Vinyl siding is one of the most commonly used siding materials at condo properties in New England, both for new construction projects and for siding replacement projects. Other commonly used siding materials include traditional cedar clapboards, cedar shingles, and, more recently, fiber cement siding.  Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of vinyl siding:

There are two main advantages of vinyl siding:

1.  Low Cost! Vinyl siding is typically much less expensive to purchase and install than traditional wood siding or fiber cement siding materials – sometimes half the cost!   First of all, vinyl siding is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and therefore, to purchase (compared to wood or fiber cement).  Secondly, vinyl siding can be very quickly with minimal experience, and it is fairly easy to work with, all of which reduces labor costs during installation.

2.  Low Maintenance! Vinyl siding never needs to be painted, and it is completely immune to moisture related deterioration (unlike wood or fiber cement).  The only maintenance typically needed for vinyl siding is a periodic powerwashing to remove dirt and mildew, and perhaps the replacement of isolated panels that may become broken or damaged over time.

When properly installed, vinyl siding can have a long service life of over 30 years with hardly any maintenance.  This is why so many condo associations opt to replace their tired wood siding with vinyl – the long term cost savings are incredible.

However, vinyl siding has some drawbacks too:

1.  Aesthetics. Many people simply do not like the look and feel of vinyl siding.  Vinyl siding manufacturers do their best to impersonate traditional wood materials, but in the end, it’s still plastic.  Some owners feel that vinyl siding cheapens the value of their property, and others just don’t like the “fake” appearance of vinyl siding.

Another related issue is color fading.  Vinyl siding fades over time as it is exposed to the sun’s UV light. Fading is unavoidable.  This is part of the reason why vinyl siding only comes in white and other light colors, because the fading will be less noticeable to the human eye.

Vinyl siding also expands and contracts with seasonal temperature swings. This can cause siding panels that are fastened too tightly to buckle and pull away from the building during the hot summer months, or for the panels to shrink and leave portions of the underlying structure exposed during the cold winter months.  This is why proper installation of vinyl siding is so important.

2.  Strength & Durability: Vinyl siding is a very durable material  - it doesn’t deteriorate when it gets wet (like fiber cement), and it isn’t vulnerable to insects (like wood).  However, vinyl siding isn’t very strong.  Most vinyl siding panels are very thin (around 0.04 inches) and they can easily be cracked or punctured when impacted.  Vinyl siding becomes especially brittle during the cold winter months.  If your condo complex has a history of kids throwing rocks or baseballs at the buildings, then vinyl siding may not be the best  option for you.

Also, vinyl siding is fairly vulnerable to heat.  If your residents are allowed to use gas grills on their decks or balconies, make sure they don’t place them too close to the siding!

3.  Weathertightness. Vinyl siding may be made of solid plastic, but it is not weathertight!  There are seams all over a vinyl sided wall, all of which are susceptable to wind-driven rain.  In fact, vinyl siding is manufactured with drainage holes in the bottom of the panels because it is expected that water will get behind the siding.  For this reason, it is crucial that the building wrap behind the siding be properly installed, as well as all of the flashings at key areas such as windows, doors, light fixtures, and other wall penetrations.

Take these pros and cons into consideration when planning your siding replacement project at your condo!