September 13, 2022
Bellwether is proud to be an Elite Preferred James Hardie contractor because we believe in the quality and the benefits
When you are siding your Colorado home, you want to accomplish a beautiful, long-lasting design that highly performs against the Colorado climate. At Bellwether, we are experts at siding Colorado homes with curb appeal and high functionality. Because of this expertise, we never recommend vinyl siding for any homeowner, despite its initial budgetary attractiveness.
Vinyl siding is composed of lightweight, synthetic material that presents as a cheaper wood alternative. Because of it affordability and easily-accessible materials, it was once a popular choice for quick home builds and renovation projects. The synthetic materials make it easy to maintain, but it does not have longevity.
The truth is, what once made vinyl an attractive choice is now moot. Firstly, in the past, vinyl siding could be as much as 30-40% cheaper than any other siding material. However, in order to achieve climate standards and due to supply chain issues, making once-accessible vinyl material much harder to come by, vinyl siding is now no more affordable than some fiber cement products, such as James Hardie fiber cement siding.
Vinyl was also once considered a low-maintenance siding option, this is not true over time. Vinyl is very susceptible to wear-and-tear, damaged by something as simple as the sun’s path across your home. In some cases, reflective heat between houses can even cause fading or melting as the baking sun passes along your vinyl siding.
Other Colorado climate concerns include hail and ice, which will break and dent your vinyl siding beyond repair, and color-matching replacement can be tricky. Neither is vinyl siding resistant to the wildfire dangers that threaten many Colorado homes—in fact, when exposed to intense heat and flame, vinyl siding will melt.
Siding options for Colorado homes must be climate-specific, and vinyl does not stand up well to the Colorado elements. Because Colorado home siding must adhere to thermal expansion and contraction, but vinyl is easily damaged by heat, which compromises its protective capabilities and the overall appearance of the siding. Colorado is also prone to high winds, and so at Bellwether, we won’t install vinyl siding below 040 thickness, and recommend only choosing foam-backed vinyl sidings, which are no more affordable than other, more resilient siding options.
It is also difficult to update vinyl siding. Often, in order to replenish the siding after weather- or age-related damage, homeowners will paint their vinyl siding; but unless those paints are premium products intended for vinyl covering, the paints can actually cause further, chemical damage that warps and destroys the siding materials. Therefore, vinyl siding is neither a long-term investment, nor does it add to your homes overall value.
If you must clad with vinyl siding, our siding experts recommend an insulated or foam-backed siding. Non-insulated siding leaves a hollow space between the vinyl siding and your interior wall, allowing for air flow and susceptibility to environmental elements. The added layer of a foam-backed vinyl siding does serve as insulation, but more so, gives support to the vinyl siding, cushioning the blows of weather-related impact and hopefully alleviating some potential damage. A foam-backed siding also holds up under darker, richer colors and is available in more modern styles than non-insulated vinyl siding.
However, in the Colorado climate, even a foam-back vinyl siding lacks the defense needed to withstand environmental elements like high winds, harsh temperatures, hail, and baking sun. Foam-backed vinyl siding is not especially cheaper than other, more resilient siding options such as fiber cement siding. Our Bellwether siding experts eagerly recommend James Hardie fiber cement siding because it is durable in Colorado weather conditions, resistant to fire, and resilient against the test of time, maintaining curb appeal in a myriad of brilliant color and style options.
Plus, fiber cement siding offers more overall protection for your home. We will always adhere to the manufacturers’ best practices as the minimum standard for our installation procedures. This includes a guarantee that your fiber cement siding is properly installed with an expertly designed moisture management system. This design includes flashing, moisture barriers, drainage holes, and careful caulking to create a barrier between the living spaces of your home and the outside environment so that your home stays warm and dry. Our expert designs work hand-in-hand with industry standards for the best results from your fiber cement siding.
Because of its stability and long-lasting durability against even the harshest Colorado climates, Bellwether is proud to recommend fiber cement siding for most Colorado homes. We take pride in backing this product recommendation with our highly-skilled installation and design processes, leaving you with a beautifully finished, comfortable, and fully-protected home. We are available to answer your questions about vinyl siding and address concerns about other siding types, however we will always recommend alternative siding options over vinyl siding.
Unique to Bellwether, we offer a pre construction meeting where we provide a clear and detailed scope before we begin building.
Open communication with project manager crew leader, and internal representatives.
It's not over until you say so. We value your satisfaction with our product above all else. We offer final walkthrough to guarantee you are pleased.
Our team is proud to serve our homeowners on the Front range of Colorado. We know the unique needs of our clients and deeply care about the look and durability of your home’s exterior. Our team of experts are here to guide you through the process of repairing or replacing your home’s siding and windows.
30 - year Product Warranty | 15 - year Finish Warranty
Personalized Exterior Design Service
Excellent Service & Support Throughout Project Lifecycle
3D & HD Renderings of Your Home
Our team is proud to serve our homeowners on the Front range of Colorado. We know the unique needs of our clients and deeply care about the look and durability of your home’s exterior. Our team of experts are here to guide you through the process of repairing or replacing your home’s siding and windows.
30 - year Product Warranty | 15 - year Finish Warranty
Exellent Service & Support Throughout Project Lifecycle
Personalized Exterior Design Service
3D & HD Renderings of Your Home
Vinyl siding is composed of lightweight, synthetic material, generally chosen as a budget option.
Bellwether never recommends vinyl siding for any homeowner, despite its initial budgetary attractiveness. There are many drawbacks to vinyl siding that make it much more expensive over time than the initial price tag suggests.
Because of the lightweight materials, vinyl siding is very susceptible to damage, nor does it protect from the Colorado weather elements. At the risk of fire, vinyl will melt. Even under ideal conditions, vinyl siding requires heavy maintenance to maintain any effectiveness.
Because of its stability and long-lasting durability against even the harshest Colorado climates, Bellwether is proud to recommend fiber cement siding for most Colorado homes. We take pride in backing this product recommendation with our highly-skilled installation and design processes, leaving you with a beautifully finished, comfortable, and fully-protected home.
Bellwether is proud to be an Elite Preferred James Hardie contractor because we believe in the quality and the benefits
At Bellwether, though we don’t build walls, we have complete knowledge of framing and wall construction so that we can
Location: Longmont, Colorado Type of Siding: Cedar Age of House: Built in 1987 The Problem: The Dimeffs were dealing with
Choosing the right windows for your mountain home is both an art and a science. At Bellwether, we understand the unique demands that come with
Home exterior design can be a large, overwhelming undertaking. Your home exterior should be durable and protective, but it is also the first impression of
As a veteran of the US Air Force, I often reflect on how the core values I embraced during my six years of active duty
