What is Vinyl Siding?

Vinyl siding is a durable form of plastic exterior wrapping for a home, used both for aesthetics and weatherproofing. Engineered primarily from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin, vinyl siding is a convenient addition to your home because it precludes the need for painting every few years and other hassles of regular maintenance. Let’s explore other aspects of vinyl siding and the benefits that come with it.

Benefits of Vinyl Siding

Vinyl siding is a very affordable material to install on a home or other structure. According to This Old House, vinyl siding costs, on average, 11 percent less than cedar siding and 26 percent less than aluminum. It’s typically installed over rigid insulation for the utmost in energy efficiency. Today, vinyl remains the most popular option for siding throughout the United States, on both new and existing homes. Other front runners are wood, aluminum, steel, brick and stucco.

You also get a wide variety when you install vinyl siding. It’s available in a broad spectrum of colors, which means you have just as many choices as paint colors these days. You also have your choice of textures, whether smooth or wood grain. In addition, you can choose from standard lengths with straight edges, scalloped edges or other kinds of decorative edges. Some siding is designed to imitate the look of natural wood grain shakes, which may fit in especially nice with your traditional home. Other siding is completely smooth which goes nicely with modern homes. From horizontal to vertical panels, you also have your choice of accessories also crafted from vinyl, such as soffit and window trim.

Ease of installation is another reason why vinyl is preferred over other materials, such as wood shakes, which take more precision to install. In addition, vinyl is durable, long-lasting, and resistant to rot, unlike wood which is susceptible to moisture warping and termite infestation. Vinyl is also very easy to clean. All you need is a high-pressure power washer to get off mildew, dirt and other stuck-on debris.

History

Vinyl siding has only been around for 70 years or so. It made its debut back in the 1950s as an alternative to aluminum siding, which tended to ding and warp very easily. Vinyl siding wasn’t wholly embraced as a building material right away. In fact, the early versions were prone to cracking, sagging, fading and buckling. Thanks to advancing technology, vinyl siding gradually improved in both chemistry makeup and ease of installation. Now, vinyl siding, as stated above, is the most popular home covering in the country – and for good reason.

Looking to convert to vinyl siding? Paramount Builders can install siding in any color, style or texture you want for long-lasting durability that will stand the test of time.