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Siding Buying Guide
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Your home’s siding is an essential guard against the elements and greatly influences your home’s appearance, style, and value.
With more good choices than ever, you should know all your options when considering a change.
The Quick Scoop
Your key siding decision will be picking your material. In choosing material, consider appearance, suitability to your house and environment, installation, longevity, and maintenance.
Wood, particularly durable cedar, is a popular, traditional, and attractive choice which
can provide country charm or classic elegance. Vinyl and fiber cement are low maintenance and long lasting options offering
increasingly more attractive appearances. Stone, either manufactured or
genuine, provides a polished and traditional look at a high price tag. Stucco, best for dry climates, and brick, a classic and labor-intensive choice,
are other options.
For many consumers, the choice often comes down to wood or a manufactured material, such as vinyl or fiber cement. Vinyl and fiber cement
are generally designed with features, such as grain and texture, to mimic the look of wood.
The highest quality choices come close. For some buyers, given the fact that these products require very little maintenance and
have a lower cost than wood, they come close enough. For others, the look of real wood can't be beat, and a quality wood, such
as high grade cedar, does not require much more maintenance. Wood basically just needs painting or staining
every few years.
 Other materials, such as stone, brick, and stucco, offer completely different appearances from wood. Some of these,
such as stone or brick, are often used as a partial accent to wood, vinyl, or fiber cement siding. Each of these other choices generally
have a higher cost than wood, vinyl or fiber cement.
Depending on type, siding can be installed in horizontal or vertical formations. Shakes, shingles, clapboard, and more are options that
will influence your house’s look. It is important to see the choices for your material so that you can decide what is
most appealing to you. Some installations are more traditional, some contemporary and polished, and others rustic. Most importantly,
a style should appeal to you and suit your house and surroundings.
Proper installation will always play a role in longevity. It is a good idea to hire a licensed and insured contractor who is experienced
in installing the material you choose. A qualified contractor can also help you determine what materials and styles will work
best for your home. Be sure to check local codes and requirements in case there are any permits or regulations that apply to your
project.
Wood
Wood is a traditional, moderately priced, and popular choice. It offers a natural look that is often mimicked by vinyl and other materials,
though the knots and grains of wood can't be completely matched by manufactured materials. Wood can provide a traditional or rustic
look equally well, depending on style of the pieces and color of stain or paint. For example, stained shakes offer beautiful rustic charm; white
clapboard is a classic and tasteful statement for your home.
Wood is a great natural insulator, which can limit heating and cooling costs for you. In addition, more and more wood is sustainably harvested,
an environmentally-friendly feature to look for when comparing products. Cedar is a top choice because of its natural resistance to insect damage,
moisture, and rot, as well as for its attractive natural color and grain. Spruce, redwood, and pine are other appealing and durable wood options.
Wood materials can be purchased pre-primed or even stained. Shakes, shingles, clapboard, board and batten, tongue and groove, channel, and shiplap are
some of the type of pieces that are available. Most are installed horizontally but some can be used vertically as well. It is best to
look at examples of different installations in order to decide on the exact style you like. Some differences are subtle; others will greatly
affect the look of your home.
Maintenance is higher for wood than for some other materials. Wood will need to be painted or stained,
both for the sake of appearance and protection, typically every four to 10 years. Climate issues, such as humidity and sun exposure, as well the quality of
the paint and its application, will affect how often you need to repaint. Though this adds to the long term upkeep costs for wood, keep in mind that some
people enjoy changing their home’s look with a new color every few years.
Wood siding can last about 30 years or more with proper installation and care. Compared with the other siding choices discussed, wood is a mid-range priced product.
Bottom Line: Wood is an attractive, time-tested, durable, and versatile siding option with a mid-range cost. Its biggest drawback is its somewhat higher maintenance
needs and that it may not last the lifetime of your house.
Vinyl
Vinyl is another popular option that is generally less expensive than wood and requires little maintenance. Typically manufactured
to imitate the look of wood, it comes in various wood grain or smooth textures. It also is available in a vast range of
fade-resistant colors. Styles include clapboard, panels, shingles, and more.
Vinyl can be power washed but is not meant to be painted, so don't expect to change the color of your house once it is installed.
Since it doesn't need painting, maintenance and upkeep costs are very low.
Vinyl, with proper installation, is designed to last for the lifetime of your home. However, as with any product, how long it actually lasts
and how good it looks will be affected by its quality. Look for a heavy weight vinyl; thickness is important for longevity.
Also look for a seamless product, since this will offer better protection for your home and is a more attractive and upscale look.
Siding with a foam core back is another higher end vinyl option. The foam core back adds strength and keeps the siding rigid,
which helps prevent denting, and helps keep it flat against your house. Foam core backing also adds to its insulating properties.
An environmental concern with vinyl is that it is made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride,) which is difficult to dispose of in an
environmentally-sound manner. This is something to keep in mind as you weigh all of your options.
Bottom Line: Vinyl is generally the lowest cost siding option and is meant to last the lifetime of your home. High quality
vinyl siding, available in many textures and colors, can be attractive. Keep in mind that it is probably the least environmentally-friendly choice.
Fiber Cement
Fiber cement siding is a product designed to combine the best properties of wood and vinyl. Made of cement mixed with cellulose fiber, ground sand, and other materials,
it is resistant to insects, rot, UV rays, and water, and is fire-resistant. It comes in styles that look like wood clapboard and
shingles. Fiber cement generally has an appealing wood-like appearance.
Fiber cement sometimes requires painting, but far less often than wood. Painting can usually be done every 15 to 20 years, or even less.
In addition, siding can be purchased pre-painted, often with a warranty on the color's longevity.
It is comparatively low cost compared to other siding options. Warranties are often as long as 50 years.
Bottom Line: With a cost that is usually lower than wood, lengthy warranties, low maintenance, and a generally appealing look,
fiber cement siding is a sound choice for quality and economy.
Stone
 Stone siding is an expensive, upscale, and beautiful choice. Because of the high cost and heavy weight of natural stone, veneers
or facings of both natural and manufactured stone have become increasingly popular options for getting the look of stone at a
lower price. Any stone product is generally still on the high end of pricing and is often
used as an accent to a less expensive siding that covers most of the house.
Stone, natural or manufactured, veneer or solid, is extremely durable and can be expected to last as long as the house itself.
It comes in a great range of colors and textures. Granite is a popular natural stone. You should get actual samples of any stone
product and view them in the natural light at your home.
Solid natural stone is so heavy that a house must have additional support in order to carry its weight. Delivery can be difficult as well.
Due to these factors, as well as the prohibitively high cost, veneers have become popular. Thin slices of natural stone provide the
look you desire at a fraction of the weight and at a much lower price, though it is still higher than other siding options.
Manufactured stone veneer is an increasingly popular alternative since its appearance has become more realistic and appealing in recent years.
It can mimic many different types of stone sidings, and is lighter and easier to install. With high quality products, it can be
difficult to tell the difference between manufactured and natural stone, particularly at a distance. As with natural stone, manufactured
stone should last as long as your home. Even though manufactured stone costs far less than natural stone, it is still on the high
end of siding material prices.
With natural stone, maintenance involves occasional washing and the possibility of mortar repair after years. With manufactured stone,
hose washing should be the only maintenance.
Bottom Line: Stone siding products, which should last as long as your house and require little to no maintenance, generally come with a significantly
higher price tag than wood, vinyl, and fiber cement. A look that can't be matched, stone is an upscale, elegant, and expensive choice often best
suited for an accent material.
Brick
Brick siding is a durable, attractive, and high cost option. It is available in a range of colors, textures, and sizes, and can be
installed in numerous patterns, making it a versatile choice. A popular option is to use brick as an accent in combination with other
sidings.
Brick requires little care other than washing and should last as long as your home. It doesn't need painting, doesn't decay or fade, and ages
attractively.
Expert installation is a necessity with brick, both for top appearance and performance. Because of this, it is recommended that you hire an
experienced contractor. Brick siding is applied to the wood frame and sheathing of your house over a water membrane, since bricks are not
watertight. The bricks are held together with mortar in the desired pattern.
Because of the extra labor and skill involved, bricks are among the more expensive siding materials to install. Brick siding itself is a higher
priced material than most other siding choices.
Bottom Line: Brick is an expensive, desirable, and long lasting siding choice that is often ideal for an accent material.
Stucco
Stucco, a plaster with a cement base, is best suited for dry and warm climates. It is
fire resistant and a good insulator. Stucco siding can have smooth, raked, or swirled finishes, depending on personal preference.
Maintenance should not involve more than occasional washing, unless a crack develops. In an appropriate climate, stucco can last 50 years or more.
Its cost is higher than wood, vinyl, and fiber cement, but more affordable than brick or stone.
Bottom Line: If you like the distinct appearance of stucco, make sure it is well-suited for your climate, then enjoy its durability
and low maintenance.
Pricing
Siding pricing depends on the material's quality and grade, manufacturer, and style of pieces, as well as installation. In general, the order of siding costs, from lowest to highest,
is as follows: vinyl, fiber cement, wood (such as cedar,) stucco, brick masonry, manufactured stone veneer, genuine stone veneer, and
genuine solid stone (such as granite.) Keep in mind that you should factor in the expected lifetime of the siding, ongoing maintenance costs, and its influence
on potential home resale value into your consideration of the initial material and installation costs.
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