Remodeling season is in full swing and homeowners are choosing between two options when deciding to renovate their homes. vinyl sidingFiber cement. Both products look fantastic, but there are important differences in their practical aspects of durability, maintenance ease, and cost.
Fiber cement siding is made of a mixture of wood pulp, Portland cement and then shaped into boards or shingles. Fiber cement’s rigidity means that it must be handled with care during transport, delivery, and installation. Your contractor must repair or dispose off any damaged planks to preserve the manufacturer’s warranty. Failure to do this will result in a compromise in performance over time. This could include allowing moisture to enter the cement, which can cause rot and spoil the finish. According to a leading contractor database, fiber cement’s cost per square foot is $300. Except if you opt for factory-painted products, the cost per square foot is $300
Vinyl siding (including insulated siding) is made from polyvinylchloride (PVC). It is a combination of salt and natural gas. Engineered for maximum stability and lightness, it is flexible and lightweight to ensure that it is more durable. It’s the only exterior cladding with a product-certification program administered by an independent, accredited quality-control agency that ensures products and colors meet or exceed industry standards; and a certified installer program with validation by an independent, third-party administrator to ensure that installers demonstrate knowledge of industry-accepted application techniques.
Vinyl siding is designed to beautify and protect any home. It costs around $100 per square. According to the contractor database vinyl siding is cheaper per sq. ft. than fiber concrete. There are no ongoing maintenance costs once the cement is installed. Other than periodic cleaning with a garden hose, soft bristle brushes, and a bucket full of soapy water, there aren’t any other costs. Fiber cement homeowners will need professional assistance every few years in order to re-caulk their seams. Otherwise, they could lose their warranty. The homeowners or their contractors will have to repaint their factory-finished coatings, or at least touch them up.
Vinyl and polypropylene siding manufacturers offer a wide range of accessories and trim to complement the siding. These include column wraps that replicate or create traditional architectural styles, cornices and dentil moldings typical of Georgian homes and decorative brackets. Finding complementary trim and accessories, or a matching color, for fiber cement is difficult because it only comes in planks and shakes.
“Homeowners choose vinyl siding more often than any other exterior cladding — and for good reasons,”Jery Huntley, President and CEO of Vinyl Siding Institute Inc. “Vinyl siding’s lifetime value, installation advantages, ease of maintenance, accessories and warranties are why it is the number-one cladding choice in the U.S. and Canada.”
For more information, please visit www.vinylsiding.org.
