House Siding Choices And Their Characteristics For Your Virginia Home

By Author: Rolf Matchen
Total Articles: 5
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Constant exposure to Virginia’s seasonal extremes and coastal weather can easily wear out your home’s exterior. Roofs and sidings can only take so much humidity, cyclones, or winter storms before they begin to show signs of weathering, deterioration, buckling, and eventually, collapse. Regular maintenance and the type of siding you choose for your home can make a huge difference in your house’s structural strength, as well as its appearance and energy consumption.

Siding is the covering on a house’s external surface that is installed for the purpose of directing outside water flow to the ground and protecting the house from the harsh effects of weather. Sidings cut down energy costs by providing adequate insulation to a home. Certain types of sidings also provide bug, fire and scratch resistance. Sidings come in several forms such as vertical or horizontal boards, shingles and sheets. If you’re looking to give your house new sidings or replace your old ones, here are the common siding materials from which to choose:

Aluminum Siding

This type of siding is known for its easy maintenance and durability. ...
... Aluminum siding is a great choice for areas with very cold winters because it handles cold well. It offers protection from flames coming from outside the house and from a tornado’s violent winds. However, aluminum sidings easily dent, form rust and can be noisy if not laid out properly.

Wood Siding

A type of siding arlington Virginia old or historic homes might have is wood. Along with wood shingle roofs, natural wood sidings can bestow a rustic charm to any home. Wood sidings have a variety of styles and textures, so you’re sure to find one that’ll suit your home. But just like any other wood, this type of siding can be damaged by the natural elements, and comes with a high risk of rotting, warping or splitting.

Vinyl or Plastic Siding

A low cost, low maintenance siding fairfax Virginia home builders use are vinyl or plastics sidings. Due to its flexibility, vinyl sidings are very easy to install and don’t need regular coating or painting. On the down side, some vinyl sidings don’t have strong resistance to impact, severe wind, and heat from nearby sources, such as barbecue grills.

Cement Fiber Siding

Cement fiber is gaining popularity as the type of residential siding northern Virginia homeowners prefer. It is durable, low maintenance, looks wonderful and eco-friendly because it’s made from recyclable materials. It comes with a variety of styles and design that can even look as delicate and classic as natural wood sidings. With its amazing qualities, cement fiber sidings can be expensive, and requires a skilled hand to install. To read more about the different types of sidings, you may visit homerepair.about.com.