Does Your Home Need a Facelift? Consider Re-siding Your Home.

Posted by Ben Thompson on 03.31.17

When it comes to a house, its hard not to judge a book by its cover. That first glance you get when you drive up to a home is heavily influenced by the type and condition of your siding and when its not looking good the curb appeal score goes way down. Besides looking nice, your siding has another important job to do and that’s protecting your home. Next to the roof, it’s your main defense against the outside elements so it’s important to know the pros and cons of popular siding options when you are ready to upgrade.

Let’s take a look at your options.

Vinyl Siding

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Far and away the most popular choice of today’s homeowners is vinyl siding. With a wide variety of thickness, color and quality there is an abundance of options and it is the most affordable siding material out there. Its low maintenance is a big selling point as it only requires occasional power washing and will never need to be painted. Plus it is treated with insect repellant and will not rot. The drawbacks to vinyl siding include its high sensitivity to flame, so be sure to keep your grill or outdoor heaters at a safe distance or it can melt or burn. In high winds you may hear some rattling going on.

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Fiber Cement

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Fiber cement siding is made of wood pulp, cement, clay and sand. It’s highly durable, fire resistant, and can look like real wood due to the variety of textures that are available. You can get it prefinished in all sorts of colors or you decide to have it painted once installed. Like vinyl siding it is rot and insect resistant, as well as low maintenance. From time to time, joints and trim may need to be re-caulked and after about 15 years it will require refinishing. It comes at a higher price tag than vinyl, but due to many of its benefits it may be worth the investment.

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Wood Siding

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Without a doubt, the most eco-friendly choice is wood siding. For those who want the natural and rustic aesthetic of wood or require customizable decorative elements and don’t mind the price tag, this is a good choice. On the downside, it is the highest maintenance siding material you can choose, as it requires refinishing every 2-5 years or repainting every 5-7 years. Because it is wood, it can rot, will burn easily and is prone to insect infestations.

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Is your home ready for an exterior renovation? Give us a call and we can discuss your ideas and answer your questions.

Topics: Love Where You Live, Care & Maintenance, exterior remodel, fiber cement siding, vinyl siding, wood siding, siding, thompson remodeling grand rapids mi, Thompson Remodeling Inc