When it is time for siding replacement, you want to choose a siding option that looks good, lasts a lifetime, and fits your budget. At Bellwether, we are committed to siding proposals that meet our customers’ needs—and we will give you an honest assessment of the best siding products for your Colorado home. In this article, we’ll address the pros and cons of vinyl siding.
Because siding replacement is a large investment, many homeowners look for quick and affordable siding options. Vinyl siding is a cheaper material and easy-to-install, but our Bellwether experts do not recommend vinyl siding for Colorado homes. Here are the pros and cons of vinyl siding.
There are some pros to installing vinyl siding that make it an appealing option for customers considering full siding replacement.
Vinyl siding has historically been an affordable siding choice.
One of the reasons new construction homes use vinyl siding is because it is considered a low-cost siding material. Comprised of synthetic, lightweight materials, choosing vinyl siding was a way to keep expenses down. However, vinyl siding is less affordable than it once was due to inflation, supply chain issues, and the rising cost of building materials in general, and for not much more money, you can choose a higher-quality material, such as fiber cement siding.
Vinyl siding is easy to install.
Vinyl siding is often found in large development projects because it is easy to quickly install. The final result is a classic lap siding look, completed in a short timeframe. However, there are other siding options that can be installed with the same ease as vinyl siding.
Vinyl siding comes pre-finished.
Part of the reason vinyl siding is easy to install is that it arrives from the factory pre-finished and can simply be adhered to the exterior wall and called complete. However, many siding products, such as James Hardie fiber cement siding, also are pre-finished in a factory-controlled setting.
Despite these pro points, vinyl siding is not the best siding option for Colorado homeowners, and this is why.
Vinyl siding easily warps and shifts in the Colorado climate.
Vinyl siding is a synthetic, thermoplastic material. A thermoplastic material becomes pliable at an elevated temperature. In Colorado, where the temperature can rise and fall quickly, and where homes are exposed to long hours of baking sun, vinyl siding will soften, expand, contract, and eventually warp in the climate. A more durable siding product, like fiber cement siding, retains its shape even under harsh weather conditions.
Vinyl siding fades in the sun.
While the baking Colorado sunlight warps the vinyl siding, it is also fading that pre-finished color, so that vinyl siding ages quickly. Other pre-finished products, like fiber cement siding from James Hardie, are cured with Color Plus technology so that they never fade in the sun.
Vinyl siding can become brittle and crack.
While the warm temperatures and sunlight soften vinyl siding, the opposite happens in a Colorado winter of snow and ice. These extreme temperature changes, coupled with the dry, desert climate in the Denver-metro and surrounding areas, wear the vinyl siding to the point of brittle, and once rigid and dry, vinyl siding is susceptible to cracking and splitting.
For Colorado homes, fiber cement siding is a better option than vinyl siding.
At Bellwether, we live and work in this Colorado climate and understand what siding options are the best for Colorado homes. Fiber cement siding is a better siding option than vinyl siding because it is durable in the Colorado weather—not to mention fire resistant. For a little more investment, homeowners can get the same beautiful, classic siding look as vinyl siding in a product that is quick to install but will last a lifetime.
Bellwether is your best option for installing fiber cement siding in Colorado. We use high-quality products like James Hardie fiber cement siding and the industry’s best practices so that your wise investment in your Colorado home siding will hold up in the climate and remain beautiful for a lifetime.
