Confused engineered wood vs fiber cement siding? The siding in a home plays a pivotal role such as providing insulation and safeguarding the property from extreme weather conditions. A siding also provides a curb appeal to a home and makes it look more appealing from the outside. For these reasons, many homeowners invest in top-quality siding.
However, choosing the right type of siding can be challenging as there is a vast array of options available on the market. Picking the appropriate siding for your home is crucial as it is going to increase your home’s resilience to harsh outdoor elements.
Two of the most popular kinds of siding are engineered wood and fiber cement sidings. These two options deliver exceptional protection and dependability which is why they are among the top choices of professional home builders.
Having said that, engineered wood vs fiber cement siding has its own advantages and disadvantages. Read on and learn more about these two types of sidings.
What You Need To Know About Engineered Wood Siding
Engineered wood siding is developed to replace the use of real wood. It delivers the same sophisticated look as actual wood siding and comes in various styles and colors.
Through the use of cutting-edge technology, engineered wood siding is designed to provide better performance and longevity than its real wood counterpart.
Key Features About Engineered Wood Siding
Composition: Engineered wood sidings are made up of wax-coated wood strands combined with resin binders along with other ingredients. It is built through a heat-pressing process to provide added density and structural strength. In addition, the resin binder provides the output with the optimum resistance to deterioration and infestation.
Installation: Engineered wood sidings are typically light and generally come in 16-foot board size. To install this type of siding, you will only need a few basic woodworking tools and personal protective equipment.
Maintenance: Engineered wood is much easier to maintain than real-wood sidings. It typically only requires an annual inspection. It must also be cleaned with water, mild detergent, and a soft cloth occasionally.
Longevity: Top-quality engineered wood sidings from reputable brands deliver impressive durability and resilience. This type of siding is designed to resist the impacts of extreme weather, and it is also treated to prevent rotting and infestation.
Sophisticated Look
Engineered wood siding is professionally designed to deliver the same sleek appearance as real wood sidings but with much better quality and durability.
Durable and Pest-Proof
Engineered wood is made with pest and rot-resistant ingredients which make the siding durable and dependable for longstanding use.
Reasonable Price
This type of siding is relatively cheaper than real wood or fiber cement siding. Thus, it is one of the top choices of homeowners and builders.
Key Features About Engineered Wood Siding
Easy to Maintain
Engineered wood siding is very easy to maintain. In addition, its wax coating makes it very easy to clean with just water, detergent, and cloth.
Not Ideal For Extreme Weather Conditions
If you live in an area that has a harsh climate, engineered wood siding may not be the best option for you. Although engineered wood is impressively resilient to varying weather, frequent contact with moisture can undermine the siding’s quality over time.
Mold and Mildew Growth
Just like real wood, engineered wood sidings can develop mold and mildew growth from prolonged exposure to moisture. However, many of the engineered wood from top-trusted brands to date develop and produce sidings that can withstand long-term exposure to moisture and resist mold and mildew development.
Requires Regular Inspection
To ensure the engineered wood siding’s quality and eliminate any probable issues, it requires a regular annual inspection. If the manufacturer does not provide a long-term warranty for the siding, then the yearly inspection can be expensive in the long run.
What You Need To Know About Fiber Cement Siding
Fiber cement siding is definitely the top choice among professional builders given its proven durability and unmatched reliability. It comes in various siding patterns and textures to match different home styles.
In terms of reputation, fiber cement is well-renowned for its stellar performance and vitality. This type of siding can resist impact, varying outdoor conditions, infestation, and deterioration.
Moreover, just like engineered wood, fiber cement siding also has its own advantages and drawbacks. In other words, while fiber cement is a popular choice among home builders, it also has a few downsides that you need to consider before choosing this siding as the one to install in your home.
Key Features of Fiber Cement Siding
Composition: Fiber cement sidings are typically made with a combination of cement, sand, fly ash, wood pulp, and water. This combination creates an output material that is tough and flexible.
Moreover, various brands of fiber cement sidings have different ingredient combinations.
Installation: Unlike engineered wood, fiber cement sidings are much heavier. They require the use of advanced cutting tools, so the installers must wear complete job-site protective equipment.
Further, it is advised to hire a certified professional to install fiber cement sidings as they have the appropriate tools and adequate knowledge, and experience to do the job.
Maintenance: One of the main reasons why fiber cement siding is the top choice among home builders is due to its minimal upkeep requirements.
To keep fiber cement clean and looking new, you will have to wash it at least every 6 months with water, mild detergent, and a soft brush.
Longevity: Fiber cement is professionally designed to withstand the wear and tear of fluctuating outdoor conditions. Unlike engineered wood, fiber cement is fire-resistant which makes it a no-brainer choice for homes in places that are prone to blazes and wildfires.
All-Weather Resilience
Fiber cement sidings deliver noteworthy durability and resilience to varying weather extremes. Thus, whether you live in an area that often has strong wind and rain or an area that is frequently hot and dry, you can depend on fiber cement siding for your home.
Key Features of Fiber Cement Siding More
Better Warranty Terms
Given its unmatched durability, most fiber cement siding manufacturers provide up to a maximum of a 50-year warranty for their products. Thus, despite their high price tag, fiber cement sidings are definitely a cost-effective investment for your home.
Easy to Maintain
Fiber cement sidings are very easy to maintain and clean; simple upkeep can keep them looking new. It is recommended to wash them every 6 months with water, detergent, and a soft-bristle brush to wash off dust buildup.
On the other hand, opposite to its engineered wood counterpart, fiber cement siding does not require an annual inspection.
Fire Resistant
Unlike real wood or engineered wood sidings, fiber cement is fire-proof which makes it an ideal choice in general.
More Expensive
One of the main factors that stir people away from choosing fiber cement siding over engineered wood is the high price tag.
Fiber cement sidings are significantly more expensive than engineered wood given their composition, quality, and unrivaled durability.
Requires Professional Installation
Fiber cement sidings are heavy and require the use of advanced cutting tools. In addition, installation must also be handled by professional homebuilders to properly install this type of siding. For these reasons, installing fiber cement siding in your home can become very expensive.
The Importance of Having A Good Siding For Your Home
1. Siding provides insulation.
A good-quality siding with proven reliability can safeguard your home from harsh outdoor elements including intense heat, humidity, and strong winds. It insulates your home and enhances the overall energy efficiency of your property.
Moreover, because the sidings provide insulation to your home, you get to save more energy and money from cooling or heating your home.
2. Siding provides a curb appeal.
Siding your home can improve its overall outdoor look and curb appeal once you got the right design, texture, and color that complements your home. Additionally, having high-grade siding can also increase the resale value of your house.
3. Siding keeps your home’s interior dry.
A good-quality siding can be an efficient tool to waterproof your home and keep the interior dry. Given that siding can provide a level of water resistance to your home, it is an excellent investment as it helps prevent water damage to your property.
4. Siding keeps pests away.
Siding can prevent pests such as termites from infesting your home. It seals the exteriors of your house and prevents insects from entering. Further, most top-quality sidings are resistant to warping and cracking, thus keeping pests off.
Factors To Consider Before Choosing A Siding For Your Home
1. Weather Conditions
If you live in an area that gets rain frequently, then you should opt for fiber cement siding. As engineered wood will most likely get damaged from long-term exposure to moisture over time, it is not the best choice to pick. Fiber cement sidings are proven to resist water damage, and they can also waterproof your home and keep the interior dry.
2. Home’s Style
When choosing a siding for your home, you should consider the current style of your home and pick the best one that complements it. If your home has a lot of wood influences in it, then a matching engineered wood siding might be a good choice.
On the other hand, if your home is fully concreted, then fiber cement sidings are an efficient addition to it.
3. Upkeep Requirement
Both engineered wood and fiber cement sidings are fairly easy to maintain. However, if you don’t want to pay for annual inspections, fiber cement siding is the one for you. High-quality fiber cement siding will remain intact for 30 to 50 years. Moreover, you can keep it clean and looking new by seasonally washing it every 6 months.
Factors To Consider More
4. Siding Color and Pattern
Regardless of whether you pick engineered wood or fiber cement, the siding you should choose should have the color and pattern that best compliments your home’s exteriors. If you choose fiber cement sidings, there are pre-painted options for you to choose from. Engineered wood sidings, on the other hand, do not need repainting as they are already coated with wax.
5. Your Budget
If you are on a budget, engineered wood siding is a more affordable choice compared to fiber cement. As long as you live in an area that does not frequently get rainstorms, engineered wood is going to be a cost-efficient choice. However, if you want to make sure your sidings can withstand moisture and weather extremes, installing fiber cement sidings is an excellent investment. Now you can compare engineered wood vs fiber cement siding.
Tips For Choosing The Best Siding For Your Home
1. Search For The Best Brands
The top-trusted brands are proven to produce sidings with the finest quality. Thus, when shopping for sidings to install in your home, make sure to only pick from the best-rated brands on the market. You can search the web and get a comprehensive list of the top siding brands available currently.
2. Ask For Recommendations
If you have friends or family members who have previously installed sidings in their homes, you can ask them for suggestions on which type of siding is best. There’s a high chance that they have done in-depth research before purchasing the type and brand of siding for their house. You may also ask them for their recommendations of the best builders to get the siding installation job done.
3. Read Reviews
If you don’t have anyone around you to ask recommendations from, then the internet is going to be your sidekick. There are numerous customer testimonials you can read on the web about the various types of sidings. By reading reviews, you also get a rough idea of the best siding brands to invest in.
4. Hire A Professional Builder
Regardless of whether you choose engineered wood siding or the fiber cement counterpart, hiring a professional home builder to get the installation job done is very important. Professional builders have access to the necessary tools to install your sidings the right way.
That’s a Wrap, but Before you go …
Both engineered wood siding and fiber cement siding are excellent choices to install in your home. However, as mentioned in this guide, both types have their own advantages and drawbacks that you need to be aware of. Therefore, you must carefully consider which of the two siding materials best fits your home’s requirements. Now you have a concept of engineered wood vs fiber cement siding.
