Hello

July 13.2015

Earlier today, a young lady called and said she needed siding work. The original MDS Siding, aka Cardboard is worn and need replacement. We receive these calls everyday. However, I want to explain the pitfalls of MDS Siding and what it means to you.

MDS Siding is basically compressed paper or cardboard. From the early 1970’s until early 2000’s, builders choose MDS due to price. MDS was inexpensive compared to Cedar wood it replaced. However, if you do not regular pressure wash, caulk and paint your home regularly, MDS will not last. If not maintained, MDS will peel, flake, and wear ugly and fast, especially in Houston weather. If you want it repaired, the cost of MDS is very close to the cost of Hardiplank Siding, on a piece by piece basis.

So what do I recommend? H‎onesty, I am a Cedar man. It is pest resistant and will last a very long time. However, it is high maintenance, requiring regular maintenance and care. Also it is very expensive. So the other viable option is Hardiplank Siding. Hardiplank prices have come down over the years and it is very forgiving. You can skip regular maintenance like caulking and painting and it will hold up better than MDS and Cedar products. That being said, I personally love the look of Cedar. However for most Homeowners, Hardiplank is the best choice and I have seen some gorgeous examples lately. Hardiplank is growing on me.

So let’s chat about  my customer. After we explained to her all of the aforementioned, she chose Hardiplank for this section of her home. She plans to slowly replace the MDS Siding on her home slowly with Hardiplank.
Stay tuned…