If you’re thinking of changing your home’s siding, you have to be totally committed to it. Frankly, doing it yourself is not an easy task. It’s doable, but it requires commitment and your keen eye. Don’t worry, it’s not an impossible task.
The difficulty of installing the siding heavily rests on the material or the design that you want. Below you can find the common materials used for DIY sidings, how easy they could be installed, and some tips in installing them:
#1 Vinyl
This probably is the top choice for DIY siding installation, frankly because it’s tough and it’s easy to install. It can withstand wear and tear, and it’s lightweight. It requires very little maintenance because dirt washes off and it doesn’t need repainting.
However, most of them come in a specific length or size, so overlapping could happen if you don’t cut them. Use a vinyl sliding cutter for best results. Since you’re doing it on your own, might as well invest in the equipment.
Use a wider starter strip when installing vinyl, so it better protects your house. When using nails on the edges, remember to pull them up so that the vinyl panels don’t unlock with each other. And lastly, install the longer panels first before the shorter ones. They’re not as easy to adjust, that’s why you prioritize them.
#2 Wood
If you want classic beauty and elegance, go for wood. It’s easy to cut and shape so it’s really suitable for your siding design. However, the best wood comes at a price and a great price, it is. One huge factor is that usually, people who switch to wood siding from something else requires you to remove all of the existing siding materials, so it’s like a complete overhaul. So if you have the budget and you’re prepared to spend a little bit more time and effort, then proceed with wood.
The only things you need to be concerned with wood siding is always be careful when handling it. It’s easy to cut and shape wood sidings, but always be careful when doing so. Wood is pricey, so you should be extra careful in handling your materials. Also, it’s important to remember that there should be 1/8 gaps between the boards. Wood tends to expand so this gap prepares your siding for that.
#3 Fiber Cement
When it comes to stability and maintenance, fiber cement is at the top of the list of siding materials. It’s generally known to be the easiest to maintain, without quality ever suffering. Unlike wood, it does not expand nor contract with temperatures, and paint really lasts long.
Probably the only downside of this material is that it requires special materials to install, plus it’s very heavy. It’s safe to say that among the materials, this is the hardest one to install. Make sure you thoroughly read the instructions and you follow them to the dot.
Also make sure you have the right equipment so you don’t waste materials and you don’t risk inhaling these materials. They are definitely not lung-friendly.
#4 Engineered Wood
This material is the hybrid of wood fibers and resins. Engineered wood can be really tough and can withstand extreme weather conditions. It’s commonly known as the cheaper alternative to fiber cement, but the quality is just the same. It’s easy to work with, perfect for DIY, but it is quite known to have some moisture problems and they don’t really last that long.
For installation tips, be sure to buy self-aligning sidings so you don’t have to worry so much about how each board aligns. They easily interlock with each other, which makes it so easy to work with. Also, for engineered wood, you have to install felt paper first before the siding itself. This would make your work faster and more efficient.
#5 Synthetic Stone
Lastly, we have synthetic stone. It’s rarely used simply because it’s the most expensive material there is. Usually, people use them in combination with the other designs because using them for the entire house makes the house looks cold and stiff. The alternating or combination, however, gives the house a very sleek and homey design.
It looks heavy but it’s actually lightweight, so installation shouldn’t take too long. When installing, make sure that the pieces properly fit together, and that you don’t hammer in the nails completely. Leave a 1/16 inch gap, because since it’s still a kind of stone, it is prone to expansion and contraction.
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