At Canes Exteriors we meet with a lot of clients about residing their home. When we ask what they would like to see from their siding they almost always say “we want something low maintenance.” The first thing that pops into their mind might be vinyl siding.
In my experience there is no such thing as “no maintenance” siding. Vinyl, fiber cement, stucco, wood composite all require some amount of upkeep to continue working properly and looking good.
This article will outline some of the things that you should consider and keep in mind when considering vinyl siding for your home. Vinyl siding is typically one of the lower cost options for siding and that lower price comes with some tradeoffs.
All siding will fade, some faster than others, but everything will eventually need a paint job. Since vinyl siding is essentially plastic there are some limitations when it comes time to paint the siding. Vinyl is sensitive to hot and cold weather and expands and contracts more than other types of siding. Paint does not like to move so it does not typically last more than a couple years on vinyl siding. Whatever color you pick for your vinyl siding is probably the color you are going to be stuck with for a while.
You have probably driven by a house with gross dark stains on the north side of the house and may have wondered why it was so dirty? Those stains are mold and mildew and are a result water sitting on a shaded surface. Since that side of the house not getting sun light this will be a never ending battle.
Every year you will need to get the power washer out and use a product like Mold Armor E-Z House Wash and spray the mold and mildew off the siding. Be careful and read the instructions since some of these products contain bleach.
Living in Kansas City there are multiple storms every spring and early summer that produce golf ball size plus hail. Most vinyl sidings are relatively thin (usually .42 MM or .44 MM thick) it doesn’t take that big of a piece of hail to punch through the siding. So you may have to replace your siding prematurely if we get several bad hail storms.
Your home insurance will typically cover this replacement but you will still need to pay your deductible and go through the hassle of residing your house again. Also, be prepared to have your home insurance premium go up because vinyl is considered higher risk than other products so insurance companies typically charge more if you have vinyl on your home.
When vinyl siding is installed against corner trims or around windows and doors, it slides behind the trim in what is called a j – channel. Like I mentioned before, vinyl is plastic based and requires space to move as the temperature changes so this j-channel provides a hidden area that the siding can move.
The J channel is not caulked so one of the benefits of vinyl siding is that you do not need to replace the caulk every 10-15 years like you might on other types of siding.
Every product has its pros and cons and its important to consider all factors, not just the price, when deciding what product is the best choice for your home. At Canes Exteriors we are THE siding experts in Kansas City. We have more experience working directly for siding manufacturers than any other company in Kansas City and have trained the majority of the James Hardie siding installers in Kansas City on James Hardie Best Practices. Call today for your free no obligation, no pressure quote!
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