The surest way to repel pests is to keep your home free of anything that would attract them. Considering all the pests that exist, you might wonder if there’s any siding that can repel them all. Siding contractors can’t guarantee that any siding is completely impervious, but some are better than others are turning away pests before they can inflict real damage.
Here is a list of pests that are commonly attracted to siding, and the best and worst siding materials to repel them:
Carpenter Ants & Termites
The siding material most susceptible to carpenter ant and termite infestation is wood. Carpenter ants burrow into wood, expelling wood shavings, insulation, and ant body parts as they build nests, while termites create mazes of tunnels that gradually compromise your home’s structural integrity.
Wood siding that has water damage is extremely attractive to carpenter ants, termites, and other wood-boring pests, because the moisture makes for easy-to-chew wood. However, wood-boring pests can also chew into dry wood. While there are ways to prevent these pests from infesting wood siding, it’s safer to use non-wood siding like vinyl, fiber cement, or non-wood composite materials.
Woodpeckers
Though not a pest by the traditional definition, woodpeckers are a common enemy of homes with wood siding. Woodpeckers are especially attracted to wood that is stained an earthy color, such as brown and dark red. Wood that is stained with bright, non-earthy colors like white or pastel, typically will fare less damage. Wood siding that is painted instead of stained also tends to take less damage, but ultimately, the reliability of wood siding depends on your home’s location.
If your home is located in or near areas with high hummingbird populations, you should avoid wood siding. However, if your interest in wood stems from its appearance rather than its material, you can install siding that mimics wood. Both vinyl and fiber cement siding can mimic wood, but fiber cement siding is more realistic. Vinyl can pass for real wood at a distance, because up close its texture looks more plastic.
Fiber cement siding resists pests of all kinds
Regardless of your siding material, pests can make their way through gaps in your siding and chew on the innards of your home’s structure. However, you can make it a lot harder for pests to break through by using pest-resistant siding, so they’ll move onto easier targets.
Fiber cement siding, which is made of cement and cellulose fibers, is one of the most durable and affordable pest-resistant options. It’s more durable than vinyl siding, which is the cheapest type of siding, and more affordable than composite siding (bricks, stucco, etc.). Fiber cement siding can also replicate the appearance of cedar wood, so you don’t have to miss out on the traditional aesthetics of wooden exteriors. When compared to other siding, fiber cement siding definitely tops the list as an all-around contender.
Contact your local siding contractor Mares & Dow Construction and Skylights today for a fiber cement siding installation quote. We have over 40 years of experience working within various budgets to install fiber cement siding that’s as durable as it is beautiful.
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