Hello there! RBR Construction here—your exterior specialists in the Willamette Valley. First, if you are a client or have been a client, thank you so much for supporting a small, local business. Your business not only creates jobs in our community, but it allows us to reinvest in the beautiful place we live.
As you know, we are “Built on Integrity”. That means we bring honesty and a great work ethic into everything we do, but we also seek the best craftsman and highest quality product within your budget. When it comes to siding, there is a wide range of options, prices, and features, including home maintenance. In this article we are going to look into four popular siding choices, and go over some pros and cons. Please note this is a high level overview and you may have questions—that’s okay! Please feel free to reach out to us to ask any questions you have.
Up first, VINYL. You’ve probably heard of vinyl siding (and you’ve definitely seen it). It is the most common type of siding because of its light weight, easy install and budget friendly price tag. These are all great things to consider when choosing siding for your home. Some not-so-great features about this type of siding include its sensitivity to heat and the fact that it is not recyclable. When this siding needs to be repaired or replaced, waste goes straight into a landfill.
Next, let’s talk about the very popular, CEDAR siding. The aesthetic of this siding, especially in the PNW landscape is hard to beat. It is absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, the pros stop there. Cedar is far and away the most expensive product, hardest to install (which means additional labor costs) and requires very regular maintenance. In addition, it is prone to rot, home to wood-boring insects and, as you may have guessed, is the least resistant to fire.
Moving on to ENGINEERED WOOD, we have a mixed bag of pros and cons. Because it is technically wood, it is less resistant to fire than siding products that are not wood-based. Mold is often found in engineered wood siding and because it of its base component, wood, you run a higher risk of wood-boring pests. The pros of this product include its lightweight, easy install, and affordability.
Finally, we’ve saved the best for last here, FIBER CEMENT. This one is our favorite. Of the four siding products we review in this article, this one is the most fire resistant with a Class A fire rating. Although we take extra precautions when installing due to the nature of the materials fiber cement is made out of (literally, mixed with cement and you don’t want to breathe in that dust), it is affordable (comparable to engineered wood prices), requires average install time, and comes with custom features like, pre-stained to resemble cedar or pre-painted, reducing labor and cost.
And there you have it. A high level review of four siding options. We hope if you have any questions and that you will reach out to us—we would love to hear from you!
Until next time,
RBR Construction: Your Exterior Specialists
RBR Construction & Roofing “Built on Integrity” Oregon CCB# 202768 Washington CCB# RBRCOC*816MJ
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