If you want a new home and have looked into vinyl siding as an option, you may already be aware that it comes in many different styles, colors, and prices. With so many choices it can be difficult to find the right vinyl siding for your needs. In this article, we will discuss the cost of Vinyl Siding and how to choose the right one for you. It is important to know what you will be paying before you go out and begin the process of finding the perfect vinyl siding for your home.
Vinyl Siding Cost – All hardware stores and home improvement stores carry vinyl siding but the actual cost will vary depending on the style you choose, the size of the pieces, and how much of the house you want to cover. If you only want to cover one side of your house, such as the rear deck, you will only need the vinyl siding on that side. For a Cape Cod home with ample windows, a full vinyl siding project covering the entire exterior will be needed. Vinyl will come with a batten, however, if you buy unfinished pieces, you will have the ability to stain and paint them to match your existing color scheme. The price of unfinished battens will also be less than those that come with prefabricated pieces.
Exterior Cost – The price of installing new vinyl siding job will depend on how much work you are planning to do. If you have an extremely large budget for a new siding project you may have the freedom to choose the style, material, and size that you want. However, if you want to get a really low per square foot cost, you will want to select materials and colors that are more within your price range.
Exterior Fiber Cement Vs Vinyl Siding – Fiber cement is often an option that homeowners look at when choosing between vinyl siding and wood siding. There are advantages to both of these products, but they each have their own downfalls. Wood siding is generally higher in price, has a shorter life span (sometimes not even lasting a year), and must be maintained year-round. On the other hand, fiber cement can be installed on any number of surfaces and last up to 30 years, is naturally resistant to mold and mildew, and can be painted any color.
Exterior Material – When comparing the cost of vinyl siding to fiber cement, the answer is quite clear. Vinyl has the advantage of being easily stained and can be painted any color, although wood siding is still the overall winner here. If you have a preponderance of wood siding in your yard, then you can probably save some money by opting for vinyl siding. Otherwise, the two materials should be compared on a per square footage basis. Remember that exterior vinyl siding is installed by professionals, so expect to pay slightly more than you might if you were doing it yourself.
Exterior Shingles – The final aspect of comparing vinyl siding and wood is whether or not you will need to add shingles to your home after installation. Vinyl typically comes with pre-shingled edges, whereas wood requires that you add the shingles yourself. This can make for a very labor-intensive project, depending on the extent of the project. The average cost of vinyl siding is roughly half of what wood costs per square foot, so you definitely gain an advantage here. Additionally, wood is obviously heavier, so additional labor costs may need to be accounted for. So, when deciding between wood and vinyl siding, you need to factor in the additional labor costs.
Installation Method – If you’re looking at both wood and vinyl siding, you also need to consider installation methods. While some of the features of each may look like they are similar, many have differences that you will need to take into account. For example, wood typically requires stapling or nails, whereas vinyl siding does not. Factor this in as well when deciding between the two.
There are certainly quite a few differences between wood siding and vinyl installed on the exterior of a home. However, they all have one thing in common: both cost less than natural materials like real wood. So, take a look at all of the options available to you, weigh them out, and then decide which option will work best for you. Once you do that, you can start to determine how much you’re willing to spend.