay, brick arrives in varying textures and sizes. It is commonly found on Tudor, English cottage, and Colonial exteriors, and affords a beautiful appearance that has been in use for hundreds of years.

In the modern era, brick siding is generally merely a veneer that is constructed on the house’s exterior. Nevertheless, when it has been installed professionally, it can last for as long as the house itself. In comparison to other sidings, brick siding is costlier given its labor-intensive nature.

Brick siding typically costs around $6 to $16 per square foot installed.

Vinyl

The versatility, easy maintenance, and low cost of vinyl siding all add up to make it the most popular siding in the country. Some may be not like the plastic look, but it remains incredibly popular all the same.

It takes only a few tools to install it and is thus suited to do-it-yourselfers.

Wood

Wood is commonly found on cottage, bungalow, and Cape Cod exteriors. It confers a rich appearance and if maintained correctly, is thoroughly durable. It is susceptible to both rodent and insect attacks, however. All the same, it should last for a lengthy period – anything from 10 years to as much as 100 years.

Wood siding is available in clapboard (lap or bevel siding), shingles, and shakes. In clapboard, redwood and Western red cedar are seen as the best choices on account of their durability and attractive appearance.

Shingles are thinner than shakes but more uniform in appearance. These can be cut to provide more visual appeal, and some are treated with chemicals of a fire-retardant nature.

Typically, wood siding costs around $5 to $10 for a square foot installed.

Fiber-cement

It is lower cost, but fiber-cement siding provides the look of wood, stucco, or of masonry. It is now a popular choice given that, other than its versatility, it is non-flammable, low-maintenance, and termite-resistant. It is available in a sizable range of textures and styles, and factory finishes or painting is highly recommended.

It does tend to attract moisture-related problems, however. And homes that were built during the latter part of the 1980s frequently have fiber-cement siding that contains asbestos. In turn, this requires removal by a professional abatement contractor.

For fiber-cement siding, the average price is $6 to $12 per square foot installed, and it will generally last for around 25 to 50 years.

Stucco

The traditional stucco is manufactured using Portland cement, building sand, and lime and water. Before it is installed, there’s a requirement for a waterproof barrier together with galvanized-metal screening to be applied over wood walls. This in turn provides a base for the stucco while the walls underneath are fully protected.

It is normally used to gain a more classic appearance on ranch, Spanish-mission, and Mediterranean exteriors, though it can still be utilized on homes with stone and brick surfacing.

It is very rigid and thus, careful installation is a necessity to avoid cracking the stucco. It can last for the entire lifetime of the house when correctly maintained.

Stone and stone-veneer

The durability and natural beauty of natural stones such as limestone and granite are particularly appealing to the homeowner who wishes to have a siding that adds visual interest and texture to the exterior. It is costlier than other siding formats, and it can prove difficult to add to a home.

Stone-veneer siding is lighter in weight and also less costly than natural stone, and it can be had in both synthetic and natural materials. There are numerous different styles of stone-veneer siding available.

Annual cleaning using a hose and regular inspection helps to ensure that this veneer will last for the same length of time as the house.

Average cost of stone is approximately $10 to $30 per square foot installed.