Every homeowner wants their house to look great. Siding options are a popular way to accomplish this goal, and the siding on your home is one of the essential features. The first step in deciding which siding is best for you is understanding what different types of materials exist and how they will affect your property value, maintenance costs, fire safety considerations, and more. This article provides an overview of the common house siding options in Manhattan that homeowners should consider when deciding.

Plywood Siding

Because plywood siding is available in huge sheets, you can install it quickly. Plywood is a popular budget siding option due to its low cost. Siding plywood is not the same as the external quality plywood used for sheds. Exterior plywood siding for the home has a rough sawn, textured appearance and is ship-lapped on the edges to allow for a snug fit.

If the superficial appearance of plywood siding turns you off, one approach to make it work is to pair it with a more appealing, premium material on the house facade. For example, the house could have plywood on three sides and produce veneer stone or cedar shingles on the front.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Plywood is a dimensionally stable wood that resists warping, swelling, and substantial expansion and contraction.
Plywood siding comes in immense sheets that are 8 feet long or greater, making installation easier.
Vertical grooving on plywood gives the sense of numerous boards rather than a single huge board, which is more appealing.
Plywood is one of the few forms of siding that you may install without the help of a professional. It is commonly installed and replaced by do-it-yourselfers.

Cons

While plywood is a cost-effective option, it is not regarded as a high-end material, unlike the engineered wood siding, and as a result, your home’s market value may suffer.
Due to its big dimensions, plywood siding can be challenging to work with. Installing it typically necessitates the assistance of two or more individuals.

Fiber-Cement Siding

Fiber-cement siding is one of the most excellent house siding solutions in several aspects. It is fire-resistant and long-lasting. In addition, fiber-cement siding has a similar appearance to real wood siding and has a greater resale value than other forms of siding. Eighty-five percent cement-like materials such sand, cement, and fly ash, and 15% cellulose fibers make up fiber-cement siding.

Pros and Cons

Pros

When comparing fiber-cement siding to other types of siding, fiber-cement is regarded as a higher-end product with a higher resale value than vinyl or plywood.
Fiber cement siding is fire resistant. HardiePlank, for example, has a one-hour fire rating, which is significantly higher than vinyl or natural wood.
Fiber-cement siding closely resembles actual shiplap wood siding due to its thickness.

Cons

Fiber-cement siding is challenging to install on your own. The majority of homeowners hire qualified fiber-cement installers to complete this task.
It is not fire-proof, even though it is fire-resistant. It is fire-resistant because it slows the spread of flames. The cellulose, or wood, content in fiber cement allows it to burn.
It is also costly, unlike the stucco siding, both in terms of the product and installation.

Vinyl Siding

Vinyl siding is both affordable and easier to install than a brick veneer or stone veneer siding. However, vinyl siding has a negative reputation as a low-quality building material, and some of these accusations are justified, such as its flimsiness and lack of thermal insulation. On the other hand, Vinyl siding is unrivaled as one of the most cost-effective houses siding solutions. Vinyl shake and shingle panels come in two or three rows, each with up to six shakes or shingles. In gables or atop, the brick siding or stone siding is the primary or accent siding.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Vinyl siding is one of the most affordable options for homeowners who want to save money on exterior siding.
The appearance of vinyl siding appeals to a lot of people. With developments in texture and colorfastness, the appearance of vinyl is also improving. If you want to, you can paint it.
Vinyl siding is a simple fix for a home with bad siding because it installs quickly and completely covers the existing material.
With a hand scrubber, hose, and light soap, you can simply clean vinyl siding.

Cons

If you’re trying to restore a house to its original state, vinyl siding is typically out. The fundamental difficulty is that any siding (such as clapboard) that obliterates original architectural elements is not regarded as suitable for historic rehabilitation.
The R-values of vinyl siding are insufficient to keep heat out. On the other hand, vinyl siding can be backed with a thin insulation layer to boost its insulating value marginally.
Vinyl siding is weak, thin, and prone to cracking when exposed to extreme temperatures.

Cedar Shake Siding

Cedar shake siding is one of the most beautiful types of siding available, and it has a well-deserved reputation for being a dignified, classic material for homes of distinction.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Homes within good condition cedar siding can have a high resale value.
For a unique aesthetic, blend cedar shake siding with various types of siding.

Cons

Cedar shake siding takes more upkeep than the other siding options.
For aesthetic and water-tight results, cedar shake installation requires skilled labor.
Cedar shake siding is neither fireproof nor fire-resistant.

Aluminum Siding

Aluminum or metal siding, which was popular for much of the twentieth century, finally came to symbolize everything cheap and poor about home renovations, and it went out of style. However, aluminum siding has resurfaced but in a new and improved form.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Between the panels of aluminum are tiny, very undetectable seams. Fiber-cement siding, for example, necessitates wider caulked seams.
Although aluminum siding is not a petroleum-based product (like vinyl siding), it is a very energy-intensive material to manufacture.
For modern-styled homes, architectural-grade aluminum siding is a good option.
Aluminum is a fire-resistant material.

Cons

Aluminum conducts heat, which makes it unsuitable for siding.
Aluminum or steel siding, like vinyl siding, is prone to dents. However, it, like vinyl, can be backed with foam insulation to avoid dents.
Aluminum siding installation is rarely a do-it-yourself project.

If you’re looking for a professional roofing contractor for your siding installation or replacement, our skilled team TCI Manhattan Roofing is here to help. Contact us today!