When it’s time to replace your siding, you have multiple choices for materials. The most common options are natural wood and vinyl siding, which homeowners prefer for the lower cost and overall look. However, there are pros and cons to both of these options. By comparing them and consulting with local siding companies, you can determine which material is the best choice for your home.
Siding companies like our team at Resilient Construction will help you weigh your options and choose the best siding material for your home.
Natural Wood Siding
Natural wood is the classic choice for siding, especially in New England, where many homeowners want to preserve a traditional aesthetic. The appealing look can also enhance the value of your home. Multiple types of wood are suitable for siding, including cedar, pine, or even redwood. Each offers different colors or woodgrain patterns, and some types of wood, like cedar, are resistant to insects. Pine is common in this area, especially if you are going to paint your siding. Wood also provides natural insulation, helping to regulate the temperature of your home. In fact, after replacing your siding, you may notice a decrease in your heating and cooling bills.
The biggest downside of natural wood siding is that it requires regular maintenance. You have to stain or paint the wood every few years to protect it from moisture, pests, and decay. Natural wood also has a higher upfront cost than vinyl siding, especially premium wood.
Vinyl Siding
Vinyl siding has become a popular choice among homeowners because it is low maintenance and inexpensive to install. It is also resistant to pests, decay, warping, and water damage, so it is durable and long-lasting. Because vinyl is an engineered material, it can be made to look like almost any other material—wood being the most common—and it comes in several colors.
The appearance of vinyl is an advantage as well as a drawback. From a distance, vinyl siding looks like wood or whatever material it’s imitating, but up close, it’s obvious that it’s vinyl. Vinyl also becomes brittle over time and can crack, and you have limited repair options in that case. With wood siding, you can replace individual damaged pieces, but vinyl siding goes up in large panels, so you have to replace the entire section if it is damaged.