what is the best affordable materials for exteriors of a house?

Question

I'm an architecture student who's designing a two-storey family dwelling. We were asked to design it assuming that the family is in the middle class. My problem is how to design the exteriors and what materials to use.

Answer 1

From my experience, fiber cement (Hardie plank) is the way to go. DO NOT USE VINYL. Trust me - I received my B.Arch in 2004 and I have yet to meet a professor (or anybody with a formal degree in architecture) that doesn't hate vinyl. Fiber cement is relatively inexpensive (a few dollars a square foot, depending on location and variety) and not much more expensive than vinyl. You could accent it with some cultured stone or brick without getting too expensive. Go to hardie.com to get some ideas.

Answer 2

well for the middle class around where i live, cement siding is alot more costly than vinyl siding.vinyl is easier to install and needs no caulk. fading is a problem though.you can get a square of vinyl for as little as $40 or even $300. cement cost around $75-$100 around here and the install price for cement is double of what you would pay for vinyl.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

Low maintenance vinyl siding with some brick accent...

Answer 5

jame hardie material, or one of the concrete fiber siding knockoffs... relitivly inexpensive, & several textures available...

there are some new apartments, all siding, with well chosen paint colors that look pretty cool!