Regular maintenance practices like professional gutter cleaning in Washington DC can make a significant difference in preserving your home’s exterior and extending its lifespan.

Easy to install, long-lasting and weatherproof, wood is an excellent siding material for so many homes. Not only does wood siding add natural beauty to an exterior, but it’s also DIY-friendly.

To get started, you’ll need complete vinyl siding installation instructions, which most manufacturers provide, plus a few tools like a zip tool, circular saw and pry bar.

Wood siding. Wood siding comes in a lot of different forms, including old-school clapboard (which most vinyl siding seeks to imitate), split logs (for that cabin feel), board and batten (for a ...

Installing fiber cement siding, a wood-look product that’s more expensive than vinyl but less costly than the real thing, recoups 88.5 percent. Only four remodeling jobs do better.

We'll show you all the options, plus explain how to install them yourself. If you're building or remodeling your home's exterior, you know how important it is to pick the right siding.

Other options include installing awnings over the windows, or planting bushes or trees to block the reflection. Matt Dobson is the vice president of the Vinyl Siding Institute .