What kind of vinyl siding do i have

And engineered wood siding is just what it sounds like. Manufactured wood siding is great because it is a mere fraction of the cost of real wood. Not to mention, it requires much less maintenance! Just make sure you keep moisture out from behind the siding as it can easily cause mold and mildew. Pros: Low maintenance, resistance to bugs and fire, and environmentally-friendly.

Cons: Potential for rust in wet or coastal climates. Lighter metals, like aluminum, can be prone to dents and damage. Metal siding and roofing have both been on the rise and becoming more and more popular in residential homes. Despite its expensive cost upfront, the longevity and durability of metal siding make it worth it. Metal is great for homeowners looking for sustainable products because even if their siding is replaced, the used materials are completely recyclable.

Other roofing materials end up in landfills for decades upon decades. Metal siding is also resistant to bugs, mold, and fire. While metal siding is quite durable, it can be susceptible to rust for steel siding or dents primarily for aluminum siding. Plus, metal siding can be manufactured to imitate any other types of siding, but with that added benefit of durability and long life. Pros: Versatile design can be painted over , durable, very long-lasting.

Some manufacturers offer anywhere from a 30 to year warranty on fiber cement siding! Fiber cement siding is a high-quality material that can look and act like vinyl siding, cement siding, and wood siding — but with added durability. Fiber cement siding is manufactured to withstand the elements and keep your home safe and secure without sacrificing the look.

However, you can probably expect the most you would pay for custom vinyl siding is likely the least you might pay for fiber cement. But, the genuine look you can get with fiber cement definitely gives you more of a return on investment to your home. Pros: Beautiful, very low-maintenance, fire-resistant, and provides great temperature control.

Everyone loves a gorgeous brick house. They are timeless beauties that tend to stand the test of time both structurally and aesthetically. Often brick is used as the structure of the home, but people are also using brick siding panels to bring the same aesthetic as the real thing, but at a much cheaper option. Brick is made of some of the most durable and abundant earthly materials — clay and shale. They are incredibly eco-friendly and can be used or re-used for many things. The one major downside is that though the bricks themselves are highly durable, the mortar in between can wear away from being exposed to the elements.

Looks like freshly painted wooden boards. Traditional clapboard type. Also referred to as 'traditional lap siding '. It also looks like the sides of old wooden sailing ships and because of this it is still referred to sometimes as 'ship-lap' siding. Want to see more information on the History of Siding Click Here.

Beaded Vinyl Siding Styles. Beaded clapboard siding has a bead on the bottom edge of the siding. This was hand carved in olden days creating a unique and sophisticated look. Note the shadow ling along the bottom edge. In early America, colonist would hand carve this notch along the bottom edge.

This made it cost more. It was a top end product back then used by people who usually had more mo. It was considered very sophisticated. It is still used today to give that early American look to homes. Some before and after Shots. Close Help.

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I understand and accept the privacy policy. I understand that you will display my submission on your website. You can preview and edit on the next page. Vinyl Log Style siding allows the homeowner to have the rugged outdoor look of a log home without all the cost, up-keep and maintenance of real wooden logs.

Vinyl log siding offers that outdoor ruggedly charming look without the high cost and high maintenance of real cedar log construction.

To see more information about vinyl log siding click here. There are many styles of homes. Houses come in all styles. From Cape Cod to Folk Modern. Each house style can use multiple vinyl siding types and styles. Click here to see more pictures of different home styles.

House Styles What is your house style? Kaycan Vinyl Siding. To see more Kaycan vinyl siding styles click here. Vinyl is not the only siding that looks like real wood. Other Types of Wood Looking Siding. There are many different wood like siding available now.

Hardie Board is one of the most popular sidings, looks like wood but stronger. Click here to see more information on Hardie Board Siding. Fiber Cement Board Siding is an alternative to vinyl siding.

It is more expensive than vinyl siding but had superior weathering characteristics. Strong, durable and impervious to wood-boring insects, resists UV rays and moisture. It comes in all the most popular styles and colors. Excellent for use in harsh weather areas such as around coast lines. Click here to see more info on Fiber Cement Board Siding. Engineered wood siding is made from wood fibers and resins to create a very strong, durable wood look alike that resists rot, mold, and insects.

Comes in many factory painted finishes or pre-primed. Can be painted any color. Is much stronger than vinyl siding but still costs less than real wood without all the high maintenance of real wood siding. Click here to see more on Engineered wood siding. Lap siding boards are usually random in length, and are shorter than 16 feet long.

Typically the boards are beveled with the bottom edge being thicker than the other to ensure that the boards lap over each other without difficulty. Vertical Panel wood siding is also another type of wood siding, such as Board and Batten, Channel Groove, Tongue and Groove, and the more recent, T and reverse board and batten styles. All of these types of siding can be found in several different species including cedar, redwood, cypress, pine, and fir.

Even though it requires more maintenance than recently introduced products, when properly maintained, wood siding will last a lifetime. Also referred to as hardboard, pressboard or masonite siding, is mainly comprised of wood fibers, flakes or chips that are held together by glues and resins. It is mainly referred to as masonite siding because the company Masonite was the first manufacturer of this type of product.

There are many different types and styles of this product that have been made into both vertical and horizontal sidings. This will help you determine the manufacturer of the product and where it was made.

Another way is to try and identify specific markings on the exterior grain if one exists. Asbestos itself is actually a rock that has an fibrous makeup that looks a lot like hair or fur. When used as a siding, asbestos fibers were mixed with Portland Cement and pressed together to form what we know as asbestos siding.

Asbestos is actually safe unless inhaled. This happens when the siding is cut or broken. Exposure to this have been known to cause Mesothelioma and Asbestosis of the lungs.

The only true way to identify asbestos siding is to have it tested. It does have some characteristics too look for.

It may be smooth, or have a pressed wood-grain pattern on the surface of the board. It usually will have two or three nails at the bottom portion of each panel. Efflorescence chalking can commonly be seen on Asbestos siding. Aluminum siding is pretty easy to identify. It looks very similar to vinyl siding, but is metal and can be easily dented.

Vinyl siding too, is also pretty easy to identify. It feels like plastic, is dyed the same color throughout and when pushing on the wall of a house, it tends to flex. Like masonite siding, it is also usually labeled by the manufacturer or it may have a manufacturing code on the back side of the siding panel.

Vinyl siding is a popular choice of homeowners because of the price, and can be installed over their existing siding. It never needs to be painted. One drawback is that if a piece of siding needs to be replaced, it can be difficult to find the same manufacturer, style, and color for an exact match. If you are lucky eneough to find that exact piece, the color may not match exactly due to fading of the existing siding. In recent years, manufacturers have introduced Insulated Vinyl Siding as an upgraded product.

It is like regular vinyl siding, only it has an insulated foam backing that helps energy costs and also durability. Today there are several companies that produce fiber cement siding and building products. Fiber Cement siding was manufactured as a replacement for asbestos siding, which was popular for its attributes of being fire-retardant and rot and insect proof.

It is formulated using sand, cement, and cellulose fibers. It is very durable, and can be painted or stained. It also comes in pre-painted or pre-stained versions from different manufacturers. It is available in a wide variety of shapes and styles for siding, trim boards and soffit material. It is generally more expensive than aluminum or vinyl siding, but less expensive than stone or brick cladding. If you would like to discuss options for siding replacement on your home, please contact us for a free quote.

We currently have wood siding. A lot but not all of the wood boards needs to be replaced. We are debating between cedar and engineered wood. The whole house is being repainted. Is mixing the two materials a concern?

Kara — I apologize for taking so long to respond. Our experience has been most people can tell a significant difference in siding materials when used on the same wall ie repair assorted boards and are not happy with how it looks.

Good luck with your project. We are remodeling after a flood we wanted to add character to our home so we wanted to use 2 different styles on exterior of home.

My question is, can vinyl siding shingle and Hardie Plank horizontal board be used on same home? We are wanting to use shingle siding on gables and long board hardie plank on the rest of home. Would this be difficult to install or be obvious?

Hello Michelle — I do not see any issue with combining the fiber cement lap siding with the vinyl shake accent. It will not be obvious at all and is not difficult to install. You want a contractor who has experience installing both fiber cement siding and vinyl siding. Installation is key for long term performance of both products. The vinyl shake will have to be installed over a solid substrate sheathing like plywood or OSB board.

If the installers you speak with do not know this, they are not the right choice. Best of luck with your project. Send us some pics! Hello Dorothy — Thank you for your question.

Vinyl siding can, in most cases, be installed directly over asbestos siding so there would not be any need to remove it.

If removal is necessary, asbestos removal must be done by a company who is certified by the EPA or state regulators to remove and dispose of this product as well as certify air quality and cleanliness after project completion. Vinyl siding comes in textured or smooth panels. Those with a simulated wood grain are meant to imitate rough-sawn wood that's been stained.

Panels are available in horizontal and vertical configurations. Horizontal siding tends to look best on traditional houses, while vertical panels fit well with many contemporary designs. There are also a number of widths. You'll find 8-in.

Panels are complemented by vinyl soffit, window trim and other accessories. Any vinyl siding you buy should have this designation on product fact sheets and packaging. This is a minimum standard, however. To pick a product that exceeds the minimum standard, follow these guidelines:. If you were to throw the names of the top 10 vinyl siding companies in a hat and pick one, you would probably end up with quality siding. Do the same with 10 local contractors, and the installation quality would be far less certain.

A contractor's expertise and experience are crucial to a good siding job. The reason is the material itself. Because vinyl expands and contracts so much, even the most expensive siding will buckle and warp if not put on correctly. Experienced contractors take a number of steps to keep this from happening. You'll also see a row of slots at the top of each panel. That allows each panel to move slightly with temperature changes.

Because installation is so important, check references of any contractor you're considering. Request written estimates, then visit past jobs and a current project to give them a thorough once-over.

Look for these details:. Heartland Building Products, Inc. Mastic Michigan St. Owens Corning 1 Owens Corning Pkway. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies.