If you’re a homeowner seeking to redo your house’s siding, we would like to share with you some of the pros and cons of engineered wood siding. It’s a slightly more complicated engineered product designed to look like wood siding (as all siding types do) by processing wood through chipboard. Done properly, it looks like planks of wood along the side of your house.

This has become a cost-effective and aesthetically appealing option for many homeowners. There’s a lot to know about replacing your siding, so let’s dive right into the pros and cons of engineered wood siding.

Snapshot of the Pros and Cons of Engineered Wood Siding

Engineered wood siding is a structural siding, and it requires you to already have the first envelope in place. Also, you would probably have to hang it roughly every 7 to 10 years. Here are some of the pros and cons of the process:

Pros

• Made to look very similar to a classic wood appearance.
• Mostly favorable against insects; especially compared to real wood.
• It can come with up to a 50-year warranty.
• It’s made a lot of improvements in terms of water retention.

Cons

• The installation process, especially involving the 4-by-panels, is very laborious, necessitating professional assistance.

Understanding the Pros and Cons of Engineered Wood Siding

Since the paint on engineered wood siding can fade as early as 12 or 14 years into its lifespan, this is something very important to understand in the context of your house’s warranty. Sometimes the stipulations may cover a replacement siding, but many times it doesn’t.

Engineered wood also takes advantage of recycled materials, so this is a good way to help reduce waste and keep landfalls smaller. Also, other than the paint issue, this is one of the easier siding materials to maintain.

One of the reasons you can count on less maintenance is its durability. Engineered wood is roughly 300 times stronger than vinyl siding. Be careful with respect to insulation because you’re using something with a fairly low R-value (as low as .250).

All and all, this is a solid way to replicate an old-fashioned wooden look, and it fares considerably better against mold and water damage than regular wood.

Other Considerations

Engineered wood can come in either a wood primed or factory finish. One of the more popular varieties is the Diamond brand, typically good for a 20-year finish. Right now, the horizontal lap style, using engineered wood, is very popular among buyers. As usual, having a popular siding style translates into better home value as well.

Tough to Install Properly, So Call Energy Pro Windows & Siding

You can probably guess that installing siding properly is not the easiest task for a homeowner. The DIY approach works for some tasks, but with any kind of siding, you don’t want to risk the integrity of your home if you don’t possess the level of expertise we have at Energy Pro Windows & Siding. Our siding services are second to none in the Kansas City area.

We can vouch for that with more than 100 5-star customer reviews on Google reviews, not to mention our earning of the Stan Seal of Excellence for Customer Service. These are just a few reasons for you to consider using us for your next big siding project.

You should at a very minimum obtain the advice of professional installers before you decide to embark on a huge project to replace your house’s siding.

Energy Pro is a licensed contractor and can assist with all permitting and code compliance.

Fortunately, you can contact us anytime, and we’re more than happy to discuss the pros and cons of engineered wood siding.