Siding plays an important role in every home’s exterior. The siding you choose for your home will not only help dictate its style and the way that it looks, but it will also help to protect your home from the elements where you live. This can be as simple as improving your energy efficiency, or it can be as complex as keeping out the rain and snow.
Depending on where you live, your siding can also be impacted by the climate, which means that when it’s time to choose a new siding, you need to ensure that the material you use will be able to withstand the area without adding a lot of maintenance or detracting from its ability to do its job.
For residents of Arizona, this means ensuring that the material you use can help protect your home from the blistering temperatures seen across the state. It also means utilizing a material that can withstand the force of the sun without compromising on durability or style.
Typical Siding Problems in Arizona
Many people living in Arizona have discovered that using some of the more popular siding materials on their homes often backfires, leading to issues such as increased maintenance and the need to replace sections of siding regularly. For that reason, many homeowners tend to shy away from many home styles, even if they prefer the look of them.
The biggest issue that siding faces in Arizona has to do with the temperatures. It’s not uncommon for temperatures to rise well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit on a regular basis, or for those temperatures to remain elevated for days or weeks on end.
For wood siding, this can lead to problems like blistering paint that mean your home can begin to look rundown or uncared for in a very short period of time. The excessive heat can also dry the wood, leading to shrinkage of the boards. On those rare occasions when it rains heavily, the dry wood can now soak up more water than average, leading to swelling, warping, and wood rot.
For vinyl siding, which is made from a type of plastic, prolonged exposure to UV light and the sun’s heat can actually cause the material to begin to melt. Over time, this results in warped, twisted siding or siding that has a bubbled or rounded appearance. This means that the siding will need to be replaced within a few years of being installed, increasing not only maintenance but costs as well.
Other sidings may also be impacted by the heat. Metal siding such as aluminum or steel can become superheated to the touch. The finish on this type of siding can also bake right off, turning chalky in color, and rubbing or wiping away easily.
None of these types of siding are also particularly good at insulating, which is an important component of any type of construction in Arizona. Plus, according to local Phoenix home buyer Corey Tyner, "while insulation can be added behind the siding, we've experienced this isn’t always the best fit with materials such as vinyl, while the problem of the wood shrinking and expanding can expose this insulation to the elements, potentially leading to its deterioration."
The Best Siding for Use in Arizona
If you like the look of traditional homes and sidings, but don’t want to deal with these issues in Arizona’s hot climate, consider installing fiber cement siding on your arizona home. Fiber cement isn’t impacted by the heat or dry air of Arizona the way that other materials are.
Fiber cement siding combines the durability of cement with the beauty and flexibility of wood. The boards don’t shrink and expand the way that wood does, they don’t become superheated like metal siding, and they won’t melt like plastic vinyls. The finish also doesn’t bubble, peel, or flake, so there’s less need for scraping or repainting, and therefore lower maintenance and associated costs over the lifetime of the siding.
Fiber cement siding installs easily over insulation, helping to keep your home cool and more energy efficient during the hottest days of the year as well. And because the material is more environmentally friendly than wood or vinyl, you can feel good about your choice of siding and its impact on the area you live in.
Best of all, no matter what style of home you have, there is a fiber cement siding product that will match its style. From cedar-look shingles to architectural panels, it’s possible to recreate nearly any look or style, while still getting the same benefits the material offers in horizontal lap siding.
Get the Best for Your Arizona Home
No matter where you live, your siding needs to hold up to the climate, while enhancing your home’s looks and style. Fiber cement siding outperforms other materials in Arizona’s hot climate, while still offering many diverse styles and designs. When the time comes to install new siding on your home, consider fiber cement to get the best of both worlds.
