A homeowner considering replacing his existing siding has the choice of many products, wood siding, cedar siding, cement fiber siding, aluminum siding, log siding, steel siding, vinyl siding, or the new composite sidings. It is helpful to separate these products based on the need to paint, or not. Wood siding, cement fiber siding, cedar siding and some log sidings require paint at the time of installation and periodic painting afterward. Aluminum siding and steel siding may have a painted finish and will require painting over time. Steel and aluminum siding may come with a vinyl coating and will not require paint. Vinyl siding and composite siding never require paint.

There are pros and cons to both types. Some folks enjoy the idea of completely changing the exterior color scheme of their home every few years. A paintable product is definitely the right choice for them. The problem with painted products is that paint is a porous material, and tends to collect dirt, stains, and mildew in the pores. This property of paint introduces the painting cycle. A freshly painted house looks great! After a short while, the pores in the paint absorb dirt and other contaminants and the appearance slowly deteriorates until the homeowner can’t stand the appearance, and a fresh coat of paint is applied, starting the cycle anew. The home only looks fresh for a relatively short time immediately following the application of paint. A high quality vinyl or composite siding if rinsed with a garden hose twice yearly, will look new for decades The non-porous vinyl siding and composite siding will not support mold and mildew. The mildew will only grow on surface dirt that collects on the siding. If this dirty accumulation is rinsed off regularly, no further maintenance will be required.

If a homeowner opts for vinyl siding or composite siding, a different exterior appearance may be achieved by adding or painting shutters, or changing the color of the entry doors or garage doors.