When purchasing new siding for your home, consider installing composite siding. Through the years, technology has greatly improved composite siding and offers customers a wider range of siding products. The appeal is you can purchase wood-like siding such as cedar shingles without the high maintenance that is often associated with real wood siding materials. Other benefits of composite siding include energy efficiency, increased resale value of your home, and durability.
What is Composite Siding?
Various materials are used in the manufacturing of composite siding. Siding panels can have the appearance of wood, stone, cedar shakes, and wood grain. There are many types of composite siding. The three main kinds of composite materials are engineered wood, fiber cement, and cellular PVC.
Engineered wood: Engineered wood, also known as composite wood, is made from recycled wood products. However, unlike real wood, engineered wood siding is not prone to pests, wood rot, or warping. It doesn’t have to be painted as often, and depending on the finish, in some cases, it does not require any painting at all.
Fiber cement: Made from wood fibers mixed with other materials such as sand, cement, and stone, fiber cement is a popular type of composite siding with the construction industry because it can be used for most residential and many commercial applications. This siding material is also known as Hardie board, after the manufacturer, James Hardie.
Cellular PVC: While vinyl siding has been around since the 1950s, cellular PVC first made an appearance 15 years ago. Cellular PVC siding is typically made by combining several non-wood materials together such as polymeric resins, fiberglass, stone, sand, and fly ash. When wood materials are combined with plastics, the resulting composite is WPC (wood-plastic composite).
What are the Benefits of Composite Siding?
Homeowners looking for the best alternative to wood siding cite appearance, durability, and minimal maintenance as a few reasons to invest in composite siding for their homes.
Appearance: While functionality is an important factor in the choice of a siding material that will protect your home from the weather, you also want your home to look beautiful. Composite siding such as Hardie board or engineered wood cedar shingles gives you more freedom to customize the look and feel of your home’s exterior that boosts curb appeal.
Resale value: In addition to curb appeal, composite siding can increase the resale value of your home. Future homebuyers will appreciate a home exterior that requires minimal maintenance.
Budget-friendly: For those who enjoy the natural beauty of wood, compared to cedar siding or wood shakes, engineered wood siding is a budget-friendly alternative to high costs – wood siding material, installation, and maintenance.
Demonstrated durability: Siding products such as fiber cement boards and engineered wood panels are resistant to a number of conditions including fire, moisture, and wind. They aren’t susceptible to deterioration (wood rot, mold, insect infestations).
Environmentally friendly: Hardie board (fiber cement siding) and engineered wood siding are environmentally friendly because they are produced from recycled materials. Some types of composite siding have up to 25% more R-value than traditional wood siding, keeping the house cooler in summer and warmer in winter, while controlling overall energy consumption.
