Siding recommendations?
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| Posted in Green Products and Materials on
What the cheapest siding.. but needs to look beautiful, have longevity, and least maintenance?
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Replies
Karen,
C'mon, Karen, add a few more needs to the list!
It should be cheap, beautiful, long-lasting, no maintenance -- and give milk and lay eggs! Maybe siding that grants three wishes if you polish it with a cloth?
Read this article about Siding Choices. We worked hard on it.
Karen,
Cheapest siding -- probably T-111.
Looks beautiful -- red cedar lap siding.
Has longevity -- brick veneer.
Least maintenance -- brick veneer.
Gee, Martin, convince yourself that brick is beautiful and you've got a winner!
David,
Ah, but she wants the cheapest siding. And that's not brick.
Karen
Depending on where you are located locally harvested rough-sawn vertical board and batten siding can be a very good value. It's generally sourced green and needs to be primed and paintesd as it's installed and provisions in the installation need to be taken to allow for drying but the value is very good for the cost.
Any siding will be significantly more durable if you can protect it with a generous roof overhang including rain gutters to keep water from splashing up from lower roofs and the ground.
Next on my list would be un-painted red-label cedar shingles but they require nail base every 8" which can add significantly to the cost.
We install a lot of fiber cement (Hardi, NichiHa) but I see too much moisture absorption with resulting evaporative efflorescence to really be happy with that solution.