Siding Materials for Your Minnesota Home

The exterior of your home is extremely important to protect it from the Minnesota weather and seasons. Choosing the right Minneapolis siding for your home is vital and proper research and education should be done before coming to a decision. There are many options so make sure that you are completely satisfied with what you choose! New siding for your home can increase the value of your home but it also provides incredible exterior aesthetic and curb appeal; who doesn’t want that?! There are many different siding materials to choose from so sometimes it can be hard making a decision. A few of the options are wood, vinyl, and steel, and will be discussed below to begin to inform you on what each type of siding can provide for your home.

Wood Siding Can Be a Great Choice

Wood has been used on homes for hundreds of years. Wood siding provides great natural beauty to any home. Wood is a natural insulator so it helps to keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Wood is a renewable resource unlike other options like vinyl. Some homeowners want minimal maintenance for their siding, however, wood does require a lot of maintenance. Maintenance is required to protect it from the Minnesota seasonal changes and outdoor elements. Painting and staining wood siding is essential every few years to avoid splitting, cracking, warping, or rotting. If this material is properly maintained, it can last for up to thirty years, which is a great benefit. Water can easily penetrate the wood, so make sure that a moisture barrier is installed between the siding and the structure that it is installed on. If you decide to use wood siding, make sure that during the installation process it is correctly sealed for protection. Here are some options for wood siding:

Shingles and shakes wood siding is similar to roofing shingles except they are installed on the sides of your home instead. They are wedge-shaped and shakes are essentially the same except thicker.

Wood composite is a mixture of wood chips, glue, and other types of debris that are compressed to make sturdy boards. This type of material may be similar to plywood.
Clapboards are long rectangular boards that are squared off and installed in an overlapping horizontal manner.

Other Prominent Types of House Siding Materials

If you are looking for something with low maintenance, consider vinyl siding. Vinyl siding is becoming more and more popular today. It is a more inexpensive material option and easier to maintain than wood siding. The newer versions of siding are stronger than previous versions so they may be able to stand up to weather better. However, with the hail storms and strong winds in Minnesota, damage may still ensue. Vinyl siding is nearly maintenance free and only requires power washing once or twice a year. There are countless color options for vinyl siding which can be a definite plus for homeowners. The color is also baked through the vinyl instead of applied to it which helps lower the maintenance of it. A potential downside is that it can trap moisture underneath the side panes which could lead to mildew and mold. This can be prevented by having effective rain gutters and power washing to help keep it clean.

Steel siding is another option to look into. Metal is the most sturdy and tough siding product today. Unlike wood, it is not vulnerable to moisture. It is much more defiant against dents and dings that other siding products may be affected by. In Minnesota, this means that it would hold up against the strong storms that produce winds and hail. A concern that some homeowners think about with metal siding is the possibility of rust. It is highly unlikely that this siding will be susceptible to that unless the siding was not installed properly (leaving the edges not covered). Similar to vinyl siding, it is relatively maintenance free except for an intermittent power wash. Seamless steel siding is on the market today and can be very appealing to some homeowners. Steel siding also comes in many color options but not quite as many as vinyl.

Fiber cement siding is another type of siding. It is made of a mix of cement, sand, and cellulose fibers. It is virtually maintenance free. This type of siding is also insect proof, which can be a great benefit for Minnesota homes especially during the spring and summer seasons. Fiber cement siding can be made to imitate nearly any other siding material. When comparing this material to other siding materials, fiber cement siding is superior when it comes to standing up against severe weather.
There are many different options when it comes to any home project, and your siding is important. Snap Construction can help walk you through different siding materials and weigh your options based on your home and budget. Snap is here to help!

Here are some siding products that we install:

Vinyl: Certainteed, Xteria, Exterior Portfolio, Mastic, Napco, Royal Building Products, The Foundry, Variform by PlyGem, and Vytec.
Fiber Cement and Engineered Wood: Certainteed, James Hardie, LP SmartSide, Maxitile
Aluminium: Alsco, Mastic, Napco, Quality Aluminium Products, Quality Edge, Rollex
Steel: Edco, Emco, Rollex
Decorative Stone Siding: Boral, Coronado, Mastic, and Ply Gem Stone