The looks of homes and its appeal depend on the exterior design and style, which again depends on the choice of paint or siding. Not all homes have siding, but having one does a lot of good for homes by enhancing its curb appeal and protecting the exterior. To transform the looks of your house and make it long-lasting, installing siding is the most preferred option. Siding influences houses in more ways than one – it can bring about a complete makeover in its looks, improve the condition, and help to create a style that gives a feel about the place. Siding is like an envelope that offers complete protection to the home exterior and helps to conceal external imperfections that are too much expensive to set right. The additional layer of protection provided by the siding has another advantage in that it improves home insulation.
Painting the home exterior is the most common choice that has been in place for many years for protecting homes. But in recent times, installing siding is also a good option. Which option would be best for you is a decision that you must carefully take. Both finishing styles require a good investment of money and time. By comparing the cost, both initial and long-term, you should get the proper direction about which option meets your budget and other goals of beautification and home protection.
Analyze the cost factor
Cost of painting – The cost of painting house exteriors is less than the cost of the siding. And when you do it correctly with good quality weather protective paint, it can last for quite a few years. Painting gives a fresh look to your house and shields it from weather damage. You must re-paint the house after 5,7, or 10 years, depending on the type of paint quality to keep enjoying the benefits. Usually, even the best quality paint loses its shine and starts fading after four years. Moreover, painting requires a lot of preparatory work to make the surface ready for proper paint adhesion, and it determines how long the paint will last without peeling. This may entail some repair work of the surface, which adds to the cost.
High-quality paint is quite expensive, and labor costs are also high depending on the quality of finish, which might involve special techniques and equipment. Sometimes, labor costs can be as high as 85% of the total cost.
Cost of siding – On the other hand, the initial cost of siding material and its installation is higher than painting. But the maintenance cost is quite low, which more than makes up for the initial investment. Also, siding enhances home insulation, which results in a considerable cost saving that offsets the upfront cost to a great extent. Siding lasts much longer than painting, which provides an excellent return on investment.
Make the home waterproof
Even the best construction can develop cracks and damages on the exterior surface due to wear and tear that not only affects the looks but also make households vulnerable to water damage. It can be especially bad in wet and humid climates when moisture can seep through the opening of the exterior surface and damage homes. Paint offers protection against sunshine and rain, but a lot depends on the surface quality, which will likely deteriorate with time. Besides, the cracks and damages affect home insulation adversely and push up utility bills.
Siding creates a complete covering over the home, thereby encapsulating the home exterior and completely cutting it off from weather exposure. It creates a permanent waterproof covering for homes, leaving nothing to chance.
Add cosmetic value
Depending on the design of your home, you can make it look much more beautiful by installing siding, which can create stunning looks. Regardless of the type of siding – vinyl, aluminum, wood, fiber cement, etc. you can enhance the looks. Those who had seen your home before would find it hard to make out that it is the same home with a completely different look.
Home insulation improvement
If there is a single reason to choose siding, it is the insulation improvement of homes. Your home’s energy efficiency is crucial to create a comfortable indoor environment at a very affordable cost by lowering utility bills, which leads to good savings. Besides, energy-efficient homes are good for the environment too. Installing siding is the best way to create additional insulation for homes. By installing energy-efficient siding, you create a strong defense for your home against seasonal changes and temperature variations. Poor insulation quality might not always affect the comfort level, but it would put too much pressure on the utilities to keep the indoor comfort. It can turn very costly due to the higher use of cooling and heating machines besides releasing more carbon dioxide and damaging the environment.
Do you want to address the issue of home insulation by taking a positive measure that saves money and does good for the environment? Then you must install some chosen siding that is equally good aesthetically and functionally.
Proper installation is important
No matter which siding material you consider, its performance and benefits depend to a large extent of the quality of the installation. You must choose an experienced and competent home repairing contractor like Wearestormpros.com who can do a satisfactory job and help to avoid complications in the future. Siding damage caused by the poor installation is rarely visible from outside. Homeowners usually come to know about its extent only after many years of removing the siding, while during the time, it would damage the home structure considerably. There would be some normal wear and tear of siding, but poor installation can drastically reduce the lifespan of the siding and lead to some other problematic issues.
As told earlier, the lifespan of siding is much longer than painting, and on average, it can be between 20 to 40 years, depending on the siding used. A lot depends on the quality of installation to ensure that the siding lasts its designated life, which is also essential to recover the high initial cost of installation.
