If you're looking for an alternative to wood or vinyl siding, try a fiber-cement product. Cementicious siding is generally a more affordable option. It can be installed quickly and easily and has several key advantages. It's termite resistant, fireproof, and very durable to the elements. In addition, fiber-cement siding can be painted or stained, giving it added flexibility.

Bob is back at our urban townhouse. He walks down the side and points out the two-story rear porch that has been recovered with asphalt siding, which, though sturdy, is also ugly. Bob meets with Carlton Bergere who explains the installation of the new vinyl siding on top of the asphalt. First the corner posts are installed so that the siding can be slid in. Then a starter course is put on the wall so that level is maintained. A bottom course of siding is clipped onto the starter course. Wood siding is installed one clapboard at a time, but the vinyl siding goes up much faster since it comes in eight or ten inch widths of three or more clapboards depending on exposure. Vinyl has replaced aluminum siding because of its cheaper price point and its sturdiness. Unlike aluminum, vinyl siding does not dent and it is colored all the way through. The siding is hung for expansion and contraction. When a window transition occurs, the window is first caulked. Then, a j-channel is laid against the casing to receive the siding, which is trimmed to size. The vertical seams overlap so that weather does not penetrate, and the siding is laid in one direction so that the seams cannot be seen from the street.

While the house is being dried out, the siding can be put in place. The furring strips are attached to the foam exterior with an adhesive foam. Fasteners are used to affix the fiber cement siding and make sure it's secure. Bob talks with Jack Armour from Powers Fasteners about the fasteners used to secure the siding. Holes are drilled into the structure that are the same diameter as the fasteners . The fasteners are built with a "S" shape and are heat treated so that when the fasteners exert pressure against the cement walls and heat up, they try to return to their original shap, causing them to tighten their grip within the walls . Powers Fasteners is a company that is almost 100 years old. The fasteners were originally made of jute and then gradually started being made of plastic. HardiPlank, a product made of fiber cement, will be used for the siding. The planks are made of a mix of wood fiber and cement, which work well together. The planks are durable and hold paint well. The siding being used is prefinished.

Bob meets Lance Olson of Louisiana Pacific as LP's Smartside lap siding is installed on a Mashpee house. SmartSide is a treated engineered wood siding made of medium density oriented strand board (MDO) with a textured face that is embossed during manufacture. It's rough, cedar-look texture is intended to mirror recent cladding trends as homebuilders have started to turn boards rough side out to give texture to the facade and also provide a better surface for paint. SmartSide is very affordable and cost effective at about one-half the cost of traditional wood siding. It is engineered for its look and durability, is treated with zinc borate to resist fungal growth and termites, and resin bonded for stability. The manufacturing essentially takes the wood, removes its defects such as knots and splits, then reassembles it as a stronger, more stable product. It is a uniform thickness throughout and comes in 16-foot lengths for quick installation. SmartSide comes with a seven-year total warranty and a 30-year transferable warranty for material and labor. It comes pre-primed from the factory for additional labor savings and has a full line of trim to complete the installation. This New England home is using classic trim designs for corners and windows, with a frieze that extends from the roof line to the window, and window casing on the sides that meet the frieze at the top.

The EdenPURE Infrared Portable Heater can cut your heating bills and save you money. With over 1,000,000 EdenPURE heaters sold EdenPURE is #1 in both savings and reliability. Remember not all heaters are the same. There are many imitators on the market but only one EdenPURE.

Getting a Dremel® Multi-Max Oscillating Power Tool is almost like getting 5 tools in one. With it you can cut, grind, remove grout, scrape and sand. Powerful and heavy-duty, the Multi-Max is just the tool to help you tackle a wide variety of do-it-yourself projects.

Sustainable materials, non-wasteful practices and energy efficiency are hallmarks of eco-friendly housing efforts. Now, one organization and a federal program are looking more directly at how these efforts can make homes healthier for their occupants.

you and your family stay comfortable the entire season while protecting your investment. The good news is that it doesn t have to be expensive. There are a surprising number of easy things you can do at minimal cost that can maximize energy savings this winter. BobVila.

Many homeowners will have to deal with big heating bills this winter. But there is good news. Those bills are not expected to contain the huge price hikes 23 percent for heating oil and 18 percent for natural gas predicted earlier this year. A slowed economy has driven down some prices.

Advanced framing is the name given to techniques designed to reduce the amount of lumber used and waste generated in a residential construction project and to improve a home's energy efficiency.