A Bit On The Side: The Advantages Of Choosing Plywood Siding For Your Home
Posted on: 24 April 2017
Installing timber siding on the exterior walls of your home can be an excellent, inexpensive way to protect your walls and increase your home's heat insulation -- it can also be a striking aesthetic choice, creating a timeless, rustic look. However, siding made of solid wood can be prohibitively expensive, especially if you have a larger home or are looking at siding made from expensive, weather-resistant woods such as teak.
For a less expensive option that provides virtually the same durability and aesthetic value as expensive timbers, consider choosing plywood siding instead. This extremely tough engineered wood is made from multiple layers of timber bound into a single sheet with powerful adhesives, and can serve as excellent home siding when used correctly.
What are the advantages of choosing plywood siding for my home?
Durability
Plywood siding needs a little more care and attention than vinyl siding, but with a little yearly maintenance your plywood siding can last for decades in excellent condition. Plywood siding can take a beating too -- the multiple layers of sandwiched timber which make up plywood confer enormous strength to the finished product, and plywood siding is capable of shrugging off hailstones, falling tree branches and other common sources of impact damage.
Resistance to warping
Warping is a common complaint amongst owners of traditional wood siding. This unsightly deformation is usually caused by poorly-sealed wood losing its natural moisture content, and can do terminal damage to both the siding and the walls beneath if left unchecked. Plywood on the other hand is enormously warp-resistant, due to its layered construction and the waterproof adhesives used to glue the layers together.
Cheap and easy to repair
Even if your plywood does become damaged or warped, repairs can be effected quickly and easily before any lasting damage is done. Because plywood siding is made up of individual shingles or battens, damaged sections can be easily removed and replaced without affecting the rest of the siding on your walls. As such, repairing localised damage easy and inexpensive.
Choice of styles
Plywood siding takes very well to outdoor timber paints and stains, and is consequently available in an enormous variety of colours, shades and designs. This allows a plywood-sided home to fit into practically any kind of neighbourhood, preventing trouble from overzealous homeowners associations. Unusually-shaped shingles or battens can further increase the distinctiveness of your home.
Inexpensive
Despite all of these attractive advantages plywood siding can be remarkably inexpensive, and is generally much more affordable than solid wood siding or other high-end alternatives. Because it closely replicates the look and feel of 'real' wood, plywood siding is generally mistaken for expensive timber siding.
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