What Does Siding Do, Anyway?

5 Key Functions of All Exterior Siding Options

When you think of siding, you might picture a fresh coat of color or a tidy exterior, but siding does more than just enhance curb appeal. It’s actually a critical component of your home’s protection and performance. Without it, your home’s condition would suffer — and your health would, too.

Let’s explore the important functions of home siding and why you need a quality product to protect your investment and keep your household healthy and safe.

Home Siding Adds Curb Appeal

Without siding, your home exterior would simply be sheathing. Sheathing is a basic covering material installed on the studs of your home, usually made of plywood.

Sheathing adds structural support and a solid surface to attach siding to, but without siding, it’s not very attractive!

Home siding provides color, character, and texture to your house and is your chance to create a custom look you love.

Home Siding Protects Against Weather

Without siding, your home’s sheathing would be exposed to weather, and it’s not very good at standing up to it!

Any exterior siding option you choose should keep the outdoors out. Siding should prevent rain from entering your home and block cold drafts in winter or warm heat transfer in summer. It should also stand up to heavy winds, especially if you live in the Midwest or prairie states, like Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, or northwest Arkansas.

How well it does these things depends on the type of siding you choose, but any siding will outperform sheathing!

It Helps Prevent Mold and Mildew Growth

Siding should prevent moisture from entering your home, either through humidity or rain. Blocking out moisture while allowing your home to “breathe” can reduce the risk of your home growing mold or mildew. Without siding, your home’s sheathing would assuredly develop mold or mildew issues and begin to rot and decay.

Both mold and mildew cause health issues, such as difficulty breathing, fatigue, and headaches. They can also worsen asthma or allergy symptoms. Some types of mold may cause even more dangerous symptoms, which you can avoid by preventing moisture intrusion in your home.

Energy-Efficient Siding Reduces Your Energy Bills

Your sheathing isn’t very energy efficient, which means if you didn’t have siding, you could anticipate a much higher heating and cooling bill.

Insulation quality is measured in R-values. The higher the R-value, the more insulating the product is.

The R-value of plywood sheathing is 1.25 per inch. Most plywood sheathing is thinner than an inch, meaning it has an even lower R-value.

By comparison, fiberglass batt insulation has an R-value of 3.14 per inch, and most batt is multiple inches thick. Your siding adds even more R-value on top of that, depending on the product you choose. Generally, types of siding with form-fitted insulation behind each piece are the most energy efficient.

Siding Keeps Pests Out

New siding eliminates gaps in your home exterior where pests, like mice or other insects, gain entry. Plywood sheathing is easy for pests to damage and enter your home, termites and mice in particular.

The protection of siding can keep pests out. Some exterior siding options are even treated to repel pests, reducing your risk of future infestations and preventing major frustration!

Not All Types of Siding Are the Same!

There are many exterior siding options on the market that claim to outperform the next.

Brick
Stucco
Cement board, also called Hardie board
Vinyl
Aluminum
Engineered wood, also called LP SmartSide
Seamless polymer siding, also called Continental Siding

When choosing siding for your home, cut through the clutter and choose a product that:

Won’t fade, crack, or warp.
Never needs painting.
Is watertight and firmly attached to your home.
Resists pests, mold, and mildew.
Requires no maintenance.
Adds insulation to reduce your heating and cooling bills.
Doesn’t put excessive strain on your home’s structure due to weight.

Not every product can do these things, so shop carefully. Ask for documentation about siding product performance, read product reviews, and learn as much as you can before purchasing new siding for your home.