In recent years, more and more homeowners have been choosing vinyl siding. Lately, vinyl siding manufacturers have been working hard to fix the bad reputation that vinyl siding got several decades ago—and it’s working. Vinyl siding developed a less-than-appealing reputation several decades ago. Back then, vinyl was prone to sag and started looking tacky as it aged. But the vinyl of today has come a long way, and barely resembles the sad vinyl siding on your grandmother’s home.
Manufacturers have made several substantial improvements to the installation techniques and materials used in the fabrication process. Namely, it’s no longer made out of ugly synthetics like it used to be. These improvements have gone a long way in reinventing how we think of vinyl siding. Believe it or not, modern vinyl is attractive and upscale. On top of that, it is easy to install and maintain, and is more environmentally friendly than other siding options. It also comes in a variety of grains, colors, and thicknesses, making it a popular choice due to its stylistic versatility. Just in case you still aren’t convinced, we put together a list of reasons why you should choose vinyl siding.
- Vinyl Is Environmentally Friendly. With climate change on everyone’s mind, we are all looking for ways to be greener, whether it’s using reusable bags or wearing recycled fabrics. The quest to be more environmentally friendly includes homeowners as well, many of whom are trying to go green in whatever ways they can when building or remodeling their homes. You might not think that choosing vinyl siding for your home could be a way to limit your carbon footprint—but think again.
Because of its extreme durability, vinyl siding, once installed, will last a lifetime on your home. Vinyl is not likely to wear out and end up in a landfill somewhere down the road. If it does come time to remove or replace your vinyl siding, it can be easily recycled. In fact, more than 1 billion pounds of vinyl siding are recycled in the US and Canada every year. Furthermore, insulated vinyl siding improves the energy efficiency of homes. Because vinyl siding keeps your home better insulated from the outside weather, installing vinyl can dramatically reduce the amount of energy needed to heat and cool your home. - Pest Resistant. While wood siding can look beautiful for the first few years, it is highly susceptible to pests. Wood siding can be victim to a number of hard-to-get-rid-of insects and even birds, including carpenter ants, powderpost beetles, woodpeckers, termites and carpenter bees. These critters make holes and tunnels through the wood, causing structural as well as aesthetic damage to your home. Vinyl, on the other hand, holds little appeal to these or any other pests. By installing vinyl siding, you can cut back on yearly pest control expenses, and do not face the risk of needing to replace your siding due to pest damage.
- Water Resistant. Water can wreak havoc on all kinds of building materials, causing rot, mold, mildew, and other irreversible problems. Unlike most other siding materials on the market, neither the look nor the integrity of vinyl siding is damaged by moisture, no matter how excessive. If you live in a wet climate, vinyl siding could keep your home looking better for longer than most other materials.
- Easy to Install. Another great benefit to going vinyl is that you can save on installation costs by choosing vinyl siding. This is because vinyl siding is so easy to install, and can be installed more quickly than other options. Because installation is relatively easy and quick, most contractors will charge less to install vinyl siding than they would other siding options. Professional contractors are, of course, necessary, to ensure your vinyl siding is correctly installed.
- Low Maintenance. Once it’s installed, there isn’t much you need to do to keep your vinyl siding looking in tip-top shape. While wood siding needs a new coat of paint almost every year, vinyl siding holds its color for decades and resists damage by either sun or rain. Cleaning vinyl siding is also a breeze. In most cases, a simple hose off is all you need to do to keep it clean, so you can cut back on time and expensive, hard-to-use cleaners. Vinyl is a great way to keep your house maintenance-free (at least on the outside!) while enhancing the overall appearance and curb appeal.
- Weather Resistant. Due to its toughness and durability, modern vinyl siding is resistant to almost all types of weather. Unlike wood or the old vinyl of your grandmother’s day, modern vinyl is highly resistant to wind, rain, hail, snow, and whatever else the sky throws your way. The materials used in making modern vinyl also help it to be highly sun-resistant, which means the sun won’t easily leach the color or cause other damage. Modern vinyl siding is specially designed to release moisture. What that means is that instead of holding moisture in and starting to mold and mildew, modern siding is manufactured to expel moisture before it can cause damage.
- No Sagging. One of the reasons vinyl siding developed it’s bad reputation in the past was because it was prone to sagging. Because modern vinyl siding is thicker and sturdier than its predecessors, it has completely eliminated the old sagging problem.
- Vinyl Siding Looks Class. Take one look at the top-quality vinyl available from any manufacturer, and you will see what we mean. While vinyl used to be available only in a few bland and limited colors, you’ll be surprised at how many stunning colors and textures are available now. There are trendy blues and beautiful slate grays. There are even an array of convincing wood looks for anyone who loves the look of wood siding but is less keen on the continual upkeep. You can get wood-look vinyl siding complete with walnut, whitewash, and natural finishes that will make even the most wood-savvy do a double take.