Like anything else, the possibilities are endless with exterior sidings.  Since it is the finishing touch and determines the overall look of your home, we thought you may benefit from a bit of knowledge of the different products available.

Vinyl Siding

• made of polyvinyl chloride, strong & flexible
• comes in four or five inches height and similar to wood clapboard
• can resemble cedar shingles and shakes (although this is not very common)
• requires minimal maintenance
• Colours are not limited and can be customised as needed
• no painting necessary
• easy to install and thus you can save money on labour
• budget-friendly
• strong winds can sometimes cause it to twist & break
• can shrink and expand in changing weather conditions and care must be taken during installation to prevent gaps and twisting

Cedar Shingles

• cedar cut into small rectangles which are then nailed or stapled in a symmetrical horizontal pattern
• cedar shakes (below), unlike cedar shingle, come in many different styles and has a rugged & natural appearance

• can be stained for a natural wood look or painted
• naturally resistant to moisture & decay as well as swelling & warping
• can withstand wind speeds over 150 miles per hour
• can be pretreated to be fire retardent
• easy to install & handle
• insects can find their way into cedar wood

Wood Siding

• milled boards cut into a variety of styles
• most popular breeds are cedar and redwood, as they resist mould & rot
• horizontal wood siding styles include clapboard, beveled, and tongue & groove
• vertical wood siding styles include board and batten and plywood
• also comes in sections up to four feet wide, although they look like individual boards
• provides a classic look that will not go out of style
• can last up to 30 years
• can burn and be susceptible to cracking and splitting
• protective stain/paint must be applied every four years

Fiber cement board

• a composite material composed of silica, cement, sand, an water cured by pressurized steam
• manufactured in layers forming a sheet of desired thickness and wood grain is imprinted onto surface to imitate  various forms of wood siding
• water and termite resistant as well as fireproof
• more durable than wood siding
• most are guaranteed to last at least 50 years
• excellent weathering characteristics and strongly recommended for warm climates
• low maintenance
• installation requires special blades to cut and extra care must be taken to contain dust

Faux/Simulated Stone Siding

• panels made to imitate the look of natural stone walls
• attached to existing wall with mortar or grout, often interlocking into one another
• they do not support any load and are purely cosmetic
• very durable and long lasting, some guaranteed to last as long as the structure it is built upon
• can add value to your home
• low maintenance

Brick Siding & Brick Veneer

• composed of blocks made of fired clay
• laid in a variety of patterns and bonded with mortar
• does not support any load
• brick veneer imitates brick siding – manufactured into large vertical facing or smaller tile-like thin bricks
• brick is one of the most durable forms of siding on the market today
• can last for centuries and does not typically require maintenance or repairs for at least 20-25 years
• available in may lasting colours
• brick veneer is less durable than brick siding, however it is much easier to install on an already existing house
• good insulators and can dramatically improve the efficiency of your home
• very costly and labour intensive

Stucco Siding

• manufactured using natural materials including lime, silica sand and white cement
• the process of creating stucco siding involves applying multiple base coats of the sand and lime mixture, which are wet between each coat and the final coat is mixed to many colour of your choice
• installation costs more than vinyl or fiber cement as it is a multi-step process, however it can be completed in as little as a day or two while other siding types may take multiple weeks to be installed
• average warranty life of fifteen years, although some stucco exteriors have been known to last fifty years or more with proper maintenance

Tags: brick, cedar shakes, faux stone, fiber cement, siding, stucco