Summertime Siding Comparisons – Blackstone Exteriors

Every Midwesterner knows that with the summer season, comes summer weather, meaning high heat and heavy storms. Hail can damage your siding and the heat can cause it to fade. Mucking through the swamp of siding types can be a headache, so we’re here to clear up and compare two common types and make this decision a little easier for you. Vinyl Siding Vinyl siding is a quick and affordable way to greatly improve your home’s exterior. The vinyl is lightweight and very portable, making installation significantly quicker than most exterior upgrades. The home is lined with foam board before installation, further insulating your home. Many are unaware that vinyl siding comes in multiple gauges. Fortunately, even the thickest of vinyl siding is still lightweight. Workers will spend less time siding your home because of the material’s interlocking and lightweight design, saving you tons of money in installation costs. A major benefit to vinyl siding is it looks great and this look can be maintained by a few power washing sessions throughout the year. Even with this low-level maintenance, you can expect your new vinyl siding to last 30 to 40 years. While vinyl does have it’s inexpensive pros, nothing comes without drawbacks. To start, vinyl is more susceptible to cracks and dents when compared to wood or James Hardie siding. This is due to its thinness. While the interlocking system helps replace the dented or cracked piece of siding, finding a piece with a matching color could be difficult. This is because companies frequently change up their vinyl siding color schemes and daily wear, sunlight, and overall aging causes siding to fade. Even if the color is still available, it more than likely will not match the older panels. Fortunately, most vinyl sidings can be easily painted, but this would require you to invest in painting the entire house. James Hardie board siding James Hardie board siding might as well be Vinyl siding’s evil twin, as the pros and cons of the two are almost the opposite. This home exterior option is made of durable, fiber cement, increasing it’s longevity as most Hardie hard siding comes with a 50-year warranty. It can be made to mimic most exteriors, such as wood siding, and is a good fit for people not wanting to take the traditional siding option. This siding is completely fire, rot, and insect resistant due to its cement makeup. In addition, the material’s thickness allows the siding to withstand heavy storms and impacts, so you won’t have to worry about replacing siding pieces or finding matching panels. Unfortunately, with durability comes high costs. The material weighs roughly 300 pounds per 100 square feet compared to the 60 to-70 pound vinyl siding and is significantly more expensive to simply by the material. Installing Hardie board requires more planning and a larger workforce, greatly increasing the time and effort needed for proper installation. The siding also needs to be periodically painted as chipping and peeling is more probable, whereas vinyl siding only needs to be power washed if the homeowner can withstand simple fading. The costs and benefits of your sidings option are based on your climate and demand. When you do choose to install your siding, reach out to Blackstone Exteriors for quality, affordable installation!