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Choices Of Siding And Veneers For Your Home
Part 1
Part 2
Part
4
The following information provides a list of exterior house
sidings and veneers that are available and used in today's
market. Please note that the list is in alphabetical order
and by no means is the order meant to suggest a preference in
installation or quality. It should also be noted that
there are many manufacturers of each of the sidings and veneers
and there specifications as to the life of the material,
guarantees warranties, accessories and fittings will vary
dramatically. Always compare the specific warrantees,
guarantees and specifications
of each of the manufacturers.
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Aluminum:
The old standby, aluminum siding. While many
homeowners believe that aluminum siding is outdated and
has been replaced with vinyl siding they are incorrect.
Aluminum siding has some advantages over vinyl. It
is a fireproof material, holds it shape during
installation and it is environmentally friendly -
especially when compared to vinyl.
Aluminum siding is easy to install for any home handyman
that owns a pair of tin snips and a hammer. |
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Brick Veneer:
Brick is made by applying a very high
heat to clay, known as firing, that has been molded in a
rectangular block shape.
It is available in a variety of colors
and face textures. Bricks are laid into position
(installed) by using mortar on the sides, bottom and top
of each brick.
Bricks have an exceptionally long life,
hundred's of years, although depending on your climate,
some repair to the mortar and replacement of some bricks
may be necessary after 25 to 30 years.
As a general statement, bricks cannot be
used as a retro-fit on a home that does not have a
foundation designed for bricks. |
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Cedar Shake:
Most people consider cedar shakes to be a
material used for roofing. However, if the
aesthetics are right, country lot and landscaping, there
is no reason that cedar shakes cannot be used on walls.
Light weight, easy to repair, replace and
maintain, cedar shakes are an excellent choice for the
home handyman, who works alone and may not be equipped
with a lot of high priced power tools.
There are three or four color choices and
levels of quality. |
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Cement Fiber:
If you like the look of wood siding, but are not
impressed with the maintenance, a product to consider is
cement fiber siding.
Cement fiber siding is made to appear as clapboard (wood
siding), natural stone and stucco. It is extremely
durable (some products have a 50 year warranty) and is
rot, fire and termite resistant.
The picture on the left shows the versatility in the
appearance of the cement fiber siding. At the far
left of the home, the siding appears to look like
natural stone and on the front of the home it appears as
wood siding.
Cement fiber siding is relatively easy to install with
some specially designed hand tools. |
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Cultured Stone:
Cultured stone is created by molding
aggregate with a cement. As a molded product it
duplicates many varieties of stone, from slate to rocks.
The finished product looks identical to natural stone
but is less than a quarter of the weight making for
easier, more efficient and economic installation.
The cultured stone veneers are available
in many textures and colors.
Installation is accomplished in the same
manner as stucco, using a wire mesh nailed to the wall
and mortar to hold the stones in place.
Although it is easy enough for the home
handyman to install, the challenge is in mixing the
shapes to produce a pleasingly aesthetic finished
project. |
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EIFS (Synthetic Stucco):
EIFS is a synthetic stucco product that is spread on
over a foam insulation base. It is a highly
controversial product as over the years it has been
responsible for severe home damage, caused by water
getting behind the foam underlayment.
However, the manufacturers and installers have modified
their installation techniques and added a number of trim
pieces which appears to have corrected the problems.
The finished product is quite aesthetically pleasing and
if installed correctly should provide a reasonable life
as a siding product. |
Continued........
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