Alternative Siding

Building exteriors can be covered with many different materials

The siding that is put onto a house determines its final appearance and its performance in cold and harsh weather. Traditional materials such as board and batten, clapboards, shingles and brick have been joined in modern times by a spectrum of new materials, ranging from green and environmentally friendly materials to aluminum, vinyl and pre-cast stone. Which siding you choose depends on a number of factors: personal taste, climate, cost, compatibility with the neighborhood and durability chief among them.

Stone and Brick

Most older houses are sided with what they are built with, stone and brick. These beautiful materials remain attractive to the modern eye. Unfortunately their insulative properties are not impressive, and few houses today are built with these materials, although a fair number are sided with a veneer using brick, stone, or their manufactured replacements.

Wood

In many parts of the world, wood has been the material of choice for exterior siding for centuries. Whether in the form of shingles, clapboards, board and batten, or logs, its traditional availability, low cost, and durability have made it a sensible choice. The environmental impact of massive wood and paint use, as well as the work involved in housepainting, have caused many people to turn to zero maintenance alternatives such as aluminum and vinyl.

Manufactured Alternatives

Aluminum and vinyl siding, as well as other manufactured siding such as cultured stone, were introduced as a low-maintenance alternative to wooden siding that requires regular painting. While some debate the attractiveness of these materials, they are effective and relatively inexpensive, particularly when you consider maintenance costs for other alternatives. Aluminum and vinyl siding are often installed directly over wood clapboards.

Stucco

Brick and stone, particularly if they or the mortar between them have begun to deteriorate, are sometimes covered with stucco. Usually made with a mixture of cement and pigment, stucco is simply troweled on, either over the existing wall, or onto a screen that is attached to the wall to help the stucco to adhere. Stucco is paintable, and in addition to improving the appearance of a house, helps to block drafts and leaks in older houses.

Recycled and Reused Materials

The lowest cost alternative for siding a house is material that can be had for free or cheap by re-using it from some other source. The most common form that this method takes is board and batten siding. This is a very simple method in which vertical boards are applied to the walls, and the joints between these boards covered with thinner boards. The simplicity of the materials makes it more likely that they can be found used and repurposed on another house.

References

• Direct Cedar Supplies: Sidewall Shingles
• Exterior Portfolio: Products
• Castia Stone: An Alternative Siding Solution