Composite Wood Siding

Composite wood siding is typically a combination of asphalt, wood chips and fiber cement, which is compressed and treated in a factory. Sometimes it is simply a fiber cement product or one that is similar in composition to one of these products. Pricewise, it is going to be nearly identical to fiber cement and will typically be less expensive than wood siding.

“Wood composite siding looks nearly identical to real wood siding, without the extensive maintenance requirements and with a slightly lower price tag.”

Composite Wood Siding Basics

High quality wood composite siding is made from fiber cement, asphalt and wood chips. However, many people (even siding contractors) consider composite siding to be interchangeable with fiber cement siding. It is therefore important to talk with potential siding contractors to understand exactly what product they are installing when they say composite cladding.




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Composite Wood Siding Cost

Material Costs
Homeowners will pay roughly $2.50 to $3.50 per square foot for the materials only.

Installation Costs
Homeowners will pay between $2.00 and $4.00 per square foot for the installation portion.

Total Composite Wood Siding Cost
Homeowners will pay between $4.50 and $7.50 per square foot for materials and labor. This is usually a bit less than the cost of wood siding because the materials tend to be less heavy and easier to hang.

Discover more on composite wood siding cost.

Advantages

Composite wood siding typically looks better than vinyl siding and many experts thinks it looks nearly as good as wood. In fact, most people would be hard pressed to tell the difference between wood and composite at 10 feet.

Most composite wood siding products are treated at the factory and therefore can withstand the elements better than wood siding. It also takes paint better than wood. They rarely need to be painted, perhaps every 10 years or so. Many products come with a 25 or 50 year warranty. These products tend to be fire and insect or bug resistant.

Most are offered in wood finishes such as cedar, redwood, pine, rosewood etc. Often, the styles include lap, vertical or horizontal panels, and shake shingle siding.

Disadvantages

Purists may take issue with composite wood siding because they like the look and feel of real wood siding. However, the newer composite siding products have become so wood-like that it is harder and harder to make this argument. There have been safety issues for installers of fiber cement – specifically respiratory issues from inhaling the fiber cement when they make their cuts. Most professional installers take adequate safety precautions. There are no safety issues for the homeowners themselves (unless of course you are doing the installation yourself).

Maintenance
Most composite products need to be painted every 10 years for protection. Other than that, the cladding can simply be hosed off a couple of times a year to get rid of dirt etc. A mild detergent and water can be used to keep it looking nice and clean as well.



Related Topics

Fiber Cement Pricing
Hardie Board Prices
Engineered Wood Costs
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