There are many different types of house siding that the consumer or homeowner can choose from on the market today.  Each has their own lists of pros and cons with some having more of one than the other.  In the end, it comes down to the amount of maintenance that a homeowner wants to be responsible for as well as the cost of the materials that ends up being the deciding factor.  Most of them are available in a wide range of colors and textures so that doesn’t have to factor into the final decision as much as the price and the care necessary will. 

Some of the house siding choices that the consumer has today include but are not limited to:

•    Wood
•    Plastic
•    Stone
•    Imitation Brick
•    Insulated
•    Metal
•    Masonry
•    Composite
•    Vinyl

Wood house siding is sometimes referred to by other names such as clapboard, or it is sometimes also referred to as weatherboard.  Perhaps the biggest disadvantage to this type of covering is that it requires a lot of maintenance to keep it looking great.  It also is prone to insect damage and wood rot as well.

Metal, masonry, imitation brick, and stone are also great choices and, while they may tend to be a little less maintenance intensive, they are still fairly expensive.  However, they will last a lot longer than wood with masonry being taunted as having a life of over a hundred years in some climates.

Plastic and vinyl tend to be much less expensive than other options.  Although they are prone to breakage and chipping when exposed to debris, they are also fairly easy to replace should this happen to the home such as in a storm or other type of disaster.

Insulated house siding is something that is relatively new to the market but has been received well by the public.  It adds an additional layer of insulation to the home which will help on heating and cooling bills in the appropriate climates.  It also comes in different types of materials as well.

Composite house siding is actually a synonym for many types of materials that can be used such as cement, asphalt, aluminum and in some cases asbestos.  While these are relatively inexpensive options, they are not as durable as some of the other types of materials that are available for the homeowner to choose from today.

Sometimes a home owner can use a covering such as one of these listed to simply update a home or parts of a home such as patio or porch posts that are in need of a facelift but are in good structural condition.  In this case, a covering can be chosen to put over them and make them look as good as new without the hassle of having to prop up the roof, remove the posts, and put new ones in.  This is a cost effective type of restoration. 

The bottom line will end up being the amount of maintenance the homeowner has time to conduct as well as the budget they have for the exterior as well.