live in northern illinois, have cedar siding...needs repair. should i make repairs and paint or just switch to a cement siding. to repair and paint cedar $8000-9000. to replace with cement 12000-13000
I should be able to answer your question with a question. How long do you plan to live in the house? If you are selling any time soon, do the cheapest. If you are keeping the house, use the better quality cement board.
depends on the area you live and what you want the house to look like , if you are living there for life time, do it how you like. If you will sell later, ask a Realtor in your area. He or she will know your best investment. never waste money on something you are selling. Most cedar siding can be repaired and painted or stained as most accept, reasonably. get a realtor in your area to help you. buy them lunch or something.
I live in Minnesota and we have cement siding. It is great stuff that is tough and the animals cant chew or peck through it. If your cedar siding needs repair and your have the money I would go with cement. Cement will last for years and it is much easier to maintain.
If by repair, you mean replacing some boards, keep in mind that combining old cedar with new cedar can create its own set of problems: The two different-aged materials will shrink and expand at different rates, and that could cause problems. Also, the boards will have different life spans, because they are different ages. If the old boards that you are keeping are over 45-50 years, they might actually last longer than the new ones. New cedar is just not as good quality as very old cedar, but might be better than 20 year-old siding. If you can afford it, and like the way it looks, the cement-board will last as long as you keep the house.
