subject: Vinyl Siding, The Answer To Every Homeowner's Prayers [print this page] Having to repaint the exterior of your home every couple of years is really annoying, isn't it? You might say that your prayers have been answered in the shape of vinyl siding, which saves you the headache of finding someone to hire for this job every couple of years.
Not only does vinyl siding come with products that are guaranteed to last up to 15 years, but it doesn't need much maintenance either pressure washings every now and then will make your house look as good as new.
With an 80% of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) in its composition, which makes it very durable, vinyl siding is manufactured in a broad variety of profiles, textures and colors. Like every good thing, there is a drawback to using vinyl siding instead of painting, in the sense that you need to choose a color and prepare to stick to it for years to come. Vinyl siding is available in a paintable form, which is still longer lasting than wood, but would leave you with at least some of the maintenance headaches of your existing exterior.
As for textures, you can choose them depending on the type of material used for your house, whether it's to match the wood grains or finishes like cedar or redwood or even brick. The styles normally used are either standard with pieces overlapping and forming visible seams, or seamless which pretty much resemble seamless guttering Depending on the style of your home you can decide upon either vertical or horizontal installation.
You will also want to consider the thickness of the siding, as that affects both how durable it is and the cost. The panels that you can normally find in home improvement centers are the standard type - 0.040- to 0.045-inch thick, and the premium type 0.055-inch thick. The premium grade sidings are mostly recommendable for houses in typically cold-weather areas or located in the vicinity of water.
If you have the standard rectangle-shaped home with average-height walls, with some hard work you can install the siding on your own. Corners, window and door tracks, J-channel and other items will have to be installed, as well as the cutting and installation of the siding. Now, even if it's cheaper this way, you should only do this if you have a lot of spare time on your hands.
If you have decided to enlist the services of a professional to do the installation, try not to get carried away if he presents you with an estimate that is lower than you expected. Be sure to get and check references, not just recent ones, but those they may have done several years ago. Try to get in touch with the owners of those houses and if possible pay them a visit to see how the siding on their homes is doing. You can't have a long-lasting vinyl siding if it is not properly installed, and while you are trying to get away from the maintenance of exterior painting, if the job isn't done right, you may have yet another problem on your hands.
