Shopping for popular home siding options and innovative siding materials can be an overwhelming experience. Especially if it’s been 10 to 50 years since you’ve given any thought to your siding options. Within the last decade or so, there have been some significant advancements. Here’s a quick look at today’s most innovative and popular siding options along with some advice for making the right choice.
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Popular Home Siding Options with Innovative Siding Materials
Types of Popular Home Siding Options
ONE: Insulated Vinyl
Vinyl isn’t a new material, but it has certainly seen a lot of change and has become one of the more innovative siding materials. And the feature that’s most in demand right now is built-in insulation. Insulated vinyl siding has built-in foam insulation that not only makes it more energy efficient but also more durable and impact resistant. It costs more than its uninsulated counterpart, but the potential energy savings stand to make up the extra expense. It has become one of the more popular home siding options and it comes in a variety of colors and it can flawlessly imitate real wood grain while requiring very little maintenance over its lifetime.
TWO: Fiber Cement
Fiber cement is one of the popular home siding options that gets more popular every day. It’s made of a blend of materials that includes cement and wood pulp, and it’s considered a sustainable building material. Most of these products imitate natural wood in styles like lap siding, shingles and panels. However, they won’t warp and rot like real wood does. They’re also available in an expansive variety of colors, they’re durable, they don’t require much maintenance and they’re resilient in storms and extreme weather. Plus, most fiber cement products will last over 50 years.
IMPORTANT: Here are few of the more popular fiber cement manufacturing companies; James Hardie, Allura, LP Building Solutions and Legacy Pre-Finishing Products.
THREE: Engineered Wood
One of the more realistic innovative siding materials is engineered wood siding. It replicates the beauty and natural aesthetic of real wood without many of wood’s inherent disadvantages. It’s a blend of materials that includes wood and resin with a wax coating for water resistance —a durable combination that should last up to and over 30 years. It’s more resilient against pests, mold, hail and extreme temperatures than solid wood – and it also comes at a lower cost. Further, it’s easy to cut and install, and it comes in styles like lap, shake and panel which makes it a favorite of the popular home siding options.
Choosing Wisely with Innovative Siding Materials
Ask these following questions to narrow down your options:
- What material is popular in your region? If neighboring homes are sided with vinyl, vinyl should be in your top three for consideration. If they’re sided with high-end materials, you might want to eliminate materials that won’t perform as well or look as great comparatively.
- What material of these popular home siding options will perform best in your environment? The climate should play a major role in your decision. Certain materials won’t perform well in humid or rainy environments versus dry ones.
- What are your or your potential buyers’ priorities? If energy efficiency is top of mind for you, eliminate materials that aren’t great insulators. If you’re going for a natural wood look, narrow your options to those that fit that aesthetic. If you’re dealing with a small budget, look for affordable alternatives to high-end innovative siding materials.
Benefits of Hiring Siding Pros
If you’re struggling to make a decision on which siding you want and need, get in touch with a siding professional in your area. They will have expert insights that can only come from handling and repairing various siding materials on a daily basis. Plus, they’ll know the proper way to install both traditional and new material types so that they meet the manufacturer’s requirements.
Be sure you research siding professionals in your area to make sure the contractor you hire has great reviews and a trusted reputation. Proper installation popular home siding options will ensure that your warranty and the buyer of your home will be covered if something goes wrong after the contractor finishes.
Home Siding Layout and Design Software
Cad Pro is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive home design software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more. Anyone can start their new home siding project with CAD Pro.