Vinyl Siding: When the Appearance is not Aimed to Deceive

You can cover the outside walls of your house with vinyl siding, a flexible material. It is a product engineered using primarily polyvinyl chloride, which makes it an ideal material with which to cover the outside of your house as it is extremely heat, cold and moisture resistant. Vinyl siding is also highly unlikely to be damaged by denting or high winds.

Putting money into vinyl house siding makes good sense. Re-siding a home is among the top ten remodeling projects in terms of overall payback. Siding made out of vinyl is free from any maintenance. Do we not often wish we have several hours to spare each day? Beautify the outside of your home with siding, it has many options, great flexibility and an endless amount of choices.

If you have found that adding vinyl siding to your home is cost prohibitive, you might consider repainting, which is much more inexpensive.  Are the vinyl siding prices worth the end result?  These are a few points to take into account.

Repainting every 4 years would be expensive, can you imagine how much that would add up to over the next 15-20 years?  This is definitely a good lifespan for quality vinyl siding installation done by certified professionals.

What can be the amount of time saved in maintenance if you do not have to scrape, paint or replace rotting boards?  It is easy to make your vinyl siding like new using a hose and some mild detergent.

If the construction is durable, the vinyl siding will resist any dent or damage against hail or rough weather.

You can take your pick from an assortment of colors, styles and textures to create your own look and feel.

What Should You Look For?

If you can find certification by the Vinyl Siding Institute, then you know you are getting a quality product.  VSI certification means the siding meets or exceeds industry standards when tested and inspected.

It is tested and inspected for:

- Weathering performance
- Color
- Windload resistance
- Gloss
- Surface distortion
- Camber
- Impact resistance
- Length
- Width
- Thickness
- Heat shrinkage
- Linear expansion

What Choices Do You Have?

Gauge

The thicker the panel, the better, for impact and weather resistance. As the panels are thick, they will hang straighter and will be flat against walls to give a better apperance.

Grain

With Smooth Grains, you can get a more contemporary and orthodox look.. More pronounced grains can give a home a more rustic appearance.

Profiles

How about a more conventional style such as clapboard?. Have you ever heard of a vinyl siding called dutchlap panel? The traditional style of a beaded panel?  Look over the different profiles that are available, and see how these can change the look of your home.

Color

Pick from the many colors available, vinyl siding holds its color better and much longer than painting.

So there you have it. A summary of vinyl home siding and the buying decisions you need to make. Make use of it to get the best choices.

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