Q: Dear Jim: My house needs new siding and I want something low-maintenance with a distinctive look. I like the simulated brick, stone or cedar shake siding. The walls could also use some extra insulation. What is the best siding material? • Ron G.

A: Dear Ron: The no-maintenance siding materials you mentioned would fit your needs and give your home a distinctive look. You may want to use some of the simulated brick or stone just for accents, which can be applied over an extra layer of foam insulation to help pay back the costs with energy savings. Some of these methods are simple, do-it-yourself projects, which lower the overall project cost.

The amount of savings on your utility bills from installing more insulation under the new siding depends on the level of wall insulation you now have. If your walls are currently insulated to code levels for your area, it probably would not be cost effective to add more insulation unless you are doing the labor yourself to lower the cost.

New types of attractive, durable siding

In addition to lower utility bills, adding a layer of foam insulation will block outdoor noise. This is particularly true with vinyl siding, which is hung loosely on the walls so it can expand and contract. If you first install foam insulation on the house exterior, follow the manufacturer's installation instructions to the letter to avoid any future problems from trapped moisture.

You have quite a few unique material options from which to choose: lightweight cultured stone, insulated and non-insulated brick kits, plastic simulated brick or cedar shake panels, and insulated vinyl siding.

Using these materials makes a re-siding job easier and often you do not have to remove your old siding first.

Lightweight cultured stones are one of the most attractive and maintenance-free exterior coverings and they work well as trim or to cover the entire wall. The stones are made of cement and special lightweight aggregate, yet feel as hard as real stones to the touch. This makes them light enough so no extra foundation or footers are needed to support them as real stones may require. Many of the manufacturers offer a 50-year warranty.

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These synthetic stones are cast in molds made from real stone shapes. They are colored with natural metal oxides throughout the entire stone so chips will not be apparent. They average less than two-inches thick with a flat back for easy installation. Once they are installed on the wall, they are impossible to distinguish from real stones. Although the shapes look totally random, they are formed to fit together for a professional-looking wall.

Many types of brick siding kits are available. They look and feel like a real brick wall and are just as maintenance-free. Most use actual brick material, which is only 1/2-inch thick. This conserves materials and lowers the cost and weight. With the mass of brick and the mortar joints, it is ideal for blocking outdoor road noise.

With one brick technique, you install each brick individually to the wall with special mastic. The mastic is spread on the wall and the backs of the bricks are buttered with another layer of mastic. The bricks are pressed against the wall to fix them permanently in place. Using a damp trowel, the mastic is smoothed out to create uniform mortar joints.

Other brick kits include predesigned panels with support channels to perfectly align the thin bricks. A one-inch-thick layer of polystyrene insulating rigid foam is already attached to the back of the panel. The back of the panel has aluminum ties to secure it to the existing wall. Once the panels are installed, the cosmetic mortar is spread in the joints. It weighs only about six pounds per square foot when completed.

No-maintenance polypropylene plastic panels are the easiest siding option to install. The panels are lightweight and can easily be installed over additional insulation. Each nearly three-foot-long panel interlocks perfectly with the adjacent panels so it looks like a continuous panel. They are available in simulated brick, stone and cedar shake styles.

Installing new extra-wide vinyl siding with foam insulation backing (insulation rating of R-4) along with some of the simulated stone or cedar options can produce the distinctive appearance you desire. The foam also increases the stability of the vinyl. Some vinyl siding uses reinforcing fiberglass rods for more rigidity. In high wind areas, look for wind-resistant vinyl siding with a flexible hem. This allows the siding to be nailed tightly to the wall.

Write for (instantly download - www.dulley.com) Update Bulletin No. 735 - buyer's guide of 18 decorative and standard siding/insulation options. Please include $3 and a business-size SASE. James Dulley, Illinois Country Living, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244.

James Dulley is a mechanical engineer who writes on a wide variety of energy and utility topics. His column appears in a large number of daily newspapers.

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