Siding comes in a variety of materials, colors, and styles, giving you the opportunity to incorporate your own taste into the exterior design of your home. However, aside from the aesthetics, siding also protects your home from the varying weather-related risks that exist in different geographic areas.
While options for siding include vinyl, fiber cement, wood, wood composite, and stone, not all options are suitable for the Pacific Northwest climate where mold and moisture can be both unsightly and damaging. Siding needs to be maintained correctly to ensure a long life and to adhere to any warranty requirements.
Maintenance can help keep damage away, but if you have noticed any leaks, water damage, rot, or mold growth in your siding, it's time to call a professional siding company to help figure out a plan of action for you.
Siding in the Pacific Northwest needs to protect and last, but Portland's climate can pose difficulties for certain popular materials. Area homeowners reported defects and moisture-related failures, particularly with composite or engineered wood products manufactured prior to 1998.
Composite materials have improved significantly since the late 1990s, but without regular maintenance, today's composite, engineered wood, and natural wood siding products can still begin to rot and bulge in Portland's damp weather. Because of the specific weather challenges in this part of the country, ask your siding contractor about the following durable, low-maintenance siding choices:
Choosing a siding material is a matter of personal taste, generally speaking. However, the rain, chilly coastal temperatures, and cloud cover in the Portland area dictate a bit more in terms of protecting your house from the climate.
Depending on your siding choice, there are different methods for cleaning and maintaining the exterior of your home. Many local siding companies offer maintenance packages, and there are a few small maintenance tasks you can do yourself with little equipment or expertise.
Check out the list below for the most common siding choices for Portland-area homes: