Of the number of cladding alternatives to choose among when building a new home, or renovating the exterior of an older home, vinyl siding is very often the siding of choice. In fact, vinyl siding is the exterior cladding material that is most often chosen in the United States and in Canada. It wasn’t always that way of course. Both brick and wood are longtime favorites, and both are still popular. Stucco siding has also been around for many years, and for years was the siding material of choice for homes built to Mediterranean or Southwest US architectural designs.
Two alternatives, cinder block and stone, declined in popularity significantly in recent years, having been replaced by fiber cement which, while popular, does not match the popularity of vinyl.
Vinyl has been with us since the 1960’s. Once criticized, perhaps being mistaken for aluminum siding, vinyl presently accounts for over one-third all exterior cladding projects.
Vinyl siding has three very good things going for it:
* Performance – Vinyl siding resists cold and moisture, and can also withstand very high winds without being physically damaged or losing its luster. Unlike wood, vinyl siding never needs to be stained or painted. A once-over with a damp cloth is all that is usually required to make it appear new again. It also does a superior job of venting rain away from the water-resistant barriers required in all new construction.
* Beauty – Not all vinyl siding is white, nor is the choice limited to pastels, as once was the case. Well over 300 popular colors are now available. The only real limitation in color choice is that some colors will do best in certain climates, and may not hold up so well in others.
* Value – One reason vinyl siding is the material of choice is its cost, which on a square foot basis is significantly less than other materials. Its ease in installation together with the fact it does not require painting is where the cost savings come in. In terms of cost of material, only the cost of stucco is comparable and stucco is roughly three times more expensive to install.
The only other real consideration is that of installation. Having a professional who is a certified vinyl siding installer do the job can not only be a real time saver in terms of man hours required, but a certified siding installer will also do work that does not require repairs or replacement downstream.
