Prodigy Real Estate - SI NY Real Estate Blog

With Spring coming around, renovations are on the checklist of things to complete. If you are thinking of new siding, we have some things you will need to know before changing the appearance of your home. 

Vinyl

Vinyl siding is tough and comes in many colors and textures. Due to the way the color runs throughout the material, nicks and scratches do not appear easily. The material also requires minimal or no maintenance and is easy to clean dirt off. Vinyl is lightweight and can be installed directly over existing material. This means it is easy to handle, and quick to install while labor cost is low. Only downside is that the panels usually come 12 feet long, so overlapping may cause noticeable seams. Try ordering extra long panels to reduce the seams. 

Wood

Wood siding, such as clapboard or shingle, is the choice for a premium renovation project. Wood siding comes in many species and grades and is easy to cut.. Expansive grades are usually free off knots and blemishes. Through, better grades can be pricey. Less expansive grades are more for painting and opaque stain. 

Fiber

Fiber cement has earned the reputation of low maintenance. It is made of a mixture of wood pulp, cement, clay, and sand. It can be molded into clapboard, shingles, stucco, and masonry. Fiber cement does not expand or contract when the humidity and temperature change. It is also fire resistant and termite-proof, as well as it will not rot. The installation requires specialist; be sure to find a contractor who is experienced in this type of installation. 

Engineered Wood Siding 

This chose is cheaper than fiber cement. Engineered wood siding is strong and can stand extremely bad weather conditions. It comes in a variety of styles and textures. It even has a life span of about 50 years and is half the cost of real wood siding. 

Synthetic Stone

While this choice is usually not used to cover a whole house, it is perfect as an accent, only cover the lower portion, or for the chimney's exterior. The stone is fire and insect resistant. The installation does not cost much due to the lack of requirement to beef up the foundation. However, the synthetic stone does not cost as much as real stone, it is still on the more expansive side. 

Happy exterior renovations homeowner!