Wood siding: metal and vinyl - their advantages and features

Category: House facade

Wood siding is a natural, attractive material used to trim and protect a home's exterior.

Some types of siding are designed to be installed vertically, plank style. Others, such as tiles, clapboards or shingles, are installed horizontally. The most common types of wood for siding are spruce, pine, and larch.

• Cons of wood siding:
• What Maintenance Does Wood Siding Require?

Types of wood siding

A house made of wood has long been considered a traditional Russian structure. That’s why even owners of brick or block buildings try to give their construction a more traditional look.

It is important to note that the owners of a wooden house will one day have to think about updating the appearance of the structure. Masking panels are used for this purpose.

Any house can be covered with high-quality wood siding. This will give the building an aesthetic appearance, but at the same time it will be possible to get rid of some of the disadvantages of natural materials, for example, rotting. Currently, wood siding is available in several varieties:

1. Metal.
2. Vinyl.

Outwardly, they are practically no different from real wood, but in many respects they are superior to their natural counterpart.

From the outside it may seem that the house is built from ordinary wood Source hu.decorexpro.com

All sidings have one common characteristic - they are very easy to maintain. But, since the two types of coating in question also have non-identical characteristics, each should be studied in more detail. And based on the data obtained, it will be much easier for the user to select panels for a specific case.

Vinyl siding

When examining vinyl siding in a store, you will notice a cylindrical outer surface that closely resembles a regular log. Using this type of panel, the user has the opportunity to create an image of his home that will look like it is made of chopped wood. Moreover, this design will completely protect the house from various weather conditions, taking the impact on itself.

The main advantages of vinyl siding:

• The material will not rot or change appearance throughout its entire service life (minimum 15 years), and therefore there is no need to spend additional money on regular surface treatment;

The vinyl panel will not take on the appearance of rotten wood Source pic2.me

• Wood siding for the exterior of a house is flame retardant . If a wooden house can catch fire if a fire is not carefully lit near the structure, then the protective properties of the panel will protect against this;
• Good resistance to mechanical damage . Wood, even one coated with varnish, is quite easy to spoil - just a careless movement with a metal object and a piece will definitely chip. It takes more force to damage the panel;
• Siding can be used at temperatures from -50 to +60 degrees Celsius. This indicates that the material is suitable for installation in almost any climatic zone;
• The appearance is almost indistinguishable from real wood . Manufacturers reproduce not only the texture, but also the different shades of natural logs. And from this comes another important advantage - a wide range of products;

A wide range will please any customer Source mkf54.ru

• Traditional wood gradually fades when exposed to sunlight, but siding is protected from this. The appearance will not change much throughout the entire service life ;
• Installation of the material is as simple as possible , and therefore there is no need to spend additional money on complex installation and preparatory work;
• After installation, there is no need to monitor the siding or periodically treat it with various materials for protection . Manufacturers produce high-quality panels that are already fully protected from almost all types of external influences;

You can forget about regularly treating wood with varnish Source ikirov.ru

• PVC is used for the manufacture of products. The result is a two-layer material, the first part of which is decorative. And the second has high strength to maintain shape and protect from various harmful influences.

It is important to know that all of the above properties of materials can be obtained only if virgin vinyl powder is used in production. You should find out about this in advance from a consultant in stores and study the documentation. But, if recycled raw materials are used in production, the characteristics will be greatly reduced. The material will not have the qualities that consumers value so much.

Also, before purchasing, be sure to examine the inside and front sides of the siding. If they are very different from each other, then this is a clear sign of recycled materials. Such material will not last long and will soon have to be replaced.

If we talk about the disadvantages, then it is worth mentioning an important nuance - the walls should be as equal as possible before installing the panels. Otherwise, the material will take the wrong shape.

When installing, you need to take into account some nuances Source remontik.org

See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in facade materials.

Flaws:

• If one panel is damaged, it is difficult to replace with a new one. Complete dismantling will be required .
• If workers do not leave gaps between the parts, then under the influence of high temperatures, the material will expand and the appearance will deteriorate.
• You need to hire a construction crew within a certain period. In extreme heat or cold, you should not install panels .

Metal siding

Wood-look metal siding is a convenient and modern material for cladding any buildings. If we consider the material from a structural point of view, it is galvanized steel with a special polymer coating.

Main advantages of the material:

• Compared to vinyl siding, metal siding will last longer . More durable materials are used for manufacturing. This is the reason for increasing the service life;

Example of a metal panel Source interyer.com.ua

• All dirt can be easily removed with water from under a hose.;
• The weight of one panel is approximately 4 kg. This means that there will be no problems with transportation and installation work ;
• Buyers can find a wide range of products with different appearances. Manufacturers produce siding in various shades. When compared with a vinyl panel, the metal sample greatly benefits in this parameter. And also, if you wish, you can agree on an individual order in the store, and then the color will be carried out according to the personal preferences of the buyer. It is not possible to negotiate a similar service when purchasing wood-look vinyl siding;
• An undoubted advantage is also ease of installation . But there is a nuance - you will have to spend extra money on the “filling”. It will be necessary to install a frame so that the panels will last for many years;

We need a frame for high-quality fasteners Source budportal.com.ua

Materials

The following types of wood are most often used to make wood siding:

• pine;
• cedar;
• larch.

Pine

Siding made from pine is popular when cladding buildings.

Has many advantages:

• is durable;
• not afraid of external negative influences (temperature changes, sunlight);
• not subject to rotting;
• resistant to moisture due to the presence of resin;
• is not affected by fungus, mold does not form;
• emits a pleasant aroma that is good for health;
• It's inexpensive.

There are also disadvantages. The release of a large amount of resin reduces the aesthetic quality. Pine is not used to decorate the interior space. Over time, the pine siding changes color and becomes reddish.

Cedar

It is used to decorate not only the façade of a building, but also the interior walls of the building. Cedar regulates humidity levels without the use of additional material.

The wood does not crack. Cedar releases beneficial phytoncides. Useful for people with lung problems.

A siding option made from Canadian cedar is highly valued. It is used for exterior decoration of buildings. They line the interior walls of baths and saunas. In addition to being ergonomic and durable, it retains heat well, protects against noise, and is not afraid of temperature changes and moisture. Thanks to the variety of structures and warm shades, it looks impressive. The price is inexpensive.

Canadian cedar siding is a new material and is not available in many regions.

Larch

Larch siding has a high level of strength, but is expensive. The main advantage is that it is not exposed to the negative effects of humidity.

Other benefits include:

• does not crack;
• universal - used for covering different surfaces (concrete, brick, timber);
• not afraid of fire;
• resistant to temperature changes;
• has a beautiful appearance;
• environmentally friendly.

They cover the internal surfaces of walls and ceilings and are used for external decoration of the facades of any buildings.

The disadvantages of the product include its high cost. When used in warm conditions and in regions with a hot climate, resin is released over time, which negatively affects the appearance of the coating.

Price and color of vinyl siding

Vinyl siding can be purchased in hardware stores in almost any shade: from a soft palette of light colors to rich red or dark brown shades. But it is important to know that the cheapest varieties are not fully colored, that is, they are not processed over the entire thickness of the panel.

Russian manufacturers usually produce sidings in lighter shades, since dark colors will be much more expensive during production, and the price of the product will accordingly increase. Foreign brands also produce darker samples.

As with metal siding, the shape of the panel can resemble a raised and convex beam or shiplap.

Panel shapes can be different Source stroymarket67.ru

As for the price for wood-look vinyl siding, the cost for one panel is approximately 250 rubles.

What to choose: metal or vinyl

The manufacturer sells metal siding with brighter shades compared to the second type. A steel panel is better resistant to fire and other mechanical impacts. Such materials will also last much longer than vinyl samples. It is possible to cut metal siding to the size of a specific facade. But when it comes to price, vinyl siding is cheaper. This is a very important indicator for many people, and therefore technical characteristics are compensated by the purchase price. But in this case, it is advisable to purchase higher quality vinyl materials, since they have better geometry, as well as a larger set of components.

High-quality vinyl has an attractive appearance Source m.2gis.ru

To install metal siding, you must additionally purchase steel sheathing, while vinyl is suitable for installation directly on wooden blocks. Thus, with the help of vinyl siding, you can save money on installation. For this reason, vinyl samples are most often purchased for furnishing a country house or for a small cottage. But if you need to repair an industrial or administrative building, then the preferable option is with metal, which will be installed on a reliable substructure.

Installation

Installation of siding can be done independently even by beginners if they know the nuances of work processes. Step by step it looks like this:

1. Decorative and communication elements - pipes, grilles, shutters - are removed from the surface of the walls.
2. The cracks are sealed.
3. A sheathing made of wooden slats or a steel profile is installed. The exception is metal panels, which cannot be mounted on a wooden frame. Wood sheathing is not used when finishing the foundation of a wooden house with basement siding.
4. To organize heat and vapor barrier, the walls are sheathed with insulating materials.
5. The panels are attached to the frame with small gaps using special fasteners. The material is capable of compressing and decompressing depending on the ambient temperature, so the tight fit of the panels to each other leads to deformation.
6. Lastly, additional and decorative elements are installed.