Little or nothing can be as important towards the look of a home as roof and siding. Take two identical wood-frame houses, as one example. Finish one in white clapboard with a cedar plank shake roof and the other in pink stucco with a clay floor tile roof, and you've made some major and very different aesthetic statements. Although there is more to prospects choices than appearances. Roofer and siding will also be a residence's first line of defense against the weather. This is exactly why the materials need to be durable, properly mounted, and well maintained. Conventional options wooden, brick, stone, and stucco for walls; cedar, standing, and tile for roofing are time-tested and handsome. They truly are also pricey. So in recent decades they are really joined by man-made look alikes that cost less plus may need the maximum amount of upkeep. "You experienced to select between easy-to-care-for and nice-looking, " says an over-all contractor. "Today you could have both. " Read on for Tom's installation techniques and an assessment the new generation of roofing and siding products. No roofer or siding material on it's own is a great barrier contrary to the elements. So prior to the outer skin continues on, he protects all of the vulnerable areas -- the corners and ends -- with sticky whitening strips of waterproofing membrane. Then simply he tops everything with layers of builder's experienced, a thick, asphalt-impregnated newspaper. The plastic housewrap under the siding on most new houses or upgrades is supposed to leave wind and water. Nevertheless Tom uses the old (and much cheaper) materials -- builder's felt or rosin paper -- because he prefers to insulate with spray foam. "there is no air or moisture passage to be concerned about, " this individual says. And always, whether over felt, paper, or a wrap, Tom tacks up drainage strips before he hangs wood exterior siding. "It needs an air space behind so that it can dry away. inch Peel-and-Stick Flashing Of all new building materials that Tom has seen in the past more than 20 years, he's embraced none more enthusiastically than self-adhesive water resistant design membrane. This peel-and-stick great tar is impervious to water and literally finalizes itself around any nails that penetrate it. The membrane also sticks tenaciously to itself, so set up could be tricky. "We learned not to collection it up when you look at the wind flow, " Tom says. Hard since it is, the membrane comes with an Achilles' heel - sun rays = so it should always be covered with siding, roofing, or metallic flashing. Cement Siding Fiber-cement siding is nearly no difference from painted wood, yet it never rots, is not going to burn, extends the life span of the paint job, and is warranted for 50 years. While the price--about $3 per sq ft, mounted and painted--is slightly less than that on most wood clapboard. The siding, a combination of bare cement, cellulose fiber, and yellow sand, was utilized on the Billerica TV project house. Tom was impressed. "It looks very nice, very well he admits that. Plastic-type Trim PVC, an extrusion of vinyl whipped high in tiny bubbles, may be cut, routed, pinned, and painted exactly like real wood. In truth, it does everything real wood does--except rot, check, twist, or fade. Tom attempted it on the exterior associated with Concord holiday cottage project, as well as Norm Abram was hard pressed to see that it wasn't painted solid wood