Vinyl Siding

Textured to appear like
wood or masonry. It can be made to look like a
variety of finishes, such as cedar boards,
clapboard, and fish-scale shingles

Wide range of colors

Holds up well in the weather

Doesn’t rot,flake, dent or
blister

Scratches do not show up
since the color runs completely through it

May become brittle in
freezing conditions, and can crack if it is hit
sharply when the

weather is cold

Solid Wood
Siding

Gives a natural, quality look to your home

Tongue and groove siding
can be used to produce smooth, luxurious walls.
Log siding can give a house the look and feel of
a real log cabin. Western red cedar is known for
its lasting beauty, and is a traditional
building material of Pacific Northwest Native
Americans because of its durable qualities

Wood is an expensive, but
beautiful, choice for siding

Redwood, cedar and cypress
have natural qualities that protect it from
insects and mildew. Weathers naturally in mild
climates for a beautiful finish

Other woods should be
preserved by regularly restaining and repainting
so they don’t crack or split from poor weather,
and are protected from rot and insects

Metal Siding

Made of steel or aluminum

Available in a broad range
of colors. Deeper and brighter colors are
available in metal siding than can be found in
vinyl siding

Comes in a variety of
textures, including wood look-alikes

Dent- and wind-resistant and needs very little
maintenance. Shows scratches when they are deep
enough to go through  the color coat

Paint may oxidize, become
chalky, and require repainting

If damage occurs,
individual panels can be removed and replaced

Fiber Cement Siding

Made of cement, wood fibers and sand

Very durable

Available in a variety of
colors and styles

Resistant to termites, rotting and fire

Good choice for homes near
the ocean since it holds up well in salt air and
winds and in hot, humid climates

Requires painting, but the
paint usually lasts for a long time

May be difficult to repair

Engineered Wood
and Hardboard Siding

Made of
small pieces of wood bonded together with resins

Available in lap and
vertical siding

Easy to install

Hardboard is made of
pressed wood fibers and is knot- and grain-free

Painted to the color of
your choosing

Available in bare, primed
or finished form

Chemically treated with insecticides and fungus
repellents and stand up well to moisture, mildew
and termites

Weather resistant; can
tolerate bad weather, harsh sun, as well as
abrasion and chemicals

Resistant to splitting and
cracking and holds up well under strong wind or
hail

Brick and Stone Look-alikes

Adher thin-brick and manufactured stone products
to the exterior walls for an appearance of brick
or stonework without the maintenance hassles or
the expense

Veneers are placed onto
walls using mastic or mortar

May be applied over most
existing siding material

Provide great insulation
for your home as well as protective covering for
the exterior

Real brick and stone require occasional masonry
work for maintenance, including tuck-pointing

Veneers require relatively
little maintenance in comparison. They are very
durable and stand up to rot. They weather well,
and don’t require painting

Bricks can develop
efflorescence, a white powder, that needs to be
cleaned

Cracked or crumbling brick
or mortar can be easily repaired

Stucco/Synthetic Stucco

Applied onto walls in three coats. The final coat
is tinted or painted to add color

Variety of textures,
including raked, smooth or swirled. An extra
rough finish can be achieved by adding sand or
pebbles into the mix

Synthetic stucco, also
called Exterior Insulation Finishing Systems
(EIFS), is made from foam plastic insulation and
synthetic coating

Made with
epoxy creating a resilient finish that resists
cracking

If small cracks do appear
they can be fixed by replastering

Synthetic stuccos have been
known to cause severe water damage to the
interior structure of a home. “Water-managed”
synthetic stuccos help to solve this problem

If you paint over stucco,
it will need to be re-painted at some point

Synthetic stucco won’t
crack and is practically maintenance-free