Decision making in the purchase of siding: A survey of architects, contractors, and homeowners in the U.S. Northeast

Choosing the finish covering for the exterior walls of a home is an important decision. The choice of siding has a direct influence on appearance, performance, durability, repair, maintenance, and cost. Today’s marketplace presents designers, builders, and homeowners with a long list of materials and products tochoose from. Ithasbeenestimated inat least one investigation that the existing variety of materials, shapes, and surface treatments can be used to produce over 500 different wall coverings (4). Usually the siding market is segmented into severaldivisionsbasedon thematerialused. Wood siding has been an American favorite since Colonial days. But today, new products shape the marketplace. Nationally, wood and wood-based siding is installed on only 19 percent of new homes, down from 39 percent in 1978. Aluminum siding was introduced just after World War II and gained a modest level of acceptance for being the first “maintenance-free” siding. Its newhome share is anemic, dropping from 13 percent in 1978 to 5 percent in 1998 (1,2). Vinyl siding was introduced during the 1950s and has experienced steady market growth to the present (1,8,9). Fiber-cement composites were invented more than 100 years ago, but have only recently captured attention as a lowcost, decayand insect-resistant siding option. Fiber-cement siding holds about 6 percent of the national market, but is expected to grow considerably. Brick and stucco round out the list of options, each holding steady at about 19 percent of the new single-family construction market (1,2).