Siding Styles

New siding can be a good investment in your home: Remodeling Magazine's "Cost vs. Value Survey for 2010" estimates that homeowners may be able to recoup 60 to 80 percent of their costs for installing certain new sidings when they sell their home. However, you can also choose to transform the exterior styling of your home. If you've always wanted to live in a rustic vacation retreat, these siding styles can make it feel that way.

Rustic siding styles for your home

Your home doesn't have to be located in the mountains or on a rural lake to have an outdoorsy appearance. Installing one of the many available rustic siding styles can make you feel like you're on vacation every day. There are numerous exterior siding options that can give your home the appearance of stained wood or if you don't mind a little regular maintenance, go for the real thing. A few selections to consider:

1. Cedar siding. Real cedar siding is durable and can last many years with proper maintenance. If you'd prefer a siding with the appearance of cedar but none of its maintenance chores, there are many varieties of vinyl siding with a realistic stained wood look. Fiber cement siding can also be a good choice.
2. Log siding. Logs may be the original rustic siding, and they're still in use today. Some manufacturers now offer sustainable log siding harvested from managed forests. It's eco-friendly and can be used to transform any style of home into an instant log cabin. If insect-proof logs sound like a good idea, consider the many vinyl log siding options available.
3. Shake siding. When you think of old homes at the beach, weathered cedar shakes may come to mind. New cedar shake siding can make any house look like it belongs on the water and the weathering only takes a few years. If you want an instant weathered appearance and the added bonus of low maintenance, try one of the many vinyl shake styles offered by siding manufacturers. They're available in many realistic stained and weathered cedar colors and styles.

Siding pricing can vary depending on the type and style of material you choose and your locale, but an approximate cost per square foot is about $1 for vinyl, $4 for wood and $1.35 for fiber cement. For a more accurate estimate from a local contractor, complete the form on this page.