As an exterior material for your home, engineered siding offers many of the benefits of natural wood siding without most of the downsides. A combination of real wood fiber and cement binding products, engineered siding is stronger than natural wood and is also more durable, requiring less time and effort in ongoing maintenance.
You'll find engineered siding products available from many manufacturers; some of the better-known brand names include Catawba, SmartSide, and TruWood. All of these siding products are specially designed to improve upon the qualities of natural wood as a siding material. Specifically, engineered siding has fewer flaws, resists deterioration, and is easier to install and to maintain in comparison with natural wood siding. For homeowners who value house siding products that looks great and holds up well over time with little effort on their part, engineered siding makes an excellent choice for a home's exterior.
Since engineered siding is lighter in weight and is produced with such features as uniformity and interlocking edge designs, the installation of these products is faster and easier than the installation of natural wood siding. There are a number of choices in the finish of this siding, so both homeowners who are looking for a pre-finished siding and those who want to stain or paint the siding after installation have options available to them.
Most manufacturers of engineered siding products offer lengthy warranties, since the technological advances used in the production of this type of siding add to its durability and strength. For example, Collins' TruWood siding and LP's Smartside products both feature a thirty-year warranty that is transferable to a new homeowner should the original homeowner decide to sell their home. Some of these engineered siding products also feature a full warranty for all labor and materials for up to the first seven years after the initial installation.
Although engineered siding has a number of significant advantages over wood and other siding materials, it's not without a few downsides. The primary caution regarding this siding is that it is still vulnerable to damage from moisture, so homeowners need to take care to ensure that the installation is water-tight and that subsequent exposure to wet weather or power washing does not allow moisture to become trapped inside the siding.