Wall power

Want to improve your home's appearance? Start by upgrading the exterior siding.

We've heard it a thousand times: Location is the most important factor in determining the value of your home. Yet how a home looks from the exterior also is important. It's part of that elusive factor known as "curb appeal."

A house is a work in progress: It has to be maintained, upgraded and renovated -- constantly. There are many ways to do this, from additions to new kitchens, but a change in the siding can do the most to drastically improve a home's looks. I'm not the only one who has noticed this: According to Alcoa Home Exteriors, more than 2.6 million owners re-sided their homes last year. While that may conjure up thoughts of aluminum siding, there's actually a wide range of choices to consider. Let me guide you through four of my favorite materials: wood, vinyl, concrete and synthetic stucco.

Wood siding has history. Take a trip up the Eastern Seaboard and you'll find neighborhoods teeming with wood-clad homes. Of all the siding choices, it's the only renewable resource out there, because trees grow back. It's also one of the most beautiful options: Real wood looks great, whether painted, stained or left natural. The cost to re-side your home with wood will be around $475 per "square" (an area 10 feet by 10 feet).

Vinyl siding is today's most popular choice. True, George Washington never slept in a home sided with vinyl, but it has a lot of advantages. It's about as maintenance-free as you can get, and it's preferable to aluminum because the color goes all the way through the siding. That minimizes fading from sunlight. New textures and profiles mimic the look of wood, but no staining or painting is necessary. To clean things up, just spray with a hose and brush carefully. It's also a bargain at around $350 a square installed, and, unlike wood, it comes with a manufacturer's warranty.

Who would have thought one day we would use concrete for exterior siding? The material, officially known as fiber cement siding, has been around for more than two decades and is gaining ground on wood and vinyl. I installed some on my back porch. The material looks like wood, will not burn and is all but indestructible. It costs about $475 per square and comes with a warranty.

Synthetic stucco is probably one of the most versatile inventions to hit the siding market in the past 20 years. It's basically a souped-up version of traditional cement stucco. One advantage is that it can flex and stay intact as your home expands and contracts through the seasons. It can be shaped, colored and textured to just about any finish and is almost impervious to the elements. To avoid any problems, hire a qualified installer, and inspect the siding yearly. The average cost to install is $500 to $600 a square, and it includes a warranty.

Lou Manfredini is the author of a new series of home-repair books from Ballantine, including "House Smarts."