Vinyl Siding: When the Appearance is not Aimed to Deceive

Vinyl siding is a flexible material that is used for exterior wall covering of your home. 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.

Vinyl house siding is a great investment. Savings-wise, you will get a huge return of investment when vinyl siding is used in re-tooling a dilapidated residence. Vinyl siding needs zero maintenance. Do we not often wish we have several hours to spare each day? Vinyl siding provides homeowners many advantages: not only are there many color and stylistic choices, it is also a great way to enhance the aesthetic value of your house.

If you have found that adding vinyl siding to your home is cost prohibitive, you might consider repainting, which is much more inexpensive.  Is the vinyl siding cost worth it?  These are some things to think about.

Repainting every 4 years would be expensive, can you imagine how much that would add up to over the next 15-20 years?  It is reasonable to assume that a certified vinyl siding job would last that long.

How much maintenance time is saved when you don't have to scrape, paint, or replace rotting boards?  Maintaining vinyl siding is easy -- just spray with a hose and mild detergent to make it look like new.

Vinyl siding is durable, so it doesn't dent or get damaged from the weather.

Choose from a wide variety of colors, textures and styles to create the look and feel you want.

What Should You Look For?

The certification from the Vinyl Siding Institute means it is quality.  A siding which is VSI certified, would be sure to meet or exceed industry standards at the time of testing and inspection.

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

Grain

Using smooth grains it is possible to achieve a more contemporary or traditional look. A muted grainy effect on the vinyl siding colors evokes a rustic feel to the house.

Profiles

Would you like a traditional clapboard style?. Have you ever heard of a vinyl siding called dutchlap panel? The traditional style of a beaded panel?  Consider all the options that can change the look of your home.

Color

Choose from a wide variety of colors, that vinyl siding will hold better and longer than paint.

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