Siding, also known as wall cladding, attaches to the outside wall of a building. It takes a hammering over time, because it is the first defence against sun, rain, snow, hail, and heat and cold. There are several different siding materials. Today we discuss the pros and cons of metal siding.
Different Types of Siding on the Market Today
Siding was originally rough-cut strips of timber, that our forebears nailed to the outside of their log cabins. The wood did not last for long, because they did not have chemicals to prevent rot. Later, other more weather-resistant materials came on the market.
So nowadays we don’t just have raw timber strips to choose from. We also have treated hardwood, shingle, clapboard, drop siding and vertical boards.
And if we choose more durable non-organic material, then we can choose from plastic, vinyl, aluminum, UPVC, engineered wood, asphalt, masonry, composites, and metal siding too.
Choosing the right siding material plays off a number of potentially conflicting factors. When we choose a particular material, the texture and appearance may be high on our priorities.
However, as the siding ages, and we no longer look at it carefully, we have other considerations as the material we selected begins to age. This is why we chose the title ‘Pros and Cons of Metal Siding’ for this article.
So What Are the Pros and Cons of Metal Siding?
Potential Advantages of Metal Siding
- Metal is a robust material that can’t easily warp, and is impervious to insects and rodents. This strong material needs little routine maintenance.
- Metal is durable, and takes the knocks better that aluminum, engineered wood, and vinyl. Screw heads can’t easily pull through metal either.
Potential Disadvantages of Metal Siding
We are almost through our review of the pros and cons of metal siding. However, when we add some of the challenges we have seen, the scale tips against metal:
- Installation takes longer and this adds to cost. Steel cutting machines are noisy. We can’t repair damaged metal, we have to replace the section.
- Steel allows cold and hot temperature to pass through it easily. Therefore steel siding requires additional insulation, and this further adds to cost.
- Steel corrodes, unlike the other siding materials we mentioned in our introduction. This is a lesser problem in Calgary, as we are far from the ocean.
Speak To Valiant Exteriors About Your Siding Project
We have first hand experience of the pros and cons of metal siding, and we prefer to avoid it. If we do any metal at all, it will mainly be Cedar Renditions by Royal Building Solutions, or LUX panel, and only in small areas of the building. Please write to [email protected] if you require more independent siding advice.
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