Siding

Siding can be made of several materials: vinyl, aluminum, wood, masonry, or composite. The two most commonly used are vinyl and aluminum.

Vinyl siding:

Horizontal	Vertical / Board and Batten

* Vinyl siding comes in horizontal or vertical (board and batten) varieties.

* Vinyl siding has grown in popularity due to the generally low maintenance and low cost appeal it offers.
* It comes in an increasing variety of color choices.

* Older vinyl sidings faded, cracked, and buckled over time, requiring the siding to be replaced.

* Newer vinyl options have improved and resist damage and wear better.

Aluminum siding:

* Aluminum siding comes in a variety of styles and colors.

* It is most often associated with modern, industrial, and retro buildings.

* Aluminum siding can be its dent-resistance, which is excellent for regions with severe storms, including hail.

Wood siding:

* It is very versatile in style and can be used on a wide variety of homes in any color palette desired.

* It requires more maintenance than other popular solutions, requiring treatment every four to nine years (depending on the severity of the elements to which it is exposed).

* Ants and termites are a threat to many types of wood siding.

* Wood siding can provide minimal insulation and structural support compared to thinner cladding materials.

Masonry siding:

brick siding	stone siding
stucco siding

* Masonry sidings come in brick, stone, and stucco.

* It can accommodate a variety of styles, from formal to rustic.

* Masonry can be painted or tinted to match many color palettes, but it is most suited to neutral earth tones.

* Masonry has excellent durability (100+ years)

* It requires minimal maintenance.

Composite siding:

* Composite siding materials are also used for siding, including: asphalt, asbestos, and fiber cement.

* They may be in the form of shingles or boards, in which case they are sometimes called clapboard.
* Composite sidings are available in many styles and can mimic the other siding options.

* Composite materials are ideal for achieving a certain style or 'look' that may not be suited to the local environment (e.g. corrugated aluminum siding in an area prone to severe storms; steel in coastal climates; wood siding in termite-infested regions).
* Costs of composites tend to be lower than wood or masonry options, but vary widely as do installation, maintenance and repair requirements. Not surprisingly, the durability and environmental impact of composite sidings depends on the specific materials used in the manufacturing process.