1. Do It Yourself or Employ a Professional

Installed properly, new siding can improve the appearance of your home, give your home a major new design element, and reduce the costs and effort associated with maintaining your exterior. Installed improperly, siding can cause your original siding and house frame to deteriorate and rot, it can create mold hazards, and it can undermine your foundation.
If you decide to install your own siding, you can expect to save roughly half the cost of having a professional do it for you. Installing new siding is a big job with a lot of heavy lifting and, depending on the location and height of your home, it may involve working at heights. It requires an understanding of not only how to install the materials you've selected, but also how to optimize their installation given your home's existing siding, your roof construction, the weather in your area, and other variables. You don't want to make a major miscalculation or mistake on a siding project. If this is the first time you've taken on a project like this, we recommend that you try to find several experts at lumber yards who can help you understand and plan the project. A number of siding manufacturers also offer learning and planning tools on their Web sites.
If you decide to have your siding installed by a qualified expert, make sure that they have experience installing the type of siding you have selected.

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2. Install New Siding Over Old Siding or Tear Out Old Siding First

Whether you install your new siding on top of your existing siding or tear out the old siding first is an important decision. Which option you choose is dependent first on the siding materials you choose and the installation instructions of the manufacturer. The composition and condition of the underlying siding is also a factor, as are the weather conditions in your area and the type and position of your roof. A siding professional will be able to evaluate which option is best, based on the siding you want installed.

3. Brand

There are many brand manufacturers of siding that have excellent reputations. Many specialize in one siding material (e.g. aluminum, vinyl, synthetic stucco) and will have a wide selection of colors and styles available in that material. Some professional siding installers have more experience working with one or several manufacturers. If you have chosen your installer as a first step, consider trying to find the color and style of siding that's available from their preferred manufacturers. However, if you have already selected a siding from a specific brand manufacturer, make sure the professionals you are interviewing have experience working with that brand or brands that are installed in a similar manner.

4. Materials

Wood Clapboard: Wood boards, usually made from pine, cypress, redwood, or cedar, remain one of the most popular materials for new construction of quality homes. Properly maintained, a clapboard home can last many decades, even centuries. Wood clapboard homes do require a fair amount of attention, particularly regular painting and the careful preparation that precedes painting. For this reason, wood clapboard is rarely added to a home that has already been constructed, and is a common surface that home owners seek to replace or cover with lower maintenance siding materials.
Cedar or Shingles or Shakes: Like wood clapboard, cedar shingles or shakes are one of the most common forms of siding for new homes. However, because cedar shingles and shakes do not have the low maintenance associated with replacement siding, they are not frequently added once homes have already been built.
Fiber Cement: Fiber cement siding is manufactured by combining wood fiber and cement. It is then molded to look like wood, masonry, and stucco. It is more expensive than vinyl or aluminum siding, but less expensive than wood clapboard or cedar shingle. It is durable and relatively easy to maintain.
Stucco and Synthetic Stucco: Stucco, a material that has been used for centuries, combines cement, water, and other materials such as lime or sand. It has is hard, moisture resistant, and durable. Synthetic stucco is less expensive than stucco, and is more commonly used as a post-construction siding. It has a genuine look, but is less durable than real stucco.
Stone Veneers: Pre-cast stone veneers and facings are not real granite, slate, or limestone, but they look pretty convincing. The price of stone veneers is expensive for siding, but it's much less expensive than building walls of real stone. Pre-cast stone veneers have many of the low maintenance qualities of real stone. And while stone veneers may not last for many centuries like the real thing, they are one of the more durable types of siding you can add to your castle.
Brick veneers: Brick veneers are among the most expensive siding options. They come in a variety of colors and styles. They are durable and easy to maintain, but they are not as durable.
Engineered Wood: Engineered wood, also called composite wood, is made of wood particle held together with binding agents. It comes in plywood-like sheets which makes it easy and inexpensive to install. Engineered wood can be molded to look like clapboard, shingle, or other surfaces and is fairly convincing in its appearance. Its appearance is more natural than aluminum or vinyl siding. Engineered wood requires some maintenance, but less than is required by clapboard or cedar shingle.
Seamless Steel: Is a strong, solid siding that is custom made to fit on your house based on exact measurements. Seemless steel is durable and low maintenance. It is often manufactured to have a wood appearance, though modern homes have molded it to appear like corrugated steel.
Aluminum: The movie Tin Men and overly enthusiastic claims made by early marketers probably contributed to aluminum siding getting a "tarnished" reputation. However, aluminum is a very reasonable sensible choice in siding. It is relatively inexpensive, durable, and low maintenance. It is susceptible to denting and dents are not easily repaired; dented siding pieces need to be replaced. Over time aluminum siding fades and needs to be prepped and painted.
Vinyl: Vinyl is one of the least expensive types of siding. It easy to clean, but cannot be painted. In extreme heat, vinyl siding can melt, so it may not be an appropriate material to use in the hottest climates.

5. Common purchasing considerations for siding

Combustibility: Does the siding burn easily or is it resistant to fire?
Installation: How difficult is the material to install, and what are the installation costs relative to other siding materials?
Water Resistance: To what degree is the material water resistant?
Maintenance required: What is required to maintain the siding, including ease of maintenance and cost of maintenance?
Insulation: Does the siding provide any additional insulation to your home, or does it work well with additional insulation you may add in conjunction with your siding project.
Repairs: How likely is the material to be damaged, and what is involved in repairing this type of siding?
Durability: How long does the manufacturer predict the material will last?
Warrantee: How long is the warrantee on the material, and is it limited or comprehensive?

6. Weather and Environment

Some types of siding are better suited to certain climates. For instance, some vinyl siding might melt or warp if installed on a home that is exposed to extreme heat. Consult the manufacturer or a siding professional to ensure that the siding materials you've selected for your project are suited to the environmental conditions of your home.

7. Architectural Variables

Properly installed siding needs to take into account the materials it will be covering, the contour of the home, the roof, the foundation, and other architectural variables. Consult the manufacturer or your siding professional to ensure you have selected the optimal type of siding for your home, and so that your siding is installed in the best manner given your home's architecture.

8. Cost

There is a wide range of siding available, and the prices to purchase and install the various types of siding vary greatly. You need to consider the look and style of each option, as it will have a great deal of impact on how your home looks and how you feel about it. You also need to factor in the costs of maintaining each type of siding and the number of years you can expect to own the siding prior to replacing it.