What you cover your house’s exterior with plays an important role in your home’s curb appeal. Homeowners today have a lot of choices when it comes to home coverings, which can make for some tough decisions. Things to be considered include appearance, durability, maintenance, and cost. Many homeowners looking for an attractive and durable option may consider brick, but they would do well to consider fiber cement siding as well.
Fiber Cement Siding vs Brick Siding: A Side-by-Side Comparison
When choosing between fiber cement siding vs brick for your home’s exterior, it’s essential to weigh each material’s advantages and disadvantages. That’s why we created this guide to show the differences between brick and fiber cement siding in terms of design aesthetics, durability, ease of installation, design versatility, sustainability, resistance to the outdoors, and cost.
Appearance and Design Aesthetics
Design aesthetics are absolutely crucial when selecting your home’s exterior, as the right material can significantly impact your home’s design. Each material has its own unique characteristics and visual appeal.
Brick Siding: Brick has a very distinctive look that appeals to many homeowners, but unfortunately, this house covering does not have universal appeal.
Fiber Cement Siding: Fiber cement siding is a lot more versatile. It can come in both shakes and planks and can be painted in any color, as well as repainted if desired. This gives it more universal appeal, particularly because fiber cement siding is formed in a mold with real wood, giving it a natural wood appearance. This means that fiber cement siding can complement a wider range of different architectural styles, while brick only complements a few.
Durability
Durability is crucial for protecting your home from external elements and minimizing long-term maintenance. Here’s a closer look at the durability of brick and fiber cement siding.
Brick Siding: One of the reasons that many homeowners may consider brick siding is its durability. Brick is naturally insect and moisture-resistant in a way that wood siding is not. Unfortunately, while the bricks themselves are usually extremely durable, the mortar that holds the bricks may not always hold up as well. Over time, the mortar joints might need to be repointed, but if the brick is installed correctly, this rarely happens.
Fiber Cement Siding: Fiber cement siding is also naturally insect and moisture-resistant. Independent studies have shown that fiber cement siding can last for longer than most people will own their homes with little maintenance. So, while some brick homes will require considerable upkeep over the years to keep them in good condition, fiber cement siding requires little more than the occasional cleaning.
Ease of Installation
Ease of installation affects both cost and project timelines, which is super important when trying to schedule a new renovation project. Here’s a look at the ease of brick and fiber cement siding installation.
Brick Siding: While brick homes may look as though they’ve been built from the ground up, brick is usually installed as a veneer over the existing surface of the house, as is fiber cement siding. Even as a veneer, however, brick is heavy and, therefore, difficult, time-consuming, and expensive to install, particularly if done correctly. When brick is being used during a remodel, this can add significant time and money delays to the project as a whole.
Fiber Cement Siding: Fiber cement siding is much easier and less expensive to install. It goes on as easily as wood siding and can typically be put up fairly quickly. This makes fiber cement siding a great choice for remodeling, as well as for homes where the exterior needs to be updated within a specific time frame, such as before severe weather becomes an issue.
Design Versatility
Design versatility is all about determining how well each material works with other design styles. Here’s a snapshot of the versatility of each material.
Brick Siding: Brick is known for its timeless appearance and can come in a few different colors, which is ideal for adding versatility. Unfortunately, even with those extra color options, it lacks versatility in terms of colors and finishes. It works best with traditional or classic architectural styles.
Fiber Cement Siding: Fiber cement excels in design versatility, as it can be molded into different styles and painted in various colors. It can be customized to fit into any design style you’d like and can be designed to look like other materials, which is something that brick cannot do.
Sustainability
Sustainability is an increasingly important factor in material selection, especially for modern designers and homeowners. So, here’s a quick guide to the sustainability of fiber cement siding vs brick.
Brick Siding: Brick is a natural material made from clay, which is abundant and recyclable. However, brick production and transportation cost a lot of energy, which does impact its environmental footprint.
Fiber Cement Siding: Fiber cement siding is made of sustainable materials like sand and cellulose fibers. Its longevity minimizes the need for frequent replacement, reducing waste. Plus, if you work with Allura, our products are manufactured using eco-friendly processes, which boosts their sustainability.
Resistance to the Outdoors
Weather resistance determines how well your home’s exterior withstands the elements, including insects, inclement weather, fire, wind, sun exposure, and snow.
Brick Siding: Brick offers excellent fire-resistance and fares well in many weather conditions. However, extreme freeze-thaw cycles may cause brick exteriors to crack, and the mortar may deteriorate over time. This requires regular and ongoing maintenance to fix, especially if you live in an area that experiences extreme cold.
Fiber Cement Siding: Fiber cement siding is highly resistant to fire, insects, and moisture, holding up well in various climates, including extremely hot and extremely cold areas. Its stability in temperature changes makes it ideal for homes in regions with unpredictable weather.
Cost
Cost is always a factor in what material you choose to install on your home. Here’s a quick look at the cost of brick and fiber cement siding.
Brick Siding: Brick veneer siding typically ranges between $7 and $12 a square foot installed. Prices may be affected by things like the insulation, the thickness of the veneer, and the type of installation being done.
Fiber Cement Siding: Fiber cement siding is a lower-cost option that usually costs between $5 and $7 a square foot, with variations including insulation, the brand, and the location where the siding is installed. Depending on the size of your home, this could be a tremendous saving, assuming high-quality products are used in both cases. Adding in the fact that fiber cement siding is less likely to require additional and protracted installation costs, you may find that this makes fiber cement the more cost-effective solution for your home.
Make the Versatile Choice
While brick is an attractive and durable siding for some architectural styles, it lacks the versatility and customizability of fiber cement siding. Homeowners looking for low-maintenance, easy-to-install, and attractive siding for their homes should consider fiber cement instead of brick.
Ready to discover the versatility, durability, and beauty of fiber cement siding? Explore Allura’s comprehensive collection, and learn how to enhance your home’s exterior with style and confidence.
