Durability makes vinyl tops among siding options

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/06/2004 (7827 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

AFTER a home’s roof, siding is the primary defense against all that is abusive to a home: precipitation, wind, temperature and sun.

So it should come as good news that siding improvements not only are doing a better job of protecting homes, they also do so in a manner that is far less labour intensive and with more curb appeal.

According to one industry insider, siding has come a long way from the days of wood and warped fibre boards. New genres follow the emerging trend of utilizing manmade materials that, frankly, leave natural materials in the dust.

“New sidings are a whole lot better than those that existed even a few years ago,” says Van Garber, vice-president of marketing for Owens-Corning, a siding supplier. “Siding now performs better, and lasts, much, much longer.”

According to Garber, vinyl siding dominates the market with a share of 44 per cent, followed by fibre cement at 14 per cent. Brick, stucco and wood composites each has about a 10 per cent share. Wood plank siding has fallen to five per cent. Steel and aluminum are mere fractions of the siding market.

This two-horse race for consumer attention developed primarily because of the high-performance and low-maintenance features each brings to the home improvement marketplace.

Garber says the reputation and strength of the vinyl siding market stumbled briefly 15 years ago. In an attempt to supply a low-cost product to homebuilders, vinyl manufacturers cut back on thickness. This led to a wavy appearance on walls or planks that damaged easily. Cheaper vinyls didn’t show colours very well, either. The industry learned its lesson and remedied its mistake.

Now, the vinyl industry has rebounded, in part because of self-imposed thickness standards and improved manufacturing processes. Lower-end vinyls are .040 of an inch thick, with super-premium vinyls at .050. To overcome colour fading, new materials used on the capstock — or face of the vinyl — stand up to ultraviolet rays much better and longer than PVC. Thicker vinyls with improved locking mechanisms withstand winds to 200 mph, daytime heat buildup of nearly 200 F, and hail — without denting or cracking.

But it’s not just about panel thickness. Garber says a “huge change” in the industry is the growing trend toward laminated vinyl with energy-saving polystyrene foam. These laminated siding panels are low-maintenance with the strength and rigidity of other materials.

Vinyl siding essentially hangs on the wall. Contrast this to heavier fibre cement planks, which are nailed directly into wall studs. As moist wall studs dry during new construction, timbres can twist or warp. The fixed fibre cement planks bow with the contours of the warped wall. Vinyl is more forgiving.

Still, with vinyl or fibre cement, consumers can expect a durable product requiring infrequent maintenance.

Don’t expect to install siding yourself. Special installation tools and skills are a must. Garber says the single-most important installation factor is to ensure the starter panel (working from the bottom of the wall up) is absolutely level. “Vinyl panels lock to each other, so it’s critical the first strip be hung exactly on a level.”

Vinyl needs room to expand and contract. “Many novices drive the nails all the way to the wall. That restricts expansion. Vinyl needs to hang on the nails” says Garber. “It takes a pro to know exactly how to do that.”

Both vinyl and fibre cement are sold in 100-square-foot “squares.” The average home has 20 to 25 squares of siding material. Prices differ throughout the nation. Generally, fibre cement costs up to twice as much due to costlier installation, painting and staining.

The Home Service Store is a home-improvement management organization that provides property owners a full range of home-improvement services and project guidance. For more information visit www.trusthss.com.

— Associated Press