Siding Series 5: Choosing the Right Siding

We have covered how to tell if you need new siding and why siding is such a fundamental part of your house. We have also covered various options for your home in the last two articles of the series.

Even though you’re likely accustomed to seeing vinyl adorn the homes in most neighborhoods, it turns out there are quite a few choices available to you. So, before you make a purchase, it’s good to learn the major factors that should be considered when purchasing siding and rank them in the order that suits you.

Picking the Best Siding for Your Home

There are many factors you should consider when choosing siding material to install on your house. Major determining factors will include architectural styling (appearance), cost, maintenance, durability, installation requirements, and ease of repair.

Architectural Styling: The texture, style, and colors all should work to enrich your house’s look, rather than merely protecting it from weather.

Price Tag: Costs include materials and the labor it takes to apply the siding. It’s also helpful to consider a siding’s long-term value. For instance, composite siding like fiber cement is harder than vinyl to install and typically costs more, but it will it insured for up to 50 years and can last even longer.

Maintenance: Natural products need regular painting or sealing; metal, cement, and vinyl offer considerably much less time spent in the way of maintaining your choice.

Durability: Certain materials will need to be repaired much more frequently and replaced more often. Wood, for example, will crack and rot.  And, in the years after its installed, Vinyl’s color will fade.

Installation: With so many options, siding materials will range from simple to time intensive.

Repairability: Fixing the siding you choose down the road something is not often high on the list of considerations when beginning a project. Even so, areas that experience weather extremes. Or if you plan to live in your current house a long time, it might be comforting to know that you will be able to accomplish minor repairs. As with installation, the ability to repair your siding will vary greatly depending on the material you choose.

Comparison Chart

Siding	Paintable	Stainable	Washable	Application	Selections
Vinyl	Yes	Yes	Yes	Easy	Good
Fiber Cement	Yes	No	Yes	Moderate	Good
Steel	No	No	Yes	Moderate	Fair
Stone	Yes	No	No	Difficult	Good
Brick	Yes	No	No	Difficult	Fair
Clapboard	Yes	Yes	No	Moderate	Fair
Shingle	Yes	Yes	No	Moderate	Fair
Shake	Yes	Yes	No	Moderate	Fair
Stucco	Yes	No	No	Difficult	Fair
Log	Yes	Yes	No	Difficult	Fair