Those who have lived in Colorado for some time know that the weather can change on a dime – one minute is spent soaking up the sun while riding bikes in Wash Park, and the next minute a snowstorm rolls in over the Divide. While Colorado’s rollercoaster weather certainly helps to keep things interesting, Front Range homes would beg to tell a different story, as they are subjected to a variety of harsh conditions.
Because of high winds and inevitable hail storms, it’s paramount that the materials used to upgrade siding will hold up to the Colorado test.
In addition to higher-quality materials used to manufacture siding, aesthetics have also come a long way.
“The trend has been to offer more options in colors, textures and overall appearance,” says Mike Loughery of CertainTeed, which manufacturers siding, roofing and decking products. “There has also been a huge emphasis placed on recreating the look of wood, but made with materials that are more durable and longer lasting.” He adds that wood tends to crack, delaminate and rot, so it is important to find a more durable substitute or risk replacing a home’s siding sooner than expected.
Most homeowners have come to expect a product that is low maintenance and as hassle free as possible. For example, metal siding now includes baked on coatings to prevent rust. Vinyl siding was prone to becoming brittle and would easily fade in the sun, but this is no longer the case as today’s manufacturers use additives that protect the vinyl from UV damage and greatly extend the life of the product. Most high-end siding now comes with a transferable lifetime warranty from the manufacturer, and because of the steady improvement of vinyl siding products, about 90 percent of prefinished siding installed today is made of vinyl.
Metal, vinyl, wood, brick, brick veneer, cement, stone, liquid and insulated and thermal vinyl siding are among the choices. But homeowners are increasingly interested in cutting energy costs, so thermal vinyl siding and fiber cement siding have rapidly gained popularity. “When talking about energy savings, insulated siding is a huge deal,” Loughery says. “It keeps a home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, which helps tremendously on energy bills.”
Insulated siding is custom fit with expanded polystyrene foam fused to its back, which fills the gap between the home and the siding. Aside from liquid siding, a vinyl-like substance that is sprayed directly onto the home, all siding materials leave an empty space between the home and the exterior wall of the home and the siding material. This small gap may seem trivial, but insulated siding can reduce a home’s energy use by up to 20 percent. Moreover, insulated siding is designed to last more than 50 years.
A newcomer to the siding scene was recently developed by CertainTeed. Because 40 percent of the energy lost through a traditionally insulated wood framed wall escapes between the wood studs, CertainTeed set out to develop a product that would eliminate the energy loss that results from these “thermal bridges,” which comprise about 25 percent of a home’s exterior. CertainTeed CedarBoards Insulated Siding breaks the thermal bridge by insulating continuously over the framing where energy loss is at its greatest. Available in 18 colors and four styles, CedarBoards will increase the curb appeal of a home while also helping to reduce those energy bills.
“If a homeowner is looking for a product that is practically maintenance-free, then thermal vinyl siding is the way to go,” Loughery says. “But if you are a homeowner who likes to change the color of your house or repaint every five years, then fiber cement may be the better choice.”
Fiber cement siding is typically a mixture of fly ash, a by-product of coal, and cement, with some formulas adding wood chips and other additives to the mix. For homeowners with “green” on the mind, this type of siding uses post-industrial by-products, which reduces landfill waste and requires less energy to produce, transport and install.
James Hardie Siding is a leading manufacturer of fiber cement siding, offering many products designed for the region’s problematic weather changes. According to a James Hardie report, Denver homebuilders prefer a durable, wood-imitation siding to withstand the moisture-heavy mountain climate. Available in multiple styles and colors and shapes, James Hardie siding is non-combustible and resists damage from termites, rain, snow, hail and hurricane-strength winds.
“Both the fiber cement and thermal vinyl siding are very green products,” Loughery says. “And as a bonus, they come with a 50-year to lifetime warranty – a great investment when updating your home.”
Photo provided by CertainTeed
