Aluminum residential siding was all the rage in post-war America. The parents of the baby boom, who had grown up in wood-sided homes, were now buying their own residences and fell in love with the convenience and durability of aluminum siding, which gave their homes the accustomed look of wood. Familiar with the problems of wood siding, like required painting, insect damage and difficult repairs, they were able to appreciate the low-maintenance of aluminum siding. The prospect of quickly and easily making their homes look like new was inviting and it could all be done at a reasonable cost.

For over 20 years, aluminum was the most popular residential siding material. Vinyl siding entered the market in the 1970s and by the 1990s had surpassed aluminum as the favourite material for siding.

Today, homeowners are looking for more and more green options in an effort to achieve sustainable housing. Vinyl residential siding is made from recycled materials and, unlike before, it is now recyclable. Joining vinyl in this green residential siding revolution is fiber-cement siding, which is made from sand, cement and cellulose fibers. As environmentally friendly as wood siding, fiber-cement also looks as good as wood, but will not rot, need painting or repair.

Regardless of the residential siding material you choose, you will enjoy the same benefits. Siding makes your home look like new again. Siding is relatively easy to install and is very long lasting. You may choose not to paint or otherwise maintain your residential siding and it will keep its good looks for many years. Siding adds a layer of insulation to your home, which keeps your home's interior warmer in the winter but cooler in the summer. Siding also protects your home's exterior from the elements and is not easily damaged by hail, snow or high winds. If you don't want to, you probably won't need to paint your residential siding, but, if you do, it's an easier process than painting wood siding.

Most homes probably don't absolutely need residential siding. Many homes will have siding only on one section, such as a front wall or a gable. No matter what your purpose for installing residential siding, you will get a lot more use and enjoyment out of it if you do your homework and determine which siding and how much is right for your home.

While you can still get aluminum residential siding for your home, it is not nearly as popular as vinyl, but vinyl's reign on top off the residential siding heap may not last for long as fiber-cement siding gains in popularity. Vinyl is the least expensive siding to buy and install. You will find many more contractors who have worked with vinyl than with fiber-cement and they will tell you vinyl is best. It may be, but you need to do the research, make the decision for yourself and not take anyone's word for it. It most cases, this might be the first and last siding you buy for your home and, unless you sell your home, you will have to live with your choices for a very long time.

Overall, fiber-cement siding may have the most durability. Vinyl will sometimes become brittle in extremely cold temperatures or warp in extremely hot temperatures, both things you will not experience with fiber-cement siding. Fiber-cement is also stronger, denser and more crack resistant than vinyl ? although vinyl does not easily crack.

However, if you are looking for the most cost effective residential siding, you may have found it in vinyl. While fiber-cement might be stronger, vinyl siding is still quite strong and you might find it a better value for your money.

It's all about what's right for your home and situation. Steel is another residential siding material that might be worth considering. It too is made from recycled materials and can be recycled. In any case, the right residential siding for your home is out there and the sooner you find it, the sooner you can start enjoying all the benefits and good looks that come with residential siding.