Because cement-based roofing and siding products are durable and won't catch fire, rot or be eaten by termites, they cap and clad more and more of today's homes. Stucco is essentially a type of concrete, made from a mixture of cement, lime, sand and water.
What appear to be stone and brick walls on houses may actually be a lightweight concrete manufactured-stone veneer. A mixture of portland cement, natural aggregates and iron oxide pigments is poured into molds made from real stones. The result, available in a broad palette of colors and styles, looks incredibly realistic. Installed prices vary widely, depending upon the cost of labor; the national average is about $8 per square foot. Retail average per square foot for materials runs from about $2.25 to $4 per square foot.
Imitation slate and tile roofing materials are made from concrete and fiber cement. Concrete, in both flat and Spanish-style tile units, is extruded under high pressure to make a rugged, dense, durable tile. Although conventional concrete tile weighs about 10 pounds per square foot, lightweight varieties are available at about half that weight. Installed, concrete tile roofing runs in the range of from $5 to $10 per square foot. Thinner fibrous-cement tiles are manufactured using portland cement, reinforcement fibers and a lightweight mineral aggregate such as perlite; they weigh about 5 pounds per square foot. Though priced competitively with wood shakes, they are highly resistant to fire, termites, moisture damage, ultra-violet breakdown and other problems associated with wood.
--Don Vandervort
