So many different products are available today and many of the newer materials have performance characteristics that are important to discuss. Many of these characteristics are being dealt with in the manufacturing process and can be the difference between manufacturers and why one is more expensive than another. We have worked with most of the new materials that are on the market, and there are some that we will not work with until they have stood the test of time. Some of those materials of years ago that we decided not to use are no longer being manufactured because of failure. Cementous products have been around for over 80 years and are beginning to recover from the asbestos issues of the past.
The natural products of the past continue to be widely used with good cause. They provide 30 to 50 years of working life or more. If maintained with a preservative or stain, the material will last far longer. As a natural product, it has characteristics that are important to know and understand so that the product will last as long as expected.
The most important step prior to installing any siding is to make sure that the surface is water tight prior to applying any siding. There are many products on the market that are not water tight when installed. That being said, you can see how water tightness of the surface being covered is a critical step. How that material is installed around windows and doors is another very important step and one where many people have trouble with. There is one tried and true method that we have been using for the last 80 years, that never fails and is the only way we will do it. The concept to keep in mind is that the primary job of the siding chosen, is to keep ultraviolet light off of the underlayment. It is the underlayment that keeps your house water tight during those nasty New England storms.
When it comes to clapboard and wood trim, back priming is a step that can be the difference between the product lasting 10 years or 50 years. One of the most important rules with wood, is to do on all sides, that you do to one. Keep that in mind. Peeling paint is one of the main reasons behind wood materials without back priming.
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