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You can calculate the required square footage of siding you need by measuring the height and width of your home’s rectangular exterior walls. For the triangular-shaped gable walls, measure the height from the ground to the tallest gable point to make sure you have enough for good coverage. Once you have combined the totals for each wall, add another 10% to account for wasted materials. It’s also good to have extra siding on hand to tackle wood siding repair down the road.

Vinyl is lightweight, easy to install, durable, and long-lasting, and as long as a professional installs it, it should remain waterproof for several decades to keep your home protected. It can hold out against extreme weather conditions, and it doesn’t make a nice home for any sort of insects. Plus, vinyl is affordable and comes in a variety of looks and colors. When it comes to board and batten siding, vinyl is one of the most affordable material options.

Composite siding has excellent insulative properties and one of the highest R-values of siding materials available. Its R-value is 2 to 4; compare that to vinyl, wood, and fiber cement—all of which have R-values under 1. You can boost your siding’s R-value by installing a layer of foam insulation. 

You may only need to repaint fiber cement siding every decade or so, but you should clean it every six to 12 months, depending on your local climate. First, wash with a garden hose or similar low-pressure device (not a high-pressure washer, which can damage the material) to remove dirt and any large debris. Then, gently wipe down the surface with a soft brush or cloth in a side-to-side motion, following the grain of the fiber cement.