It should be no surprise to my audience today that Siding has a long history. It’s evolved greatly over the years so it’s not hard to tell that siding products today such as Fiber Cement Siding, Vinyl Siding, Cedar Ridge Siding are strides ahead of old wood siding or aluminum siding. Throughout history there has been so many different types of siding out there, and some were obviously worse than others. Let’s take a trip through time and see how siding evolved, and which siding was the best throughout history?
What exactly is siding according to the definition? It’s the protective material attached to the exterior wall or house. Most sidings consist of weather resistant material.
Thatch Siding
Thatch siding doesn’t hold up to the standards of today, but for the time it was quite innovative. It was a widespread material used for roofs and walls. People used to weave together dried vegetation into patterns for that would direct water away from the house. Stone walls were built on some houses, and Thatch was set on top of the walls to form the roof.
Shiplap Siding
Another popular choice back in the day was Shiplap siding. This method of siding came out of the ships themselves. Shiplap likely gets its name from a style of shiplap that was once used to make ships. The same overlapping joint that makes true shiplap tight and weatherproof in a house, made for a water-tight ship too. This type of siding is getting reinvented and is being placed on the interior of houses–see image.
Shiplap Siding In Kitchen
Wood Shingle Siding
Wood shingles were also popular. These boards would sometimes imitate the Shiplap Siding look. There were problems with this type of siding of course. If this siding is not taken care of it has a tendency to rot, warp or twist. If gone unchecked this siding could cause damage underneath the siding itself. This siding was often imitated later with plastic. You can still get the wood shingle look today with Vinyl Siding which is more resistant to weather.
None of the sidings we’ve listed above are the best sidings in history, but they did help us to get to new innovations in siding technologies.
Vinyl Siding & Modern Materials
Modern sidings come in a variety of materials, but the most popular in the United States and around the world is Vinyl Siding. That’s probably because it’s easy to install, it’s cheaper than other types of siding, and it’s still durable and strong. It’s come a long way from melting off the sides of houses like it used to. Most new build homes opt for Vinyl Sidings for all those reasons.
The second most popular siding is James Hardie or Fiber Cement Siding as it’s known. Properly Installed Fiber Cement siding is extremely weather resistant and beautiful. It’s now a common siding material amongst many homeowners. It’s unique in that is has baked on color which never fades and never needs to be painted again. It can have the look of natural wood grained siding. It’s high quality comes from cement and cellulose fibers. It’s a top quality siding option for those who are looking for even more impact resistance and lasting beauty.
Finally, exclusive to Conservation Construction, is a new type of siding called Cedar Ridge Siding which was developed within the past decade. Personally working for this company this is my favorite of all types of siding. That’s because it’s extremely unique and energy efficient. It’s more insulating that Vinyl or Fiber Cement. This siding does not cost as much to install as Fiber Cement, and it’s able to withstand winds of up to 165mph! Wow! It also has mix and match color technology so you get a home with a unique look that is totally you! Not to mention this siding has been known to reduce noise in a house by up to 45%.
Final Thoughts
In Conclusion, you can’t really go wrong with any modern siding materials as they are all weather resistant, insulating and reduce noise.
As you can see there are plenty of siding choices out there on the market today. Throughout history there have been many iterations of siding from natural stone, to wood, to thatch, to modern sidings like Vinyl and Cedar Ridge Siding. It’s up to you to choose the best siding for your home. Remember, if you are thinking of replacing your siding you can always count on Conservation Construction to do all the hard work for you. We take the hassle out of new siding installation. Get your free quote by phone or online today.