Traditional Lap
Horizontal boards; fits most homes and neighborhoods.
Materials and styles
Siding Pittsburgh PA
Not sure which siding fits your house? We'll compare materials with you, so you pick one that suits the house and your budget.
Call (412) 830-0567
- Four material options compared
- Lap, shake and board-and-batten
- Matched to your home's age
Siding Pittsburgh: Picking the Right Material
There's no single best siding, only the right one for a particular house. Here's how the common choices stack up:
- Vinyl. The lowest-maintenance option. Never needs paint, comes in many colors, and is the most common choice for full re-sides.
- Fiber cement. Heavier and more rigid, holds paint well, and stands up to impact and rot. Costs more than vinyl and takes longer to install.
- Wood. The original look on many older homes. Needs regular painting or staining to stay sound.
- Engineered wood. A wood look with treated cores that resist moisture better than natural boards.
If you'd like help weighing them, our Pittsburgh siding contractors can bring samples to the house.
What Your House Tells Us
The right material depends as much on the house as on your taste. These are the things we look at before recommending anything:
- What's under the current siding. On older homes, original wood clapboard is sometimes still under later layers. If that wood is sound, it can stay as a nailing base; if it's soft, it comes off.
- How much sun and shade each wall gets. Shaded north walls under trees stay damp and grow mildew, which favors vinyl or fiber cement over bare wood.
- How exposed the walls are. Houses on a hillside or at the top of a street take more wind, so panel thickness and fastening matter more.
- What the neighborhood looks like. On older streets, a lap profile and trim width that match the era keep the house from looking out of place.
Styles That Suit the House
Dutch Lap
A grooved edge that throws a deeper shadow.
Board-and-Batten
Vertical lines for gables, porches and accent walls.
Shakes
A cedar-shingle look for upper stories and dormers.
Pittsburgh Siding Costs
A full vinyl re-side on a Pittsburgh house typically runs about $5,750 to $13,050. Expect fiber cement and wood to land higher. Vinyl repairs typically run about $240 to $1,500. Ranges like these are for budgeting only; your quote depends on the house.
Three things move the price more than anything else: how much of the old siding has to come off, how many windows and doors need trim and flashing, and how tall the walls are. A two-story back wall on a sloped lot needs more staging than the same wall on flat ground.
Trim is the other big variable. Soffit, fascia and window wraps can be a small add-on or a large share of the job, depending on their condition.
Trim, Soffit and the Finishing Details
New siding with tired trim still looks unfinished. When we price a job, we look at the pieces around the siding too:
- Window and door trim. Old wood casings are often wrapped in aluminum or replaced with PVC so they don't need paint again.
- Soffit and fascia. Vented soffit lets the attic breathe; rotted fascia boards are replaced before new covering goes on.
- Gutters. They often come down for the job. If they're near the end of their life, it's the cheapest time to replace them.
- Outlets, lights and hose bibs. Mounting blocks give each one a flat, sealed spot in the new siding.
On Pittsburgh's older streets, keeping the trim width close to the original also keeps the house from looking stripped down after a re-side.
Can't decide on a material? Call and we'll bring samples out.
Call (412) 830-0567Choosing Siding
What lasts longest with the least work?
Vinyl needs the least upkeep. Fiber cement lasts very well but needs repainting every so often.
Can I keep a wood look?
Yes. Engineered wood, fiber cement and textured vinyl all imitate wood grain.
Will the color match my neighbors?
That's up to you. Outside historic districts, color is your call.
Does the material change the permit?
Not usually. Inside the city, the Department of Permits, Licenses, and Inspections issues siding permits whatever the material. Historic district homes also need Historic Review Commission approval.
See the Options on Your House
We'll bring samples and price each material for your walls.