Choosing the style and material of your home siding is a big decision. On average, your home siding should last at least 15-20 years. So this isn’t an aspect of your home that you can change as often as paint colors. It’s important to do your research and pick an option that best fits your expectations.
The Elements
Siding is what protects your home from the elements of nature. There are many things to consider to be sure your siding can effectively protect you from wildlife and weather patterns in your area.
Environment-Observe your environment for a few days and take notes on which homes in your neighborhood are able to sustain this environment. Take notes on your home and determine how your environment may have affected your current siding. Are you in a region where termites are a problem? Do you have an influx of squirrels? Does your environment host birds such as wood peckers?
Weather-Weather patterns are important in determining what qualities you may need in home siding. If you live in a region that has a harsh winter, you want to be sure to get a siding that is strong enough to battle ice and snow over time, while warding off moisture at the same time. It may even be a preference on how the siding sounds when the wind blows if you have a lot of wind in your area.
Train to Maintain
Know and understand the annual maintenance requirements for different types of siding. Regularly painting the wood siding of your home may be a burden, but it is exciting to others. Below are some examples of siding materials and the annual maintenance they require.
Most Common Siding
Vinyl-scrub with soft brush and use pressure washer twice a year
Wood-scrub with soft bristle brush and warm soapy water annually, rinse with water hose; paint every 5 years
Brick-pressure wash once a year; replace any mortar as necessary
Stucco-clean surface with garden hose twice a year; touch up small holes or cracks and peeling paint as needed
Newer Materials
Stone Veneer-rinse surface with garden hose twice a year
Cement Fiber-rinse with pressure washer once a year; paint periodically (approximately every 10-15 years)
Engineered Wood-pre-treat and rinse once a year; paint periodically
The Look
The last item to consider should be the look and color of the siding. Once you narrow down your options based on material and maintenance, it is just a matter of picking an option that fits with your home’s qualities and is aesthetically pleasing to you. Some siding materials are very traditional and others yield more of a creative feel to them. Recently, it is more common to even mix two different types of siding to achieve a certain look. Whatever you choose just be sure you will love to see it every day for the next 20 years!
This article was written by Exovations of Central Ohio, a home remodeling contractor specializing in home exterior renovations.