The North American residential exterior cladding market is divided approximately in half between exterior vinyl siding and other materials, such as wood, aluminum, brick, stone, and stucco. While there are many different grades and brands of vinyl siding on the market today, they perform similarly. Vinyl is a useful building material because there are many different prices to choose from to meet almost any building budget.
What separates a good vinyl specification from a cheap one
The thickness of a panel in inches is the most important number for you to read off of a product sheet. Typical builder grade vinyl is in the.040” thick range. Mid-range products typically are around.044” thick. Premium vinyl products are in the.046” to.052” thick range. As the gauge of a panel increases, the rigidity of that panel will increase dramatically. This increased rigidity will have a few effects on how a panel will perform on your home. First, it will decrease the amount of “oil canning” that will occur in a panel. Oil canning is when a panel of siding will sag in the middle and create a wave like effect. This can occur more frequently in a thinner panel of vinyl.
If you take a close look at the nailing hem, the buttlock depth and the wind load rating on the back of the vinyl siding product sheet, you will find that many of them have been certified by third parties to meet ASTM D3679 standards. If you read through the fine print in the bid for vinyl siding on a Frederick, MD property, you will find that the numbers tell a far different story than the name of the vinyl siding product being used.
Where insulated panels earn their premium
Insulated Panels- These are Panels with a foam backing. They are made of vinyl on the outside and can add R-value to the wall depending on the thickness of the foam. The main value of an Insulated Panel is that it provides dimensional support to Vinyl Panels. These Panels are best used when re-sheathing existing walls to add a thermal break between studs. Note, These are the most expensive siding material and reduce clearance between wall and siding for water drainage.
The wall behind the cladding decides how long it lasts
A critical point to note is that the vinyl siding is not a water barrier. Instead, it functions as a rain screen allowing the majority of the rain to fall off and the remainder to drain out. Thus, the true water barrier is the weather-resistive barrier (WRB) installed behind the siding. It is crucial to remove the old siding to inspect and price the sheathing behind it.
Details that fail first
- Window and door heads without pan flashing or a drip cap behind the J-channel
- Missing kick-out flashing where a roof edge meets a sidewall
- Housewrap lapped upside down at horizontal seams
- Fasteners driven tight, blocking the thermal movement vinyl requires
- Utility penetrations sealed with caulk instead of a mounting block
Comparing cladding on the criteria homeowners actually weigh
| Criterion | Vinyl | Fiber cement | Engineered wood |
| Installed cost | Lowest of the three | Roughly double vinyl | Between the two |
| Recoating cycle | None | 10 to 15 years | 7 to 12 years |
| Routine upkeep | Annual rinse | Caulk joint inspection | Seal cut edges, inspect trim |
| Impact resistance | Fair to good by gauge | Excellent | Good |
| Repair of one damaged course | Unzip and swap a panel | Cut out and patch, then paint | Cut out, patch, prime, paint |
| Crew skill dependency | Moderate | High | High |
Evaluating a siding contractor without relying on price
Three different estimates for the cost of vinyl siding that are thirty percent apart will be based upon scope. You should request that each of the different contractors that bid on your siding provide you with a list of scope items and then compare their estimates based upon their respective scope for each of the different scope items. Homeowners weighing vinyl siding in Frederick, Maryland are usually better served by the bid that spells out flashing and sheathing work than by the one that simply names a product line. An allowance for the rot of structural members is realistic, not vague.
Questions that reveal method
- What clearance is left at each end of a panel run, and does it change with install temperature?
- Will fasteners land in studs or in sheathing only, and at what spacing?
- How are inside and outside corners terminated at grade?
- Which components carry the manufacturer warranty, and does the crew hold certification?
- Who handles the weather-resistive barrier and flashing, the siding crew or a separate trade?
Maintenance and the repair-versus-replace decision
There is very little to be done to Vinyl Siding. It should be washed with a soft brush and a mild detergent once a year to remove any chalking and to clean any mildew that may be present. It is a good idea to keep the area in front of the wall clear of any vegetation and to keep grills and fire pits etc. Away from the Vinyl Siding as it will soften at around 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Also make sure that the weep holes are not painted or blocked with caulk.
When patching stops making sense
By the time a house’s original vinyl siding is no longer available (about 10-15 years after it was installed) and individual panels need to be replaced, it will become apparent that, for the most part, it will not be cost effective. However, by this time it will be obvious that there has been widespread warping, fastener hole cracking and possibly even moisture penetration into the sheathing. This would mean that a complete exterior assembly replacement would be to protect the true asset, the integrity of the interior of the wall assembly.