| The choice of an appropriate exterior siding material | | | | naturally, from original, rich red to an equally |
| for your home - whether you are buying new, or | | | | attractive silver grey, over time. Shingles, once again, |
| renovating your existing home - can not only | | | | have excellent insulating properties, and are virtually |
| dramatically improve its appearance, aesthetically, but | | | | maintenance free. |
| can also extend the life of its exterior, reduce | | | | Clapboards, or cladding, on the other hand, are |
| heating costs, and increase potential resale value. | | | | typically constructed, again, from cedar, or from |
| Exterior siding is not just a decorative, external finish, | | | | Douglas fir, spruce or pine - or maybe cypress, or |
| it is an essential component of the building envelope | | | | redwood - all of which are receptive to clear, or |
| of your home, protecting it against the ravages of | | | | pigmented, finishes. Indeed, some wood siding of this |
| the weather - rainfall, for example - and insulating it | | | | type may be supplied pre-painted, in a wide range of |
| against external temperatures. Siding is, nevertheless, | | | | colours. Clapboard, or bevelled siding, is installed |
| highly visible, and the material that you choose should | | | | horizontally, with overlapping joints, but board and |
| be in keeping with the character, and design, of your | | | | batten, or channel groove, styles are also available, |
| home. You should also consider the weather | | | | and these are suitable for mounting in a vertical |
| conditions to which the exterior of your home is likely | | | | direction. |
| to be exposed, and bear in mind that one material | | | | Reconstituted, or engineered, wood products, such |
| may better suited to certain environments than | | | | as particle board, Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) |
| another. Almost all exterior siding materials require | | | | and Oriented Strand Board (OSB) - which are |
| maintenance, of one form or another, and while, in | | | | composed of wood, resins and other materials, |
| some cases, this may be limited to periodic cleaning, | | | | pressed into the form of a board - and more |
| painting, or staining, other materials may be more | | | | traditional hardboard, or veneered plywood, are an |
| susceptible to damage from, for example, extreme | | | | inexpensive alternative to "real" wood. Panels of this |
| variations in temperature. | | | | type are straightforward to install, and may be |
| Types of Exterior Siding | | | | engineered, or moulded, to give the appearance of |
| 1. Brick & Brick Veneer | | | | traditional clapboards, or cladding. The uniformity of |
| Brick, of course, is a popular siding material, not least | | | | the grain in these products detracts somewhat from |
| because it is durable, and can withstand extreme | | | | this effect, but the overall appearance is fairly natural, |
| weather conditions, year after year, with only minimal | | | | and certainly more natural than, say, vinyl, or |
| maintenance. Kiln fired bricks are available in a number | | | | aluminium. |
| of different styles, and colours, and do not need, | | | | 3. Vinyl |
| necessarily, to be painted. Bricks and mortar - the | | | | The principal attractions of vinyl, or PVC (Polyvinyl |
| mixture of cement, sand, lime and water used to | | | | Chloride), siding are its longevity, and maintenance |
| hold them in place - are solid, but porous, so properly | | | | free construction, at an affordable price. Vinyl siding is |
| tooled joints, and possibly a clear, water repellent | | | | durable - less so than brick masonry, or wood siding, |
| coating, may be advisable, to protect brickwork from | | | | but is easier, and less expensive, to install than either |
| excessive rainfall, or extreme temperatures. Generally | | | | - and, unlike wood, does not require periodic |
| speaking, brickwork requires very little maintenance, | | | | repainting. Vinyl siding is available in a number of |
| but is susceptible, over time, to a build up of | | | | different styles, and colours, and because any |
| atmospheric pollutants, which will eventually cause | | | | colouring permeates through the entire panel - rather |
| deterioration, if it is not cleaned away, periodically. | | | | than being painted on the exterior - it does not fade, |
| New brickwork may also be subject to white marks, | | | | or peel. Maintenance is limited to occasional washing |
| caused by salt leeching out of the bricks. In either | | | | down, with a hosepipe, and wiping over with a cloth, |
| case, brickwork can be cleaned - either by yourself, | | | | and standard domestic cleaning fluid, for the removal |
| or by a professional operator - using high pressure | | | | of more stubborn stains. Bear in mind, however, that |
| cleaning equipment, and specialised cleaning fluid. Brick | | | | vinyl siding does need to be installed correctly. Vinyl |
| also provides natural insulation for your home, against | | | | expands, and contracts, in response to temperature |
| heat, in the summer, as well a cold, in the winter. | | | | changes, so adjacent siding panels should overlap, so |
| Brick veneer, on the other hand, gives the attractive | | | | that they can move past each other. In addition, vinyl |
| appearance of brickwork, but is not, in fact, a | | | | siding does tend to trap moisture behind it, so tar |
| structural component. Brick veneer is a single layer of | | | | paper should be installed between the vinyl, itself, and |
| bricks, which is attached, using metal ties, to the | | | | the existing exterior walls of your home. Some vinyl |
| existing exterior walls - typically wooden, or rough | | | | siding panels also have so-called "weep" holes in their |
| masonry - of a home, with a water resistant material | | | | bottom edges, to allow water to escape. |
| - usually "tar", or "building" paper - between the two | | | | 4. Aluminium |
| surfaces. The air gap between the brick veneer and | | | | Aluminium siding is a popular alternative to vinyl, as it, |
| the existing exterior wall serves as natural insulation, | | | | too, is fairly inexpensive, durable and easy to clean. |
| or additional insulation can be installed in the cavity. | | | | Regular light cleaning - low pressure washing, for |
| Although brick veneer does not have the lifespan of | | | | example - is normally all that is required to keep |
| "real" brickwork, it is, nevertheless, fairly durable, and, | | | | aluminium clean. Aluminium siding can be primed, and |
| again, requires very little in the way of maintenance. | | | | painted, but the colour may fade, and some |
| 2. Wood | | | | oxidation, or chalking, may become apparent, over |
| Wood is a traditional siding material, understandably, in | | | | time. Periodic repainting may therefore be necessary, |
| countries such as the United States, and Canada, and | | | | to "freshen" its appearance. Aluminium siding is |
| is becoming increasingly popular in other countries, | | | | available with insulation, and reflective foil backing, and |
| sometimes using woods - such as Western Red | | | | so can be used not only to weatherproof the |
| Cedar - specially imported from North America. | | | | exterior of your home, but also to increase its |
| Exterior wood siding typically takes one of two | | | | energy efficiency, as a whole, and cut the cost of |
| forms, shingles, or "shakes", as they are more | | | | your heating bills. Aluminium may also be susceptible |
| colloquially known, and clapboards, or cladding. Shingles | | | | to dents, or dimples, caused by extreme weather |
| are traditionally made from cedar - a species | | | | conditions - hailstones, for example - so it may be |
| renowned for its resistance to weather, and decay - | | | | worthwhile to purchase additional, replacement panels, |
| and can be left unpainted, so that they weather | | | | at the outset, for use in the event of damage. |