There’s nothing quite like the relief of knowing that your home is well protected from the elements. To achieve that, all you need are well-built roof and walls, along with tightly sealed, energy-efficient windows. That, however, depends on the climate in your area, and several other influential factors. If you live somewhere in South or Central California where temperatures are pleasant year round, this might not be a big deal, but if you live in Chicago or further north where the weather can go haywire anytime, it’s a totally different story. Having those mentioned structural features in your home may not be enough. One upgrade on your building that you can consider is to install siding.
Types and Purpose of Siding
Siding is a material attached to the exterior side of a building. It can be made from a wide range of materials, colors, and styles. The use of this architectural element dates back to the ancient times when dried long-straw, water reed, and combed wheat reed were weaved to create thatch or additional shield to existing homes. It’s only during the 1800s through the 1900s, however, when siding choices became more diverse. Today, literally all kinds of material can be processed to become suitable for siding but only a handful are made available commercially, and for good reasons. Here are some of the modern house siding options you can choose from.
- Vinyl
- . This is perhaps the most popular among the different types of house siding, and it’s not that hard to understand why. Made basically of a special kind of plastic, vinyl is easy to manufacture into different shapes and sizes, which is most likely why it is also the least expensive option. It can be made to mimic the appearance of other types of siding material, giving homeowners more options than they can have with other siding materials put together. Technological advances have also made vinyl siding more durable and more weather resistant.
- Wood
- . The best choice if you are looking for an authentic natural cladding for your home’s exterior surface, wood siding is still taking the market by storm. Although not as popular as vinyl, probably because it’s more expensive, this type of siding is actually the perfect choice if your goal is both to increase your home’s insulation and to improve its appearance. Nothing beats wood when it comes to making surfaces look revitalizing to the eyes.
- Engineered Wood
- . Do you want siding that exudes the same natural charm as wood but is stronger and more durable? Choose engineered wood siding. This siding type is essentially wood—a composite material made of a combination of fibers and strands from various types of wood—but made to last longer and endure tougher weather conditions. It might not look exactly like natural wood with a continuous set of lines and swirls but it does give you the feel of wood.
- Aluminum
- . Not a very common siding material, the aluminum siding can easily be considered as the best type of siding for house. After all, it is famed for its unmatched durability, especially because it is made of a non-ferrous metal. Meaning, it won’t corrode or rust even after being exposed to rain and storm for many years. It is tougher than the rest of the siding types, too, so you can expect it to last a lifetime. When it reaches its expiration date, you can send it to your local environmental agency for recycling.
Whichever type of siding you choose, you will get to enjoy two benefits. First, your home will receive added protection against natural elements, including rain, strong wind, and hail. The second benefit is aesthetic enhancement. If you feel like your home’s exterior walls look too simple, installing siding can definitely do a great deal of transformation not just to your home’s exterior but to its entire architecture, too, since it fits almost all kinds of exterior design.
Other Pros of Siding
Apart from those two main benefits, having exterior siding has a lot of other perks that you wouldn’t want to miss out. Whatever alternative you are thinking, forget about it. Hurry up and install siding to experience its true value.
- Prevent Infestation
- . As it turns out, it’s not just the elements that siding can help you keep out of the house. The raccoons and rodents that patrol your yard at night will have zero chance of boring a hole on your wall and finding a welcome relief in your house, too, because the siding will block their way.
- Improves Insulation
- . Your home’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system is the largest consumer of energy inside your home. Their consumption can double if your home is not properly insulated. Siding can make your home more energy efficient, which in turn keeps your electricity bills low and prolongs the life of your HVAC system.
- Increases Home’s Resale Value
- . Considering all the perks your siding can add to your house, it’s only normal that your house’s resale value will increase as well. And even with the value increase, you still have a chance to sell fast because most home buyers are looking for features like siding that can help protect and spin out their investment.
- Easier to Repair than Actual Wall
- . Unlike your home’s exterior wall, siding is not a continuous structure. It is made of slats or bricks placed side by side or overlapping each other. So when one or two slats are broken, you can simply replace them with new ones if the damage is beyond repair. Whereas, if the wall is damaged, it’s very difficult to replace the damaged area without leaving patch marks.
Who should install your siding?
The Internet provides millions of sources of information on how to install siding, making the job look so easy. As a result, many DIY works fail dramatically due to a combination of mistakes, including improper spacing, inadequate sealing, and misalignment. These mistakes usually lead to thousands of dollars’ worth of repair in the long run, which counterweights or even exceeds the savings you made by going DIY. Add the trouble of covering the damaged section of the siding whenever it rains or snows and all the drawbacks of doing the installation on your own overshadow the benefits in a major way.
The trick is to not underestimate the complexity of siding installation. It isn’t just another fixture that you can experiment on. Even the slightest error in installation can have a sizable impact on the final output. Only an experienced professional siding installer like Muller Exteriors can provide excellent workmanship. They can even help you choose the perfect type of siding for your home.
When it comes to the cost, most professional siding installations don’t cost as much as their expected return on investment. Furthermore, they usually come with warranty so you won’t have to worry much about future repair. And since warranty is the installer’s way of guaranteeing that their service is top of the class, you won’t be experiencing any damage or similar issues with your siding anytime soon.
