Clapboard siding and shake siding are perennial favorites with homeowners because they’re distinctive and versatile. Let’s look at how they compare to one another.

Appearance.

Clapboard siding is composed of overlapping horizontal strips. Typically each clapboard is between 4”-8” wide, and they’re available in different “profiles,” or overlap depths. Clapboard siding provides a traditional look that fits a wide variety of architectural styles.

Shake siding is composed of many small, individual pieces of wood, usually cedar, with a rough-hewn exterior texture. Shakes can be uniform in size and shape or deliberately irregular. They provide a charming, rustic “natural” look that’s especially at home in coastal areas and wooded settings.

On some homes, clapboard siding and shakes can actually be used together, to complement one another.

Beyond appearance.

Whether you’re considering clapboard siding or shake siding, you’ll want to contemplate additional issues such as material, cost and installation.

Wood may be the age-old traditional siding material, but it requires the most extensive ongoing maintenance. Alternative materials such as vinyl and fiber cement can be more cost-effective and energy-conscious, and they’ll certainly require less upkeep. Fiber cement looks the most like real wood clapboard siding or shakes. It comes in large panels, so installation is simpler and faster, saving on labor costs.

Vinyl siding is typically less expensive than wood, and fiber cement can also be a budget-friendly choice.

Ask for professional advice. A local expert understands which materials will stand up best to our New York weather, meet your maintenance needs and match your appearance preferences. They know from experience which siding style will look best on your type of home, in your neighborhood, with your landscaping. Taking advantage of their expertise will help you make the right decisions.

Whether you choose clapboard siding or shakes, you’ll get results you can comfortably live with and be proud of.

Hardware – the Jewelry of Your Home
Just as a beautiful watch or the right jewelry completes an outfit, decorating your new door with stylish hardware completes the look of your front entry area. Door handles, or lock sets, as the pros call them, are now available in a wide variety of styles, from simple and sleek to ornate and detailed. Finishes and colors abound, with polished nickel and oil-rubbed bronze leading the latest trends.

Contrasting Color
Top designers say the best looking front doors contrast with the rest of your home. If your siding and/or roof are light colored, choose a dark front door to achieve this effect. In reverse, a light colored or white front door adds drama to a home with dark colored siding.

Another way to achieve contrast is to choose a complimentary color. A yellow front door can add charm to a home with blue or grey siding. Red and green front doors stand out beautifully against a predominantly white house. Even wood can make a contrast. Designers often consider wood to be reddish, burgundy, or rusty-orange in color, making them excellent accents for blue, green, white, grey or beige sidings.

How should I choose siding and windows?

• Look for style and color options, plus functional options for windows.
• Energy-efficiency.
• Performance. The weather in New York and on Long Island can be unpredictable, with temperature extremes, humidity fluctuations, high winds or other harsh conditions.
• Maintenance. Wouldn’t you rather enjoy your home in the coming years than spend your “leisure” time on upkeep?
• Cost. Consider the purchase price but also long-term maintenance costs, balanced against energy savings.

Can I do the installation myself?

Not alone. Installing siding and windows can be a DIY project if you have the skills and a friend to help.

What are the most important DIY tips I need to know?

• Always use a level.
• Measure carefully and be sure you’re measuring the right way.
• Scaffolding is more stable than using a ladder, especially for installing siding.
• Make sure you have all the materials and tools you need to complete siding and windows projects before you begin.

What else do I need to know?

It’s best to tear off old siding down to the sheathing. Vinyl siding can often be installed over old materials, but you really should inspect and repair any problems underneath rather than just covering them up.

Would I be better off hiring a professional?

For most people, yes. For one thing, consulting a siding and windows professional will help you make the best decision about what to buy. Having a professional installation crew will save time, money and hassle. Plus you’ll have the peace of mind that comes from knowing your siding and windows will remain great looking and weather-tight for decades to come.

Start with Architecture
Consider the architectural style of your home before you fall in love with any door style. Panel doors are a great choice to beautify a colonial, cape, or other saltbox. Sleek contemporary doors can wake up the personality of a mid-century home. And of course, the Arts and Crafts or Craftsman style can be beautifully carried through with a correctly styled door.

Glass Equals Class
Glass, with or without dividers, not only beautifies a door, but can bring welcome sunlight into a room with few windows. Choosing special obscured glass is a great idea, as adding curtains to a door for privacy can prove to be challenging. Similarly, sidelights can transform a door into a dramatic entrance area that impresses from indoors just as much as from the outdoors.

Frame it Moldings and Casings
For a finishing touch, consider a beautifully detailed molding that surrounds the interior or exterior of your door. Moldings, or casings as building professional call them, can make an important contribution to the overall finished look of your front door project. If you are going after a sleek, contemporary look, doing away with existing molding may give you the results you desire.

Fiberglass and steel doors are an excellent choice. They are engineered with internal components that act as a hidden sentry, keeping your home, valuables and family safe and sound. In addition, fiberglass, like steel, is inherently strong, making these doors hard to damage.

Key areas on the door should have added strength. Look for reinforcements on the facings – the part of the door where the lock mechanism meets the door frame. These reinforcements help resist denting, splitting, cracking and warping – all things that can weaken the door and risk your safety.

Doors will often have hidden features, such as an inner security plate. This is a steel plate wrapped around the internal mechanism or/and inside the facing, and helps to prevent kick-ins and other forcing damage. Look for security plates made from 20-gauge steel.

The lock is very important, but so is the surrounding area. A door should have a reinforced lock and deadbolt mounting surface that is designed to accept a variety of hardware shapes and styles. This allows you to enjoy hardware styled to match your home without compromising on security.

• Durability
• Reliable, long-lasting performance
• A healthy living environment for your family
• Broader-scale environmental responsibility.

These green siding options make good sense, and they can be cost-effective both now and down the road. They also offer lots of choices in looks, colors and other options, so it’s stylistically easier than ever to go green, regardless of the type of home you have.

The three top green siding options are:

• Brick, stone or stucco are all attractive, very durable, long-lasting and good natural insulators. They’re also the most expensive siding materials.
• Wood is a perennial favorite, providing good natural insulation, but it requires initial chemical stain or paint treatment and considerable ongoing maintenance. It’s also not the most sustainable raw material choice, although Forestry Stewardship Council-certified lumber is becoming more commonly available.
• Fiber cement looks very realistically like virtually any natural material. It’s extremely durable and low maintenance, a good insulator and contains no toxic ingredients.

Of course, we live in an imperfect world, and as yet there is no perfect green siding choice, especially since manufacturing processes are often energy-intensive. The fact is, every situation is different and very personal. After all, it’s your home.

Long Island and other parts of New York are not the friendliest climate for any home, with substantial weather swings and sometimes extremes. So you’ll want to choose green siding carefully to get maximum performance for the coming decades. As always getting professional advice from a local and experienced company will ensure you’re making the right decision.

You can certainly find green siding that’s suitable, sensible and functional – a most attractive choice, in more ways than one. And you’ll get that extra personal satisfaction that comes from knowing you’re doing your part to create a healthy future environment.

Here are seven steps can help you save big when installing shake siding:

1. Know exactly what will be required to complete your project, well before you get started. That includes obtaining any necessary permits and identifying common problems you might encounter. With good preparation, you can avoid potentially costly mistakes or delays.
2. Consider installing shake siding yourself. This isn’t necessarily a great idea because doing the job right is critical and it’s definitely not a one-person project, but if you’re confident in your DIY skills, you could save a lot of money. Make sure you have all the materials you need – in the right amounts and sizes — before you start, and double-check to be sure all your siding is from the same lot.
3. Better yet, hire professionals who are licensed, bonded, knowledgeable and experienced at installing shake siding. That way, you know you’re getting top quality workmanship to ensure your siding fits tightly and looks perfect.
4. Get multiple bids, and check references.
5. If you can allow your contractor some flexibility to schedule installing shake siding on your home, you could save substantially.
6. Buy the highest quality siding you can afford. Vinyl siding can sometimes be installed over old material, which eliminates tear-off costs. Fiber cement siding comes in large panels rather than individual shakes or pre-fab strips, which makes installation go much faster. You’ll save on labor costs now and you can save significantly over time, thanks to minimal maintenance costs.
7. This really should be Number One: consult a professional siding company. A local expert knows the ins and outs of choosing and installing shake siding for our area.

Following these steps can help you save big while ensuring that your project goes smoothly and provides exactly the results you want.

Look for signs of sagging. Bay windows include internal and external supports that you may or may not be able to see. These supports can deteriorate over time. Besides being a sign it’s time to replace, they may also be an indication of water leaks and damage. Consider opening walls if you notice sagging.

If your bay window includes units that open or close, are they operating properly? If the answer is no, this can be a sign that it’s time to replace. Windows that do not move or lock easily are out of alignment, which means there is some degree of sagging, bowing, and warping.

Do you see signs of water damage? Stains, mildew, and mold are signs that water is penetrating around or between the windows. It’s important to address water leaks as soon as they are noticed. Leaks create dry rot, which weakens wood, in turn cause still more sagging. Molds and mildews pose health risks and leave unsightly stains and damage to surrounding walls, trim, and window treatments.

Finally, consider getting an expert opinion about the condition of your bay window. Window professionals such as the consultants from Infinity Windows by SandyMark Improvements can assess your bay windows at no charge, so you can make a sound decision.

1. Understand the level of protection your home needs to determine the right material. Water is your home’s most common enemy. Wood, stucco and stone are beautiful but less water resistant, therefore less likely to hold up as well over the long term if you live in a region that receives heavy precipitation. Fiber Cement has the unique quality of being able to look just like wood, yet is highly moisture resistant, maintenance free and only needs repainting every 10 years.

2. Don’t pick siding based on a showroom sample. Once you have found showroom samples you like, go out and drive neighborhoods to find homes with your siding selections so you can see how your choices look on a large scale.

3. Consult with your professional to determine whether you can install your new siding over the old siding or if the old material must be removed.

4. Clear your yard of all ornaments, lawn furniture, or debris to create a safe, organized workspace.

5. Work with a company that has a holistic approach to home improvement and is committed to being an active partner in the entire process- from shopping through installation.

6. Get testimonials.  Verify that the company you hire knows how to install siding by reading reviews from previous customers.

7. Ask about a warranty. If you want a product that is truly maintenance free, cement fiber siding carries a 30 year warranty because it can be engineered for any climate.

8. Talk candidly with the design professional about your architectural preferences to get the look you want.

Lead Paint Safety
If any part of your home was built prior to 1978, lead-based paint may be present. During installation, these paints can pose a hazard to you and your family. As of April 22, 2010, federal law requires companies and individuals who install windows to be certified under the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule. Find out more about EPA’s Lead-Safe Certified Program, before hiring a window contractor.

Warranty Compliance
Better quality windows include a long-term guarantee, such as a transferable lifetime warranty. Often the warranty terms are contingent on proper installation. Because some contractors work with many brands of windows with different installation requirements, your best bet is to look for factory-trained installers. Only they can ensure your window installation meets warranty standards to give you peace of mind.

Water Management
When windows are installed correctly, they keep weather extremes out of your home. Improperly installed windows can actually channel water into walls. Undetected leaks can produce extensive damage and create mold hazards over time. Professional window installers have the know how to prepare the opening, install your windows, and apply finishing trims to prevent water penetration. These same techniques can ensure an energy efficient installation, as well as enhancing the comfort of your home.

Look for Licenses and Insurance
What’s wrong with hiring a local guy who works out of a van? He may not be licensed or insured. Properly licensed contractors have passed testing and received training that ensures quality work and safety. Construction of any kind can have its share of unexpected events, and insured window installers provide protection from life’s unplanned mishaps.

If you’re the kind of homeowner who wants a hassle-free, positive window replacement project, insist on professional installation.