During home renovations, people often concentrate more on interior additions and improvements. They rarely think of their siding, which is an essential aspect of a home. Your home’s siding plays an instrumental role in protecting your house and the contents within it.

It shields your home from harsh weather elements such as wind, snow, and rain. When it’s cold, a well-installed siding helps you stay warm and comfortable by keeping in the heat generated from your home.

What’s more, it adds beauty to your property. Because the siding takes up the lion’s share of your home’s exterior surface, the attractiveness is undoubtedly an added appeal.

On the other hand, failing siding causes more harm than good to your home. For starters, water may likely find its way into your home’s frames. This can lead to interior damage like wood rotting and mold growth.

The situation can worsen and cause more extensive problems down the road, such as interior wall deterioration. Plus, you may notice sagging wallpapers in a room or peeling paint on the walls.

Get an Upgrade

 

Do you consider your home’s sidings as dated or tired? Siding upgrades can make residing in your property pleasant and convenient besides adding to your home’s value.

Are you ready to improve your home’s exterior with new siding? This guide details what you ought to know about popular exterior siding options for your home.

The First Move to Make

 

Before you get deeper into siding installation, there are certain things you need to consider. A successful siding project requires careful observance of simple guidelines as you work.

Measure for Siding

 

Measuring for siding helps you know how much you’ll spend and what size you’ll need. Since you’ll place siding on the walls and gables of your house, the whole process boils down to finding the square footage of what you’re going to cover.

It’s always wise not to include the areas of any openings such as windows and doors. After all, you won’t cover them with panels! So, how do you go about this?

First, you need to measure the width and height of each side. Multiply the values to get the total area of the wall in square feet. Lastly, you divide the footage by 100, and you’ll get the number of squares required for the wall.

Choose the Perfect Material for Your Home’s Exterior

 

The right siding can immensely boost your home’s exterior appearance. With the many siding options in the market, you want to be keen to ensure you go for one that suits your home’s style. Besides the initial cost, here are six other factors to consider:

Before Installing, Plan Layout!

 

When applying horizontal siding, planning layouts helps avoid odd silvers of the material used above doors and windows. Generally, siding should have an even exposure as it progresses up the wall. Here, the story pole can help you anticipate issues and figure out workable solutions.

Although solving one issue might introduce another, you ought to take the solution that best suits the most visible side of your home. The same applies to the vertical siding. Always take your time planning the layout, as this will save you from many problems later on.

Some of The Most Popular Siding Options to Choose From:

The exterior of your house encounters countless threats from strong winds, hot sun, and all kinds of precipitation. That’s why your siding must be strong enough to withstand all that pressure.

But does that mean they can’t be beautiful even years into their life? Not at all. Advancement in technology and manufacturing of siding has improved both their appearance and longevity.

Stucco Siding

 

This type of siding has been used for hundreds of years. In addition to being reasonably priced, Stucco siding is available in a wide range of applications. It’s usually a cement type of mixture combined with sand or lime.

Since you can shape and texture it in whichever way, it gives you the freedom to choose any architectural style. Typically, stucco installation isn’t as challenging as the word sounds.

It merely involves the use of tar paper and galvanized metal screening to cover a wooden wall. All you’ll need to do afterward is add stucco. You can also apply the mixture on brick and stone surfaces.

Vinyl Siding

 

Are you searching for a budget-friendly siding solution that won’t compromise quality and offers various options? Look no further than vinyl siding. Since the 1960s, vinyl siding has been the most commonly used type of siding because of its price, low maintenance, and versatility.

This type of siding comes with lots of profiles, including shakes, fish scales, beaded designs, lap, and horizontal and vertical panels. In the case of maintenance, you’ll only have to wash it occasionally.

Another fantastic benefit of using vinyl siding is that the warranties provided by vinyl manufactures are transferable and lifelong. These cost savings extend to installation too. Installing vinyl siding is the least expensive when compared to other siding materials.

You’ll even spend much less when working on a DIY project. During installation, you only need to attach vinyl siding to your home’s exterior walls. Plus, you can easily find it in local stores and requires few tools to install. It works best on flat surfaces, so you’ll have to line the wall with a rigid foam board to create a nailing surface.

Wood Siding

 

Wood remains one of the most commonly used and durable options for siding a home. Traditional yet contemporary, wood cladding fits all range of houses no matter the size or type.

What’s more, it’s incredibly versatile in terms of color and style. It will cost you approximately $5 to $10 per sq. foot to install the wood siding. That doesn’t take into account the additional cost for staining or painting.

Bevel Siding

 

Also known as the clapboard or lap siding, bevel siding is among the oldest forms of siding used on homes. It involves resawing a board at a certain angle to come up with two pieces slightly thicker at the edge.

Some of the best wood choices for this siding include Douglas fir, cypress, pine, and spruce. This is because of their prices and longevity. Although redwood and cedar are great options (since they contain natural rot resistance), they cost more.

During installation, the upper part of the board should overlap the lower piece. Even so, remember to put a moisture barrier between the boards. Plus, you need to apply a finishing coat and caulking on the exterior.

Bevel siding is the perfect choice for concrete surfaces such as plywood. It relies on ongoing maintenance that includes painting and caulking to protect it from weather damage.

Shakes and Shingles

 

Other viable options for wood siding include shakes and shingles. Shakes are hand- or machine-sawn from wooden blocks known as bolts. Although they’re slightly thicker than shingles and less uniform in appearance, they last longer.

As for wood shingles, you can cut them into different shapes to create visual interest. Here, the most commonly used woods are redwood and western red cedar. Shakes and shingles come with a fire-retardant treatment, a vital requirement, especially for those residing in high-risk areas.

Just like bevel siding, they’re installed on concrete surfaces with a barrier between the two. You’ll also need caulking and a finishing coat of either paint or stain on the exterior. Periodic maintenance is vital as it helps protect shake and shingle siding from weather damage.

Board and Batten

 

Also known as barn siding, this type of wood siding is an American classic that you can install directly over a flat surface. It’s a vertical design made with wide boards like pine and cedar and spaced with narrow stripes referred to as battens. During installation, you use the battens to cover the places where the wide boards contact each other.

Since there are no standard widths and spacing for the board and batten, feel free to innovate and use any style. What’s more, you can use boards of varying widths in different patterns.

Split Logs

 

Using split log siding gives your home a traditional or rustic feel. Usually, log siding is made from redwood, cedar, cypress, or pine logs. They typically come treated and dried to ensure that they last for long.

Most homeowners generally use them in their natural state. But you can still paint or stain them. Unlike other types of siding, split logs are expensive and need more maintenance.

Plus, you have to treat them regularly against insect infestation and seal the logs’ cracks to curb decay. Because this form of wooden siding is quite challenging to maintain and install, it’s wise to rely on a knowledgeable homeowner or a professional to sort you out.

Engineered Wood Siding

 

Engineered wood siding features wood castoffs like sawdust and bonding agents. It’s a lightweight but strong product that’s less expensive than the other woods. It comes with different types of typical wood siding styles.

It would help if you painted engineered wood siding for weatherproofing purposes. However, factory-applied finishes are also available. When you install it properly, it can last for up to 30 years.

Metal Siding

 

Metal siding, mostly made from aluminum or steel, adorns the exterior of many modern homes. Whether it’s zinc, copper, or aluminum, the advantage of using metals involves how you can transform them into any shapes, curves, and edges. What’s more, their strength and longevity surpass most of the popular siding options on the market.

Generally, the application process requires:

• Frame for attaching the metal siding

• Backing material such as plywood

Moisture Barrier

 

Note that these needs greatly vary depending on the location of your house and the specific material. Some metals, such as copper, will change their surfaces when exposed to heat or water. In contrast, others will maintain the factory finish.

Here, painting them once won’t do the trick. It would help if you retouched the paint later on.

Stone Siding

 

Stone is one of the most durable building materials in the market. In addition to being beautiful, stones such as limestone, slate, and granite are nearly impervious to the weather. Since stones are natural materials, they’re environmentally friendly and come with long-lasting benefits.

In most instances, you’ll spend more on stone materials than other forms of siding. Adding stone siding to your home’s exterior is challenging, so it’s best to leave it to the professionals. This further increases the cost.

Over time, though, the upside of your investment becomes apparent. Your exterior will be as attractive years later as when you first installed it with just minimum maintenance.

Brick Siding

 

Light maintenance, durability, classic appearance, and many other features make brick siding a favorite to most homeowners. Made from fired clay, it comes in a variety of colors, textures, and sizes.

Many people mistake brick siding as a structural part of the house. But it’s just but a veneer that you construct on the exterior of your wood-frame structure. To hold it together, you’ll need a mixture of cement, water, and mortar. But you can use lime and sand as the mixture if you lack cement.

Water can easily penetrate the brick siding. That’s why it’s essential to install a water membrane between the bricklayers and wood to protect your home.

Because of the high cost of installation and purchasing materials, brick is one of the most expensive siding options. Under normal circumstances, expect it to last longer with nothing more than just occasional washing.

Brick Veneers and Fabricated Brick Siding

 

Most brick veneers and fabricated brick claddings on the market come from brick, clay, polyurethane, and other natural materials. These siding options are not only durable and scenic in appearance, but they’re also lightweight and easy to install.

Because it doesn’t need any footings or foundations, DIY homeowners can install the panels for a fraction of the time and money professional brick installation requires. Installation involves attaching a framework to a backing material.

Fortunately, advancement in technology has made work much more manageable. All you need is glue and caulk for the attaching process.

Stone Veneers and Fabricated Stone Siding

 

Like fabricated brick sidings, stone veneers and fabricated stone claddings are also molded from actual stone, rock, and other natural materials. Plus, they’re just as realistic, lightweight, durable, and easy to install.

Here, no foundations are necessary, making it perfect for a DIY project. Besides, the installation process is simple, quick, and more cost-effective. It involves the same procedure as fabricated bricks.

 

 

Fiber Cement Siding

 

Fiber cement siding comes in various textures that give the scenic look of actual types of wood. But it’s more durable than wood siding because it’s:

• Water-resistant

• Termite-resistant

• Non-flammable

• Guaranteed to last longer

This mode of siding consists of sand, fly ash or cement, and cellulose fiber. It’s a more expensive project than vinyl siding, but you’ll spend less than when using wood siding.

As for installations, place it over the exterior wall or studs. Remember to use a moisture barrier as well. Always opt for factory painting since it has a 25-years warranty.

 

 

Can You Use New Siding Over an Old One?

 

Most homeowners are often troubled about whether to reuse their old siding or do away with it altogether. As simple as it may seem, this is an essential question, and your decision will eventually determine how successful and beneficial your project will be.

Here, you’ve got two options. You either remove your old siding and put an Oriented Strand Board (OSB) or use the existing one as substrate underneath the new siding.

But of course, your decision majorly depends on certain factors. So how will you decide?

Using Existing Siding

 

First, you need to closely inspect your existing siding to get a clear understanding of its condition. Chiefly, you can use existing siding as substrate only if it’s still in good condition. This means that it shouldn’t be bowed, warped, or delaminated.

Your main task is to ensure that you attend to all preexisting issues in the house. When moving to a new home, find out more about the place and know of any water infiltration issues that might have occurred in the past.

Besides checking interior water leaks, learn of the repairs done due to either of these problems. Other issues that you need to address include damage from woodpeckers and possible rodent nests.

If the house is perfect without any water infiltration issues, you can use the existing siding as substrate. This comes with a lot of benefits, such as cost savings and shortened project time.

Using New OSB

 

Alternatively, suppose the house has any of the issues mentioned above. In that case, it’s better to remove the siding and conduct a thorough inspection of the wall cavity. By installing a new OSB, you get to check the house’s structural integrity before replacing the siding. Work with a trusted contractor to get information and recommendations that best suit your home’s needs. Besides checking interior water leaks, learn of the repairs done due to either of these problems. Other issues that you need to address include damage from woodpeckers and possible rodent nests. If the house is perfect without any water infiltration issues, you can use the existing siding as substrate. This comes with a lot of benefits, such as cost savings and shortened project time.

Maintain Your Siding, Make It Last

 

Siding is always a costly investment. You want to do everything possible to ensure that it serves you for decades. The good news is, you can extend your siding’s useful lifespan with simple maintenance and repairs.

Adding caulk to corner and butt joints in wood and fiber cement siding can save you a fair amount of cash in structural repairs. Additionally, you can add attic insulation and seal gaps around pipes and ducts to prevent future damming.