Residential Siding – A Homeowner’s Guide

A homeowner who’s looking for residential siding has several routes to choose from. He or she can go to their building contractor and ask for suggestions or visit the website of a manufacturer who specializes in siding. The homeowner can also look up their local Chamber of Commerce, the better Business Bureau or take advice from friends, coworkers and neighbors.

Siding can be made out of many materials, including wood, plywood, aluminum, fiber cement, hardboard, fiberglass and vinyl. All of these have benefits and drawbacks, but here are three tips a homeowner can use for selecting the right kind of siding material for the home:

Durability

According to experts in residential siding in Indianapolis, a homeowner who wants siding that’s going to last a long time should look into vinyl siding, which is guaranteed to last for at least the life of the house. Another long lasting siding is fiberglass though it tends to deteriorate in appearance over time. Fiberglass is usually guaranteed for up to 20 years. Aluminum is also a good choice for longevity and is usually guaranteed for up to 35 years if it’s plastic-clad. Vinyl-clad hardboard can also be guaranteed up to 30 years but will need to be painted now and then.

Cost

Depending on the species, the cheapest type of siding can be wood siding. Softwoods can be quite inexpensive as can fiberglass. Drawbacks with these types of siding are that wood siding takes a long time to install and is hard to install over existing siding. Fiberglass can split. Fiber cement is also inexpensive and is more durable than wood.

Style

Siding can be installed in many styles and textures and it’s up to the homeowner to choose which one is right for his or her house. The homeowner can choose from lap siding, tongue and groove siding, which can be installed vertically, horizontally or diagonally, shiplap or channel-groove siding, shingles and shakes, board-on-board, board-and-batten and grooved. Textures can be smooth, striated, brushed or rough-sawn.

However, some materials limit the style in which the siding can be applied. Wood siding has the widest variety of styles, while vinyl siding is limited to lap and vertical styles. In between are hardwood, which can be installed in lap and vertical panel styles and can come in many colors and textures. Fiberglass can be installed as shingles and shakes and some lap designs. Aluminum also has a great range of styles and can come in prefinished colors that don’t need to be repainted.

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