The Different Types of Home Siding Material

There are numerous types of siding available for today's homes offering different advantages and/or disadvantages. Certain types of siding are more popular in some areas of the country than others, influenced largely by climate and availability of product. Price also influences the type of siding chosen by a builder or a home owner.

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Types of siding available:

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1. Aluminum or Vinyl Siding These siding options are available on new homes as well as often put on over older types of siding. The biggest advantage of this type of siding is that they do not require painting. The disadvantage is that aluminum siding dents and vinyl siding cracks. Vinyl siding has improved over time as the quality of vinyl improves.

2. Masonite Siding or Hardi Plank These siding options have a similar appearance but offer very different results. Masonite siding deteriorates over time and requires painting, caulking and routine upkeep. Hardi Plank (a brand name) is a similar looking product but is made of cement and therefore does not rot. It is growing in popularity and is a terrific alternative to Masonite.

3. Brick or Stone Both of these products provide an excellent siding option. They are virtually indestructible as well as attractive. They do not require the routine maintenance that other types of siding require. The biggest drawback is price, although in some areas of the country it is still very affordable.

4. Stucco Traditional stucco is made with cement and offers a solid, lasting, moisture proof siding. It is seen a great deal in Florida where the climate would require constant upkeep on other types of siding and the solid cement siding keeps the houses cooler than traditional siding.

5. Cedar Shakes For those who love the look of cedar shakes, it is an excellent alternative to Masonite siding as it requires less maintenance. When treated with stain it does not rot or peel.

6. Veneer & Synthetic Siding These siding alternatives give you the appearance of other types such as stucco or brick, but do not give you the quality or longevity.

7. Clapboard Siding that is made from solid wood is more costly than other types of siding but lasts longer and looks better than other manufactured sidings such as Masonite. It is also a product that lends itself well to stain and therefore will not peel as siding that is painted.

8. Steel and Vinyl Coatings These are becoming more and more popular. They are more expensive but are nearly indestructible thus requiring little maintenance. Vinyl Coatings are applied like paint but are much thicker. Since it is a relatively new product it is important to find a company that will apply it correctly as applying incorrectly can cause many problems.

The Different Types of Home Siding Material

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Two Different Types of Pastels

When it comes to the wonderful game of pastels, there are really only two players in town: soft pastels and oil pastels. While they're similar in many ways, they are both different types of pastels and demand a slightly different method for best results.

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Soft pastels

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Soft pastels are really about as basic an art medium as you can get. They are essentially color, in the purest form you can get it (raw pigment), with as few other ingredients as possible. Some pastels sticks in fact don't contain anything other than pigment.

Soft pastels are great to work with, but one thing they must have is a surface with 'tooth' (texture), like an art paper produced for pastels and charcoals, watercolor paper, or even fine sandpaper. They don't work on smooth surfaces as the pigment simply can't adhere to them.

In terms of method, soft pastels are all about what you do with them once they're already on the surface. That's why pastel artists talk a lot about 'laying down' pigment in a way that at first makes them sound a little like they're painting a house! Once the pigment is laid down, the artist can then manipulate it in a host of ways, by blending it, mixing it with other colors, burnishing it into the paper, laying down a second and third layer of different colors on top of it, scratching it to reveal a lower layer, and so on.

Oil pastels

While soft pastels have been around a long time, at least 500 years, oil pastels are a much more recent entry into the art world. They were invented in Japan in the 1920s as a medium for schoolchildren, then were refined and produced for artists by French manufacturer Henri Sennelier from 1949. He did this after being asked to do so by the famous Spanish painter and sculptor, Pablo Picasso, who couldn't get any of them due to the aftermath of WWII.

One of the most significant differences between oil pastels and soft pastels is that because oil pastels contain an oily/waxy binder, they can be used on a much wider variety of surfaces. Far from being limited to paper, oil pastels work on surfaces as diverse as metal, hardboard (Masonite), wood, and even glass. The type of surface chosen of course makes a major difference to the end result.

Washes are more popular with oil pastels than with soft pastels. You need something other than water for this, but mineral spirits, turpentine or even a vegetable oil work fine. It's as easy as applying pigment to the surface, then working on it with a brush dipped in your oil or solvent. This is a nice way of being able to combine drawing and painting techniques and allows for some really interesting effects.

Overall, oil pastels are just a little more 'out there' than their much older cousin. Their versatility in terms of surface and technique makes them a great choice for the born experimenters among us.

Two Different Types of Pastels

Emma Ralph is an experienced pastel artist. To find out more about the two different types of pastels visit http://www.paintingwithpastels.com

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