T 111 Siding – An Inexpensive Home Siding Choice

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First impressions are important. The first thing you see when you look at a house is its siding. A homes exterior not only provides that first impression, but also plays an important part in protecting the home from all outside elements. The very first homes were built with wood from trees the builders cut down themselves. If you want your house to have that more traditional wooden appearance, there are several options for you that vary in price and maintenance requirements.

Clapboard siding is genuine wood siding that has a wonderful natural look and feel. Originally white pine, hemlock, spruce, and cypress were used for this type of siding, but nowadays cedar and redwood are more common because of their hardness and durability. This type of siding has long, horizontal planks of wood that are placed overlapping on the outside of a house. There are different types of wood and different shades for each, so there are varied looks you can achieve. Most look so beautiful that a clear sealer can be used. Being wood, it can also be painted or stained. The downfalls for clapboard siding are that it tends to be expensive and it does require maintenance to make sure water does not seep into the home and that the beauty is maintained.

An alternative to actual wood siding is T 111 siding. This product became more popular in the 70′s and 80′s as a cheaper version of the real thing. It is basically wood products and other materials pressed together to make a T 111 plywood siding. It provides a look of wood without the expense. It tends to be faster and easier to install than its wooden counterparts also. Just like clapboard siding, though, it requires considerable maintenance through the years. It also is not as durable and strong as real wood, allowing more dents and scrapes resulting from the outside elements. The paint or sealant you put on it will be the only protection it has. T 1 11 siding is much more commonly found on sheds these days, where it performs much better and can be maintained more easily.

A lower maintenance wood siding option is shingle siding. This is almost always made from cedar and stained to keep the wooden look. Shingle siding also has the versatility of being able to look traditional or modern. It involves smaller pieces of wood, making it easier to install, and also providing the option of different shaping. You can find the pieces shaped like half circles, diamonds, arrows, and fish scales, just to name a few. So shingle siding offers more flexibility with making a design statement with your home’s exterior. The downfalls for shingle siding are that it is still wood and requires steady maintenance, and although it can be fairly inexpensive, it still costs more than aluminum or vinyl siding.

Nothing can compare to the beauty of wood. Even with its need for maintenance and its higher pricing, it continues to be one of the most popular choices for home siding. If well installed and taken care of, there is no doubt that any of these sidings will make a great first impression for a home.

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