Home Siding

One of the first real decisions that we've had to make with regards to our new home with with regards to siding, a subject that I previously knew very little about, and honestly, one of those areas where an already built home might have been preferable to me. There are just too many decisions.

Also, our previous home had little to no curb appeal for the majority of the time in which we lived there; it was only in the final months that we realized it could get an overhaul in just a few hours of time. Once we repainted the front door and shutters, took off the unattractive storm door and planted some shade-loving flowers in the built--in garden box out front, it became a new house. There are no excuses like the ones we had there when you're the person who chose every finish.

Our first choice was brick or stone, and it wasn't really a choice for us. Brick in the right conditions can be classy and attractive, like here where it is wrapped around all sides of this traditional house.

But it can also go wrong to my eye, like when it is used on very modern structures or just the face of the house or with doors/ shutters that fight with the formal wishes of the brick. And for those and a thousand other reasons, stone is our winner and from there I assumed that we were set.

It turns out that siding is an even bigger question; what brand do you use and what type? I had no idea. We are coming from aluminum siding but have seen vinyl done well and done cheaply. There is also another easily accessible though pricer option called fiber cement siding that I had literally never heard of but seen and loved in pictures like this one. For what it is worth I also thought that it was called "hardiboard" when I first did my research, but as it turns out, that's a brand (James Hardie siding) not a finish. It looks similar to vinyl but better, like here.

But siding is not just a house's pretty face. It is also a protective layer, so I did some general research.

VINYL SIDING: used for homes since the late 1950s and is still the most common exterior siding in the U.S.. It is used far less often in other countries because it is a manufactured plastic and has a negative environmental profile. Vinyl, like wood, is flammable. Though, as with all products, vinyl siding quality varies quite a bit between manufacturers, it's an overall established and inexpensive product that can be quite attractive especially with more and more layout options for buyers. In general, though it eventually needs replaced, vinyl siding is very stable and low-maintenance throughout its shelf life.

FIBER CEMENT SIDING: started being manufactured in 1903 and originally contained asbestos but now is composed of cellulose fibers (aka wood), sand and cement. One of its major benefits is that it's noncombustible and has long-term structural capacity once installed, though it is fairly subject to impact damage. It is more eco-friendly. Because it can fade and chip, it does require some superficial upkeep. It's also about twice the cost of vinyl siding. It can be painted any color and comes in a variety of layout options. Specifically, if we end up choosing fiber cement siding, we're looking at Hardie Board.