Vinyl siding has become one of the more popular forms of house cladding on the market. Inexpensive, durable, and easy to replace when something goes wrong, it’s simple to see why new homeowners go for this material. But it’s not a perfect solution for every house—there are both pros and cons to vinyl siding.
The Good: Fewer Pest Problems
If you’ve ever lived in a house with wood siding or gables, you know the sound—someone or something is hammering away at the side of the house at a rapid-fire pace that not even the best handyman could achieve. But that’s no handyman—it’s just a pesky woodpecker, doing exactly what its name implies. Luckily, woodpeckers quickly learn to leave synthetic siding alone, especially when it features light colors that don’t mimic natural wood tones. As for termites, while they pose a problem to homes of virtually any construction, vinyl proves harder for them to chew through than wood, and it won’t attract the feeding frenzy that wooden siding will.
Even Better: Easy Maintenance
Weather is hard on houses. Not only do precipitation and ultraviolet rays take their toll on exteriors, but dust, cobwebs, and grime can gather on the sides of a house over time. Power washing brick and wood can erode your brick and send water into your walls—and the pressure can strip the paint right off. But you can easily hose down vinyl siding—no power washer required—and its waterproof nature keeps the structure safe.
A Downside: Keep Away From Sharp Objects
Vinyl is strong, but not indestructible. As you’re mowing the lawn or doing some edging work, take great care to keep those high-speed blades away from your siding. One of the most common problems homeowners face is siding damage. While you can touch up wooden siding that loses its paint, shredded vinyl siding calls for outright replacement.
Another Con: Diminished Resale Value
Despite the tangible benefits of vinyl siding and a respectable enough aesthetic, it’s not very popular. Just as homeowners have torn out the wall-to-wall carpet to reveal the hardwood floors beneath, authenticity is in on the real estate market, and vinyl siding carries the connotation of cheap and disposable suburbia. Installing vinyl siding rather than a more authentic cladding material could cause your home’s resale value to tumble. Perhaps the greatest consideration among the pros and cons of vinyl siding is this: how do you see your home? Is this investment a short-term one or are you in it for the long haul? If you plan to stay where you are, durable vinyl siding might be the right choice after all.