The modern construction market is rich in a variety of facing materials. One of these is siding. What is it, what types of siding exist for the exterior of a house, what to look for when buying it, what is good about installing metal siding, wood, etc., and how much it costs and how much it will cost to finish a house with siding – read here.
What is siding and its types?
Siding is one of the most popular materials for cladding the facade of a country house. Its main advantages:
- Ease. Does not exert a significant load on the foundation and load-bearing structures
- Practicality. Having sheathed the facade with siding, you can forget about any work on it for several years.
- Aesthetics. The facade sheathed with siding looks quite attractive and presentable.
- Easy to install. Many people can install the siding. To install it, it is enough to have a set of simple construction tools.
- Most bay area siding contractors note several features of this material, which are often also noticed by the owners of private residential buildings themselves
If we talk about the varieties of siding, then it is:
Vinyl. It is the most popular and in demand. Successfully imitates sheathing with wood, brick, or natural stone. It can be easily matched to almost any style of home. It features a low price, a wide range of colors, a long service life, lightness, resistance to temperature extremes, poor thermal insulation and resistance to mechanical damage, and the difficulty of replacing one sheet pklikes.com.
You also need to keep in mind that the installation of vinyl siding requires taking into account the coefficient of linear expansion. Due to the temperature difference, deformation of the material may occur.
Wood. Good for its environmental friendliness, high thermal insulation, and aesthetic qualities. But, at the same time, it is short-lived and flammable.
Sheathing a house with wood siding is optimal in a warm and dry climate. In general, it is more suitable for interior decoration.
Metal. It can be made of aluminum, steel, or zinc (the former is more prone to deformation). Due to its high cost in private construction, it is not often used. It is durable, strong, resistant to temperature extremes, and fireproof.
Cement or fiber cement. It is environmentally friendly, as it consists only of high-quality cement, sand, water, and cellulose fiber. It is considered an excellent alternative to more expensive facing stone. Difficult to install and heavy. Unpretentious in care, durable and reliable.
What to Look for When Buying Siding
Color. It must be even. Also, keep in mind, that it is common to see the tone of the inside of the panel differ from the tone of the outside. This happens when manufacturers want to save money and use different amounts of coloring matter for the outer and inner surfaces. High-quality siding is distinguished by the fact that both sides of it are of the same color.
Side cut. The panel on the side cut must be of the same thickness. Why is it important? Otherwise, the load on the panel will be uneven.
Front surface. Ideally, it should be matte (glossy gets very hot in the sun, fades quickly, and lengthens excessively) and free from defects.
Panel thickness. It should be standard: from 1 to 1.2 mm.
Guarantee. You need to understand what the guarantee covers and how reimbursement is carried out. Also, for how long. Usually – up to 50 years.
Price. The price of a good quality siding cannot be low. This is the main rule.
