The siding on your home is an essential aesthetic component of your building and it also plays a very important protective role, providing your home the safety it needs from the elements. This also means that durable and resistant siding can be made only from special materials – here are the most common and most durable types of materials used for manufacturing siding panels.
Fiber Cement Siding Panels
The material is popular for its low cost, low maintenance needs, the superior protection it offers against the weather as well as for its great looks. Being resistant to moisture and impact as well as to pest attacks and fire, fiber cement siding panels are suitable for any climate areas and they also come in a variety of colors, textures and designs, including varieties that resemble wood and stone.
Engineered Wood Siding Panels
These panels are made combining wood fibers with other materials to increase the strength and the durability of the panels as well as to confer them the appearance of natural wood. Engineered wood comes in a variety of natural textures and colors, it is affordable, resistant to fire and impervious to insects, other rodents, moisture and impact, being an excellent alternative to expensive and sensitive natural wood.
Brick Siding
Brick siding is the best option for anyone looking for a traditional, attractive and durable siding solution. The material is resistant to the elements and it comes in a variety of colors and designs, offering great, durable looks without requiring the owner to repaint or to maintain it too often. The material is somewhat more expensive than other solutions, therefore many homeowners choose an excellent alternative to solid brick siding, a material called brick veneer that is cheaper and lighter than solid varieties, but not less durable, attractive or energy-efficient.
Vinyl Siding
Another very popular and low-cost siding option, vinyl is resistant to the elements and available in almost any color and the panels made from the tough and durable plastic material are available in varieties that resemble wood or stone.
While vinyl is resistant to most types of weather phenomena, prolonged exposure to extremely strong sunshine can cause the surface of the panels to warp and extreme hail can also cause vinyl to dent or to crack. Unfortunately, damaged vinyl panels cannot be repaired, but owners can prevent warping if they apply a coat of suitable painting on their vinyl siding.
Metal Siding
Made from various types of metal alloys, including aluminum and steel, metal siding panels used to be the preferred choice for industrial buildings, but nowadays, they are becoming increasingly popular for residential applications as well. Metal panels are resistant to the weather, to rot, to insects and they are also great for protecting the thermal balance of building in hot climate areas. Metal panels are known to reflect solar heat, but are unable to absorb it, therefore metal siding is suitable in cold climate areas only if paired with suitable insulation between the panels and the wall. Experienced contractors in siding Lincoln NE homes, can help you determine what siding product will work best for your home.