Learn the ins and outs (and pros and cons) of vinyl siding
Vinyl siding is an affordable plastic material that mimics wood siding in appearance.
Benefits include its affordability, ease of maintenance, and wide variety of colors and styles.
Drawbacks include its tendency to fade, crack, and break.
Buy extra vinyl material to allow for waste during installation and to make future repairs.
Vinyl siding has been around since the 1950s but has come a long way since then. New vinyl siding can add beauty and longevity to the exterior of your home and tends to cost less than other types of siding. Available in a variety of styles, textures, and colors, vinyl siding makes it easy to create the look of your dreams. Wondering if vinyl is the best siding material for you? Let’s weigh all the vinyl siding pros and cons.
Vinyl siding is a type of exterior residential siding made from plastic materials. It is manufactured into textured boards that fit onto your home similarly to wood.
Vinyl siding is made by melting PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and infusing it with dyes to give it a specific color, then setting it in a mold designed to give it a shape and texture similar to wood siding or similar materials. It’s an affordable, low-maintenance option, but it’s susceptible to damage from high heat, hail, and excess water. Consult a local vinyl siding professional to determine whether this type of siding is right for your home.
| Pros of Vinyl Siding | Cons of Vinyl Siding |
|---|---|
| Affordable | Fades over time |
| Variety of colors and styles | May lower your home value |
| No painting necessary | May hide moisture problems |
| Possible DIY installation | Needs room to expand and contract |
| Low maintenance | Not for historical homes |
| Decades-long lifespan | Not environmentally friendly |
| Insulating options | Warps in high heat |
| Pest immune | Painting can create warranty issues |
| Hail damage causes dents |
Whether you want a modern or traditional look, new vinyl siding can bring life to your home’s exterior. As one of the most cost-friendly siding options, vinyl is also long-lasting and easy to clean. Here, we dig into the key benefits.
Vinyl siding costs less than other types of siding like brick, partly due to the material prices but also labor, as vinyl is easier to install. Vinyl siding could save you anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 compared to other types of siding. Just remember: Price isn’t the only factor to consider. For instance, when considering brick vs. vinyl siding, you’ll pay less for vinyl siding but lose the long-lasting and environmentally friendly benefits of brick.
On average, vinyl siding costs $12,125 to install on an entire home, with most homeowners spending between $6,365 and $18,215 for materials and labor. Vinyl siding tends to be less expensive than aluminum, stone, wood, brick, and stone veneer, including installation and materials.
Available in a range of colors and textures, your vinyl siding can be made to look like wood grain or a smooth modern surface. You can also choose between vertical and horizontal panels, crafting a custom design that complements your home. Vinyl siding colors range from forest green and gray to taupe and marigold.
Unlike wood siding that needs to be repainted roughly every five years, vinyl siding never needs to be repainted or refinished. This is rare among siding options. Even low-maintenance Hardie board siding made of concrete substrate still needs to be repainted every 10 to 15 years. While vinyl never needs to be touched up with paint, vinyl siding can be painted for aesthetic reasons if a homeowner decides they'd like a change down the road. Always remember that the best vinyl siding colors when repainting your siding tend to be light colors. Vinyl-safe colors are colors that are either similar to or lighter than the existing color.
When it comes to vinyl vs. wood siding or aluminum siding, which is easier to install? Vinyl takes the cake as far as installation. You can install vinyl siding if you’re experienced, but it’s better to hire a local siding installer in your area to ensure a quality job. While installing vinyl siding may be more DIY-friendly than many other types of siding, it's still not a recommended project for the typical homeowner.
Vinyl siding is incredibly low maintenance. Because it’s not painted, you won’t have to worry about the paint peeling over time, and it stays relatively clean on its own (a good rain now and then can wash away dirt and debris).
But that doesn’t mean you don’t ever need to lift a finger. So how do you clean vinyl siding, and how often?
Once or twice a year, grab your garden hose and spray down the exterior. Because of its slick surface, most debris and cobwebs come off with water. You can also make a vinyl siding wash with water and white vinegar to tackle dirtier areas; just scrub with a soft-bristled brush.
Be sure to read the cleaning recommendations from your manufacturer, as pressure washers can damage certain types of vinyl siding.
Another pro of vinyl siding? It’s in it for the long haul. Just how long does vinyl siding last? If it’s properly maintained, your vinyl siding can last 20 to 40 years—about the same as wood siding—while stone, brick, and stucco exteriors last longer.
The siding may incur some damage over its lifetime, but that doesn’t mean you need to wholesale replace the entire exterior. Instead, you can replace individual panels if they get damaged or cracked. And you don’t even need to call in the professionals if you’re handy enough around the house—you can learn how to repair vinyl siding on your own.
If your home has excellent insulation and exterior wrapping, you can save money by purchasing standard vinyl siding, which is easier to install. Standard vinyl siding has very little insulation, but comes at a lower cost. If your home needs additional or better insulation, you can invest a bit more in insulated vinyl siding to save on long-term heating and cooling costs.
Wasps, termites, and ants that frequently damage wood or engineered wood siding have no interest in vinyl. That makes this siding a great choice in areas that experience frequent pest infestations.
While there are a lot of pluses to vinyl siding, it’s not right for every home. Make sure vinyl is a good match for your house, neighborhood, and personal style. Here are the main drawbacks to consider.
Most vinyl siding is constructed with UV protection, but the color still tends to fade after 10 years because UV light is powerful. Fading is also often due to oxidation—a natural breakdown over time simply from the vinyl’s exposure to oxygen.
Because this is a natural process that happens over time, there’s not much you can do to stop it. But that doesn’t mean you have to strip off the vinyl siding and install new panels. Here’s how to restore faded vinyl siding and extend the life of your home’s exterior.
While vinyl exterior siding is usually less expensive than other types of siding, it can lower the value of your home—or, at the least, won’t raise it. This is especially the case with older homes, which may have unique architectural details that are then covered by the siding. In that way, vinyl can take away from the charm of an old house (and thus lower its value)—but it really depends on the preferences of the buyer.
Vinyl siding can hide issues like water or moisture in your walls. While wood siding warps and peels when water seeps underneath, vinyl doesn’t show these signs. You or your contractor should examine all walls and structural defects before putting on vinyl siding.
As temperatures fluctuate, vinyl siding panels will expand and contract. This can cause the individual panels to split and crack over time, especially if they aren’t properly installed. It’s always a good idea to purchase extra vinyl siding so you can replace panels as needed—but you won’t have this issue at all with some other types of siding.
Expansion and contraction are the main culprits behind cracked siding, but vinyl can also split if your lawnmower throws up rocks at it while cutting the grass, a limb falls on the side of your home during heavy winds, or hail pelts the siding during a storm.
The style of vinyl doesn’t usually mesh with historic homes and neighborhoods. Most historic neighborhoods have rigid guidelines about updating the exterior of a home, such as using the same material as when the home was built. These guidelines help to maintain the integrity and appearance of the historic district.
During the construction of vinyl siding, greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide, and carcinogens are produced. When vinyl siding is on your house, it releases low levels of harmful chemicals, but there have been no studies that show it causes health problems for homeowners.
High temperatures, especially in direct sunlight, cause problems for many types of vinyl siding, especially those made with low-quality materials or produced in darker colors. This siding starts melting at around 160 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Vinyl Siding Institute. That may sound very high, but siding warmed by the hot summer sun can reach temperatures beyond 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Most vinyl siding can be painted. But you need to be careful: Paint doesn’t work well on every vinyl siding type, and dark paint can create heat-warping issues. For those reasons, some manufacturers warn that painting the vinyl will void its warranty, something you want to avoid.
The lightweight nature of vinyl siding has many advantages, but that also makes it vulnerable to some storm damage, especially heavy hail. Direct hailstorms may dent vinyl siding, and windstorms that slam debris in walls can do the same. If your area is notorious for hail, it’s best to avoid vinyl siding.
While vinyl leads the pack when it comes to low-maintenance siding options, it's not the only choice for homeowners seeking easy and attractive products. Some homeowners are looking for architectural or high-end siding choices that are still easy to clean and maintain. Check out these options that can be used instead of vinyl:
Fiber Cement: Costing $5 to $14 per square foot, fiber cement is a durable, low-maintenance choice that can be customized to match the look of a home while providing strong fire and weather resistance.
Thermally Modified Wood: This high-end wood composite siding offers the look of wood without vulnerability to weather, shrinking-swelling cycles, pest damage, and other common bark siding problems.
Steel: While pricier than vinyl, steel siding offers a high ROI due to its nearly nonexistent maintenance, strong fire resistance, and mold resistance.
Veneer Siding: Costing between $5 and $11 per square foot, this aesthetically appealing option shows off the look of stone in a durable, affordable package resistant to fire and moisture.
Brick: While brick requires more long-term maintenance than vinyl and similar options, this eco-friendly, long-lasting siding made from clay and shale is resistant to fire, mold, mildew, and noise pollution.
Still wondering if vinyl siding is right for you? Exterior vinyl siding tends to work best in places like these:
Rainy, humid climates: Lots of moisture can be dangerous for wood siding, which can rot or grow mold. It’s also bad news for paint, which tends to degrade faster under frequent rain. Vinyl siding is largely immune to these issues, making it an excellent choice. There’s a reason it’s one of the most popular sidings for Mid-Atlantic regions like Washington D.C.
Areas with frequent pest infestations: If termites, carpenter ants, or other pests often make a meal of exterior wood in your region, defend against infestations using vinyl siding.
Coastal areas with windy, salty air: The combination of wind and salt found on the coast can be very corrosive for exterior materials, and siding takes the brunt of it. But vinyl has effective resistance against wind when properly installed, and salt doesn’t affect it, making it a popular siding choice for homes in coastal areas.
Locations free of fierce storms: Vinyl may have good defenses against moderate winds and storms, but it’s a lightweight siding and very strong winds can damage it. Avoid using vinyl siding in areas that experience hurricanes, tornado weather, or similar high winds.
Regions with mild temperature ranges: You don’t want your vinyl to become too brittle and break, or too hot and melt. It works best in temperate zones that don’t experience many freezing nights or days that hit 90 degrees Fahrenheit or more.
Cloudier areas: Vinyl fades under frequent UV exposure. If your area has plenty of cloudy days, your vinyl siding will last longer and stay stronger.
So you’ve weighed all these vinyl siding pros and cons and decided it’s the right choice for you. Now it’s time to buy. But where do you start?
Here are a few tips to make sure you purchase the right siding—and the right amount.
Focus on quality. Spend a little more for a higher-quality vinyl siding that will last longer. Look for high-quality vinyl that is 55-gauge or .55 inches thick for the greatest durability.
Be intentional about color. Review inspirational photos and homes in person to determine the colors you like best. Consider your neighborhood, too: What will mesh with the other homes or, if you prefer to be a trendsetter, what will make your house stand out?
Consider a different style. Determine if you prefer vertical or horizontal panels or a combination of both in your design. You can create a custom look by mixing the patterns. You may also be able to create a unique look by mixing vinyl with brick veneer or other siding types.
Purchase more than you need: There will always be waste when installing siding. Plus, you’ll want extra vinyl siding panels as replacements when the siding on your home gets damaged. We usually recommend 10% to 20% more than you need.
Buy through a siding installer. You can buy vinyl siding from home improvement stores and construction supply companies. But you should also check with siding installers, as they can often get discounts on vinyl siding and other materials.
While painting vinyl siding is never necessary, people who paint vinyl to update the look of their homes can potentially get the secondary benefit of giving siding a protective seal. However, the wrong paint can actually cause vinyl siding melting or warping by attracting sunlight and heat. It's important to choose a vinyl-safe paint color that is either equal to or lighter than the current shade to prevent attracting heat to a darker color. Most homeowners who choose to paint vinyl siding need to repaint every five to 10 years.
While vinyl siding's lifespan of 30 to 40 years is impressive when weighing vinyl siding pros and cons, other siding options can actually last longer. Steel siding can be expected to last 50 years. Stucco siding can last 50 to 80 years when properly maintained. Lastly, most fiber cement siding boards can be expected to last 40 to 50 years.
Vinyl can withstand many different cleaning methods, but there are two things you need to be wary of. First, particularly harsh chemicals will damage your vinyl siding, including powerful organic solvent like grease removers or furniture cleaners. Bleach will also damage vinyl siding in high concentrations.
Second, be careful about pressure washing your vinyl siding. Vinyl can resist powerful washing damage more than softer siding like wood, but high levels of pressure can still damage it. Use the lowest level of pressure for power washing vinyl, or hire a professional company to do it.
Warning signs of vinyl siding in need of replacement include cracks in the siding, serious fading of color, loose or missing boards, and boards that have warped or melted. If you notice these problems, it’s time to replace your vinyl siding or consider switching to a different type of siding that won’t have the same problems.
It’s possible to match new vinyl to your old siding, but it’s usually very difficult. First, vinyl siding fades in the sunlight, so even after a few years it may have a markedly different appearance than its original version. Second, the composition and manufacturing techniques of vinyl siding are always being updated, which means older vinyl siding is discontinued quite frequently. That increases the chances you won’t be able to match the exact color and design of your previous siding.
Good vinyl siding has no signs of warping or uneven boards, and no visible seams anywhere along the exterior wall. You should not be able to see the nails, fasteners, or substrate at any spot. Most vinyl boards are designed to overlap, and should overlap each other by an inch. Well-installed boards should have a slight amount of give to them without being loose, as this allows the boards to expand and contract across the seasons.
