Cement Board Siding

Cement board siding can add significantly to the look of your home. This durable material has the appearance of wood panels, minus the price tag. It also installs in the same way as wood paneling. So, how do you choose the best cement board siding for your project? Here’s how you can avoid wasting your time, money and energy:
 

This is a permanent product, and it’s beautiful and reasonably priced. Some fiber cement siding products come with as much as 50 years’ warranty. It can be made to imitate almost any siding material, including wood lapboards, cedar shingles, and wood shake siding. Plus, it is composed of nearly 90% sand and cement, making it naturally resistant to flames.
 

Cement board siding is a composite made of Portland cement, silica and wood fiber. It looks nearly the same as wood, once painted. You still get the crisp joints and details that will make your home’s exterior show up prominently, and it’s available in various styles and widths. It’s also highly rot and insect resistant, and it paints well.
 

You can buy your cement board siding with a finished color, or you can get it pre-primed and paint it yourself. Some types of factory-painted exterior siding have paint warranties extending to as much as 25 years. Imagine not having to paint your house for a full quarter century! Cement siding is scratch resistant, and it resists damage from the weather and from impact. It also resists cracking. Cement board siding came about as a replacement for the widely used asbestos cement sheeting that was manufactured until the 1980s. It requires very little maintenance once installed. To clean, simply place a brush at the end of your pressure washer wand, and clean the entire surface with a mild detergent.