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9 Top Siding Materials
Everyone knows brick and stucco, but what about fiber cement and metal? Learn about the options in exterior siding before you choose
Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. I am licensed to practice architecture in Illinois, Florida, New Jersey & Wisconsin and I am a certificate holder from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). Since 1996 I have worked from my home office and provide full architectural services exclusively to the single family residential market. My passion is to transform my clients' houses into their homes. I strive to have the "new" home accommodate my clients' lives without fighting them at every junction. I look to add curb appeal to encourage a beautiful streetscape. And I design any addition to look and feel like it has always been there.
Our projects have won numerous design awards as well as having...
Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located... More »
The siding of a house is like the clothing we wear. Our choice of clothes depends as much on location (a T-shirt and shorts wouldn't be comfortable in a Midwest winter) as well as the fashion statement we want to make. And of course there's the budget factor.
But unlike our clothes, we can't change our siding material easily. Even though we can change colors and accessories depending on the material chosen, most of us take a "one and done" approach to the exterior of our houses. We don't want to repaint, restain or any of that. We want something that looks good on day one and for many years to come. This guide to exterior siding choices will help you pick one that goes the distance for your house.
But unlike our clothes, we can't change our siding material easily. Even though we can change colors and accessories depending on the material chosen, most of us take a "one and done" approach to the exterior of our houses. We don't want to repaint, restain or any of that. We want something that looks good on day one and for many years to come. This guide to exterior siding choices will help you pick one that goes the distance for your house.
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| Horizontal Lap Siding Probably the most ubiquitous of siding choices, horizontal lap siding can be made from wood, aluminum, vinyl or fiber cement and can be finished in an unlimited range of colors. This siding choice is a natural fit for a colonial, or traditional-style, home as it works well with simple, boxy forms and symmetrical compositions. So whether your home is a stately colonial ... |
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| ... or a humble Cape Cod, you'll find horizontal lap siding to be a good choice. Cost: The installed cost of horizontal lap siding can vary widely, with the lowest about $3 to $5 per square foot for vinyl and $4 to $7 per square foot for fiber cement or cedar. Material quality, color finishing and more all influence the cost. |
Board and Batten
Available in wood and fiber cement, board and batten siding is, like horizontal lap siding, a good choice for traditionally designed homes. Unlike the horizontal lines of lap siding, board and batten puts visual emphases on the vertical, creating taller-appearing houses.
Cost: Initially used on barns and other farm buildings as a low-cost and material-efficient approach to siding, board and batten has come to be evocative of those rural structures. But it's no longer the least expensive option, costing about the same as lap siding in either wood or fiber cement.
Available in wood and fiber cement, board and batten siding is, like horizontal lap siding, a good choice for traditionally designed homes. Unlike the horizontal lines of lap siding, board and batten puts visual emphases on the vertical, creating taller-appearing houses.
Cost: Initially used on barns and other farm buildings as a low-cost and material-efficient approach to siding, board and batten has come to be evocative of those rural structures. But it's no longer the least expensive option, costing about the same as lap siding in either wood or fiber cement.
Lap siding combined with board and batten on the same exterior can create a comfortable, rurally inspired look.
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Shingles
Available in vinyl (polymer), wood and fiber cement, shingles (also called shakes) are well suited for traditionally designed homes that have a shingle, Craftsman or Arts and Crafts aesthetic.
Cost: Expect to pay slightly more for shingle siding than horizontal lap siding.
Available in vinyl (polymer), wood and fiber cement, shingles (also called shakes) are well suited for traditionally designed homes that have a shingle, Craftsman or Arts and Crafts aesthetic.
Cost: Expect to pay slightly more for shingle siding than horizontal lap siding.
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Wood Strip Siding
Wood can also be used as a flat, horizontal siding. Sometimes installed in a tongue-and-groove configuration, the key to this type of siding is to have a continuous waterproof membrane behind it. Otherwise water that gets behind the siding will damage the interior of your home.
Cost: The cost of this type of siding varies depending on the wood species, but it's generally one of the more expensive options.
Wood can also be used as a flat, horizontal siding. Sometimes installed in a tongue-and-groove configuration, the key to this type of siding is to have a continuous waterproof membrane behind it. Otherwise water that gets behind the siding will damage the interior of your home.
Cost: The cost of this type of siding varies depending on the wood species, but it's generally one of the more expensive options.
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Fiber Cement Panels
Large sheets (often 4 feet by 8 feet) of fiber cement panels create a flat, uniform surface treatment with shadow lines at the reveals where the panels meet. The aesthetic tends to be more contemporary but the same approach can be used in a Prairie-style home by placing battens over the panel joints as here.
Cost: about $7 to $10 per square foot installed.
More about fiber cement panels
Large sheets (often 4 feet by 8 feet) of fiber cement panels create a flat, uniform surface treatment with shadow lines at the reveals where the panels meet. The aesthetic tends to be more contemporary but the same approach can be used in a Prairie-style home by placing battens over the panel joints as here.
Cost: about $7 to $10 per square foot installed.
More about fiber cement panels
| Stucco Available in natural or synthetic form, stucco is a great choice for exteriors with large surfaces and simple geometries. Though the texture can vary from fine to coarse, stucco is best suited where surface shadows should be minimized. |
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Stucco is an excellent siding choice for many home styles, from modern and contemporary to Arts and Crafts to Prairie, but it's most closely associated with the Southwestern Spanish colonial style.
Natural stucco has the ability to "breathe" (allow air and moisture to pass through it), but synthetic stucco does not. When using synthetic stucco it's therefore important to have a good vapor barrier or drainage plane installed so that moisture doesn't build up inside the wall.
Cost: about $9 to $12 per square foot.
Stucco for modern homes
Natural stucco has the ability to "breathe" (allow air and moisture to pass through it), but synthetic stucco does not. When using synthetic stucco it's therefore important to have a good vapor barrier or drainage plane installed so that moisture doesn't build up inside the wall.
Cost: about $9 to $12 per square foot.
Stucco for modern homes
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| Brick Durable and requiring almost no maintenance, brick is an ideal siding material for many homes. It's also available in many sizes, textures and colors, and it can be stacked, or laid up, in a variety of patterns. |
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| Though more closely associated with traditional designs, brick can be used on houses ranging from contemporary to Prairie and just about every style in between. Cost: Brick's durability and low maintenance come at a higher price. Expect to pay about $17 to $20. |
Stone
Like brick, stone is durable and low maintenance. Available in a wide range of colors, textures and sizes, stone is adaptable to just about any aesthetic.
Traditionally, naturally quarried stone was stacked in large, heavy pieces that were quite expansive to install. To reduce costs while keeping the look of stone, some manufacturers started making stone veneers, a man-made material that is pigmented and shaped to resemble stone. Not to be outdone, the stone quarries developed technologies to cut natural stone into thin veneers. The result is lower prices and a wider range of stone materials.
Cost: about $35 to $50 per square foot installed.
More about stone siding
Like brick, stone is durable and low maintenance. Available in a wide range of colors, textures and sizes, stone is adaptable to just about any aesthetic.
Traditionally, naturally quarried stone was stacked in large, heavy pieces that were quite expansive to install. To reduce costs while keeping the look of stone, some manufacturers started making stone veneers, a man-made material that is pigmented and shaped to resemble stone. Not to be outdone, the stone quarries developed technologies to cut natural stone into thin veneers. The result is lower prices and a wider range of stone materials.
Cost: about $35 to $50 per square foot installed.
More about stone siding
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Metal
Though not a commonly considered material, metal can be an excellent choice for siding —especially if your house has a contemporary aesthetic. From corrugated steel ...
Though not a commonly considered material, metal can be an excellent choice for siding —especially if your house has a contemporary aesthetic. From corrugated steel ...
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| ... to copper, metal sidings are durable and require little if any maintenance. Cost: It varies widely with the choice of material and details. Also, craftsmen skilled with the installation of metal siding may not be available locally, so research what's available in your location before you choose this option. More: Stucco on Modern Home Exteriors Metal Works Wonders With Home Exteriors Wood Home Exteriors Branch Out Glass Home Exteriors Reflect Modern Taste |
Ideabook updated on March 23, 2012.
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Parklex isn't a fiber cement product so comparing the cost of Parklex to fiber cement is like comparing apples and oranges. And the two materials will look very different. Which you use will be a function of the look you're trying to achieve and your budget.
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