According to Building Your Green Home, bricks for brick siding are made of some combination of clay and shale. Cement siding is made out of simple cement blocks or cinder blocks. Stone siding uses natural stones as-is or cut into more uniform, easier to work with pieces. Stucco is typically formulated out of a combination of sand, lime, cement and water.
Stucco siding is not as durable as brick and stone, as it is relatively porous and brittle. It can also easily stain. If water gets trapped behind stucco, interior walls can easily get ruined. You should patch damaged stucco immediately to maintain the integrity of the siding. Brick and stone siding requires very little general maintenance. Damage to masonry siding in all forms can be very expensive to fix. Call a mason to repair simple cracks in brick, stone and mortar.
This type of siding remains some of the most expensive on the market. Professionally installing brick siding can cost between $6 and $12 per square foot as of 2010, according to Luxury Housing Trends. According to the sources at Cost Helper, stucco siding can cost between $6 and $9 per square foot to have professionally installed.
Masonry siding is so expensive to install because of the level of difficulty associated with its construction, according to Demesne. Most of the costs linked with stucco installation projects lie in how difficult it is to work with, according to Service Magic. Only qualified professionals should attempt masonry siding projects.
Masonry siding is the most durable siding you can have. Well-maintained brick and stone buildings can last for well over 100 years with minimal deterioration. According to the sources at Luxury Housing Trends, brick siding is very resistant to burning and rotting. Homes with masonry siding will not fade due to sun exposure. All forms of masonry siding act as efficient thermal insulators. This helps keep utility costs down.
Brick, stone and stucco are all very effective sound insulators. Buildings with masonry siding, especially brick and stone, tend to have higher resale values compared to homes with other types of siding.
While brick and stone buildings can last for well over a century, stucco siding is typically only rated to last for around 25 years, according to Service Magic. Stucco is available in a number of grades; synthetic stucco is the cheapest type of stucco on the market.