Siding options for your house or garage: The Weekly Fix

If you will be constructing an addition or building a new garage or even replacing some of your existing siding materials consider your siding options. Your house and garage are long-term investments, so it doesn't pay to be short-sighted about the material you choose. Cost, longevity, and maintenance requirements can vary widely.

Wood siding and shingles are the traditional materials found on most older homes. Ship-lap or drop-lap siding comes in boards about 6" wide, still readily available at lumberyards. Each piece locks into the pieces above and below it. Wooden siding shingles (rectangular pieces of wood) are most often found on the top half of older houses, but occasionally cover a whole house or garage. Siding shingles are most often made from cedar, a relatively soft material naturally impervious to water, but also prone to splitting or cracking. The shingles are nailed in rows, with each row overlapping the one below it. Shingles are sold in bundles containing pieces of varying widths.

There are newer products that you might want to consider, as well. Fiber-cement lapboard siding, a fairly recent product, can have a smooth or rough-sawn wood grain appearance. This type of siding will endure more of the dings and bumps that can crack vinyl or dent aluminum, and it will withstand the ravages of weather, rot, fungus, carpenter ants and termites. On the other hand, it is not very easy to work with for most do-it-yourselfers, requires specialty tools to cut the planks, and will need to be painted periodically.

Vinyl siding is a popular choice for homes and garages, because it needs the least maintenance. It is inexpensive, installs quickly over existing sheathing, comes in many different colors, and, once up, needs only to be washed annually for maintenance. On the other hand, if it's hit soundly in the winter, it may crack; darker colors tend to fade in the summer sun; and, if you wish to change the color later, you won't be able to paint it. Damaged panels can be replaced with relative ease using just a couple of tools.

An alternative to vinyl is polypropylene siding, usually made from recycled materials and available in patterns that resemble various styles of traditional wood siding and shingles. It is installed in much the same way as vinyl siding and has many of the same advantages and disadvantages. However, since polypropylene is heavier walled than vinyl, it is less susceptible to strike damage, but also more expensive.

There are other siding choices that do not hold up so well. T1-11, hardboard lap siding, and OSB (oriented strand board) are all vulnerable to swelling, de-lamination, and/or self-destruction if any of the surfaces become exposed to the elements. You will have to be vigilant about painting all the joints (T1-11) or any scratches or tears in the covering (from lawn mowers, bicycles, etc.) that can let moisture enter.

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Siding options for your house or garage: The Weekly Fix