Vinyl Siding

Vinyl siding is siding or external cladding for a house that is made of vinyl instead of wood. Vinyl siding has become popular as a replacement for wood siding because it is inexpensive, easy to maintain and does not need to be painted.

Vinyl siding, made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), first entered the external cladding market in the 1960s. From then on Vinyl siding has grown in popularity and has now become the number one choice for siding in the USA. The Vinyl Siding Institute mentions that twice as many people choose vinyl siding for their homes than other materials.

Proponents of vinyl siding often mention the following benefits for vinyl siding:

Cost Effective - A medium grade vinyl siding will cost about $1.60 per sq. ft. In comparison, a similar grade cedar siding will cost over $3.50 per sq. ft. Additionally, vinyl siding is inexpensive when you compare the costs of maintaining wood siding. Once installed, vinyl siding does not need to be painted. After 20 or so years, you may want to replace the vinyl siding but you would have saved on painting costs
Easy to Maintain - Vinyl siding does not rot or chip so the cladding does not need to be replaced. Cleaning vinyl siding is even simpler, just spray with a garden hose and your done.
Insulation - Vinyl siding can offer limited insulation for a house if the siding has thick styrofoam backing. However, this does not replace a good home insulation.
Availability of Colors - Vinyl siding has a wide assortment of colors and textures to choose from. If you want the natural wood look, you can find that as a color choice in vinyl siding.

Buying and Installing Vinyl Siding
There are more benefits of vinyl siding that aren't listed here. It is important to note that there are always alternatives or other siding material that you can use other than vinyl siding. Opponents of vinyl siding often mention the environmental and health risks of producing PVC. Additionally if vinyl siding is not installed correctly, it can warp or damage the material underneath. Often times, moisture can get underneath the vinyl siding and damage the original walls. Because it is important to install vinyl siding correctly, we suggest that the installation be left to a professional.

As a smarter consumer, do your research on the various types of vinyl siding as well as the alternatives. Before you buy make sure you understand how the vinyl siding will benefit as well as affect the value of your home.

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