The Good, the Bad and the Ugly With Vinyl Siding

Vinyl siding has been used for over 50 years. This type of siding was originally designed to be installed over existing water-tight material to quickly enhance the exterior of a home. Today, nearly 30-percent of new homes have siding that’s vinyl.

 

The Good

Vinyl siding is easy for a contractor to work with. It is inexpensive and installs quickly. No painting is required. This type of siding is offered in a wide variety of colors, and today’s siding is not as prone to fading.

 

The Bad

This siding is not watertight, and it can leak. The material contracts and expands as the temperature fluctuates. Wind-driven water can get into gaps around windows, door trims and the overlapping ends of siding pieces.

 

As this siding is not waterproof, your home gets its water protection from an underlayment (house wrap). Unfortunately, this gets punctured by hundreds of siding nails. Siding can also be damaged fairly easily by windblown debris, ladders or anything else harder than the vinyl.

 

The Ugly

Vinyl siding should not increase the value of your home. Once damaged, you must replace an entire panel, and replacement panels rarely provide an exact match because vinyl does tend to fade. Another “ugly” reality is that the vinyl color will likely be your home color forever. It could be painted, but the siding will cease to be low maintenance, one of the main advantages of this type of siding.

 

There is Good, Bad and Ugly with Siding

When considering vinyl for your home, there is a lot to consider. If you own a vinyl-clad home, have it checked regularly for mold, mildew, structural damage and insect infestations. If you are concerned that you may have water intrusion, have your home inspected by a professional siding company. You may want to have an analysis done using thermal imaging to identify the extent of damage or leaks.