Our experts – professional builders – have analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of the two types of facade cladding: siding and stucco, reviewed the properties and features of each type, which will help you choose the most suitable for you.
Siding
Siding called the narrow long slats that are attached to the frame, fixed to the wall. The material from which the strips are made can be different – PVC, wood, metal. Hardly used, although the original siding was wood, metal is used only for public or industrial buildings. The most common and often used for finishing low-rise housing – vinyl siding. The frame for fixing the strips can be assembled from wooden bars or thin-walled steel profile.
When cladding siding often make the so-called “ventilated facade”, whose design includes a layer of insulation, attached to the wall, the air gap between the insulation and cladding and, in fact, the sheathing itself on the frame.
Stucco
Plastering walls – a traditional type of finishing of facades, which requires high skills of the performers, as plastering technology is complex and consists of several consecutive operations. First the wall is cleaned from dirt, leveled and sealed defects, then primed, reinforcing plaster mesh attached and applied several layers of mortar in several steps. The plaster layer is smoothed, sanded, if necessary it is given a special texture, then painted with facade paints.
There is a technology that allows you to insulate the walls of old buildings – the so-called “wet facade”. Plastering by this technology includes the device insulation layer attached to the wall, which is then applied a plaster layer on the grid.
Table advantages and disadvantages
Name | Advantages | disadvantages |
Siding | + ease of installation; + the ability to perform cladding work at any time of year and in any weather conditions; + there is no need to paint or other additional decoration; + Long service life, counted in tens of years; + a large range of choices in color; + ease of maintenance and repair – damaged slats can be replaced if necessary; + possibility of increasing the thermal protection capacity of the walls during the arrangement of a ventilated facade with heat insulation. | – The possibility of damage from strong winds; – instability to high temperatures – the risk of deformation; – the possibility of damage under mechanical stress; – Although the siding itself is fireproof, but there is a possibility of ignition of insulation under it if used flammable varieties of insulation. |
Plaster | + environmental friendliness, as plastering uses environmentally friendly materials; + retains vapor permeability of the walls, which is important for creating a healthy microclimate in the room; + reliability and durability + lifetime of stucco – many decades; + rich opportunities for decorative design in texture and subsequent coloring; | – the complex technology of finishing, which can only be performed by highly qualified performers – ability to perform work only in strictly limited conditions – in positive air temperatures in good weather – the danger of cracks in case of large temperature differences and uneven settling of the building; – the need for periodic repairs – paint updates. |
The main differences between the materials
The main differences between the two methods of finishing exterior walls are as follows:
the complexity of the technology of finishing: cladding siding to perform much easier and faster than plastering. Plastering can be done only by experienced professionals;
depending on the weather conditions in which work is carried out. Cladding siding can be performed in any weather, in contrast to the plaster;
Durability and resistance to external influences – plaster is more reliable and does not succumb to mechanical influences, as well as temperature fluctuations
repairability – siding is easier to repair, in case of damage to the plaster will have to repair the damaged area, and then repaint the entire facade;
the cost of materials and work in both cases is about the same.
How the materials are similar
Siding and stucco have only one similarity – these materials can be used for external finishing of building facades.
Conclusions: It is impossible to make an unambiguous conclusion in favor of one or the other material, each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. The choice depends on personal preferences and architectural features of the building.
