Getting New Siding..........Aluminum or Vinyl???

[FinanceDude]

We had a couple hailstorms last year, and my insurance company is "buying me" a new roof and new siding. I'm going with dimensional 30 year shingles, but am unsure about what kind of siding to get.

It has aluminum now, but I am told I have a choice as to vinyl or aluminum. I always thought aluminum was a better insulator??

Any thoughts from the "consortium" would be appreciated...........

 

[REWahoo]

If you have the option to go with a cement fiber siding such as Hardiplank, I would strongly recommend going that way even if you have to pay for the upgrade.

 

[boutros]

Depending on the style of your house and your budget you may want to also look at a concrete fiberboard product as well. It is a more expensive than vinyl by about a third to a half but much more durable and better looking in my opinion. Supposedly more environmentally friendly if that does anything for you.

http://www.jameshardie.com/homeowner.htm

 

[boutros]

If you have the option to go with a cement fiber siding such as Hardiplank, I would strongly recommend going that way even if you have to pay for the upgrade.

you beat me to the punch

 

[smileydog]

I used hardiplank on my home and have been very satisfied with the product. It seems like consumer reports had a comparison on this a while back. I will check later.

 

[FinanceDude]

I used hardiplank on my home and have been very satisfied with the product. It seems like consumer reports had a comparison on this a while back. I will check later.

Was it a lot more than aluminum or vinyl??

 

[REWahoo]

I found a 2003 CR cost comparison:

Siding cost (sq. ft.)

VINYL $0.45-$1.90

WOOD
SHINGLES/ $0.67-$3.46
CLAPBOARD

FIBER CEMENT $0.84-$2.55

 

[Dawg52]

Hardiplank will require painting though, although not as often as wood. Does look better than vinyl.

 

[FinanceDude]

Hardiplank will require painting though, although not as often as wood. Does look better than vinyl.

I thought it came pre-painted, with a 15 year warranty??

 

[Dawg52]

I thought it came pre-painted, with a 15 year warranty??

Maybe it does now. A friend of mind had to have his painted when he built his house about 5 years ago. Maybe thats not the case anymore.

Edit: See below from their website.

James Hardie ® Siding Products

Whether you're building a new home or remodeling, James Hardie siding provides low maintenance, but unlike vinyl, doesn't sacrifice the beauty and character of wood. James Hardie fiber-cement siding resists rotting or cracking and it resists damage from rain and hail. Our house siding is also available pre-finished with a 15-year paint warranty. Best of all, James Hardie siding is non-combustible, with a limited, transferable warranty for up to 50 years. No wonder it's protecting over 3.5 million homes in North America alone.

 

[REWahoo]

Maybe it does now. A friend of mind had to have his painted when he built his house about 5 years ago. Maybe thats not the case anymore.

Yep, the option of buying it pre-painted is a fairly recent development. When we built using it on the rear of our house 8 years ago, it had to be painted. It holds paint very well and is still going strong, especially when compared to the wood trim I had to repaint last year.

 

[boutros]

my understanding is that it comes prepainted which should last around 15 - 20 yrs then you will need to repaint every 10 yrs or so.

 

[modhatter]

Agree on the hardi plank. But, vinyl will not dent like aluminum does.

 

[JPatrick]

Another possibility---Our new house has a real mountain look from the front with cedar siding and brick. The other 3 sides are less visible and are vinyl as are all the trim pieces and soffits. Works for me. It appears no one in this area has used aluminum for years.

 

[jazz4cash]

It has aluminum now, but I am told I have a choice as to vinyl or aluminum. I always thought aluminum was a better insulator??

Actually, its the other way around. I agree with the others about the Hardiplank. Ive also recently seen aluminum "cedar shake" siding tiles that give an upscale appearance. The "real" insulation goes under the siding anyway, so even the Al should be ok.

 

[UncleHoney]

If you go for the vinyl keep in mind they are not all created equal. About 4 years ago my Mom's house got hit by a bad hail storm and the vinyl siding shattered like glass. All the west and south facing walls had hundreds of quarter sized holes from golf ball sized hail and had to be replaced.

I did a test with a hammer and sure enough you could easily crack it. The same test on the vinyl siding I have on my house didn't even faze it. The siding on her house would crack if you tried to bend it double, mine just kinked. Don't know what brand was on her house but mine was Wolverine by CertainTeed.

UH

 

[samclem]

Yep, I agree with the other folks--Hardiplank is the nicest (but costliest and will ebentually need repainting), then vinyl, with AL at the bottom.

Regarding insulation--if your walls need it, this would be the time. If your home is older and has no/insufficient insulation in the stud bays (e.g. less than R-13 for most locations), cellulose can be blown in or you can use foam-type insulation. The contracftor will need to cut holes in the sheathing, but the new siding wil cover it up. Also, even if your home has a good quantity of insulation in the stud bays, it often makes sense to put approx 1" of foam sheathing under the new siding. The foam material costs very little, the only noteworthy costs will be some additional trim work (since the window openings will be thicker, etc). Although the foam will only provide an additional od R-3 to R-6 in typical thicknesses, it gives two benefits that are well out of proportion to this R-value:
1) It dramaticaly cuts thermal bridging from the inner wall surface to the outer wall surface that occurs through the wooden studs. Though you may have R-13 insulation in the stud bays, the wood studs have an insulation value of only R-4.4, and these (as well as ducting, pipes, etc in ter wall) usually make up about 25% of a home's wall area. Foam insulation on the outside wil cover all these areas.

2) In many cases, adding this foam will move the water vapor condensation point outside the stud cavities. Any home in a cool climate has the potential for water damage/mold if water vapor condenses to forms liquid water inside the stud cavities. Vapor barriers can help, but in the real world they are never perfect. By keeping the stud bays warmer, the foam helps to prevent the condenastion of water inside them during the winter. That is a good thing.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Hardiplank. Put it on my wifes old house and i'll probably put it on this one.

With elastomeric masonry paint (Behr is a decent option), you should get 15+ years out of a paint job. Goes on easy, tough as concrete, looks like wood. On sale this week at my home depot (might be nationwide).

 

[RedHawk]

What is so good about the hardiplank that justifies the required paint jobs?

 

[Brat]

Hardiplank is a winner, hands down. Ask any Realtor(R), homes with Hardiplank siding vs vinyl are worth more.

 

[UncleHoney]

What is so good about the hardiplank that justifies the required paint jobs?

Same guys that make Hardi backer board for ceramic tile.

http://www.jameshardie.com/

 

[skyline]

Not sure why I'm even bothering to post, since I'm just putting in yet another vote for Hardiplank.

Stuff is great, comes pre-primered, and takes paint very well. I do believe some homes require structural improvements as the boards are significantly heavier than wood/vinyl/aluminum, so you'll want to check that out.

 

[saluki9]

Guys, as a new homeowner help me out here. We're up for new siding in the next few years. How much would this stuff run me to replace all the siding on s 2 story 2700sqft house? Just a ballpark because I literally have no idea.

 

[REWahoo]

How much would this stuff run me to replace all the siding on s 2 story 2700sqft house?

The per sq ft prices I quoted in my post above were from an August 2003 Consumer Reports article and were "based on the 3,200 square feet of siding needed to cover the average new 2,300-square-foot house. Expect to add at least $3,000 for painting or staining. You’ll also pay extra for removing old siding and other related work."

 

[Brat]

Earlier posters said that Hardiplank is now available pre-painted. We got ours 10 years ago pre-primed. DH once commented that even if pre-painted he recommended that siding be painted again after install for the best appearance. His standards are VERY high, others may not be so picky.

Now to the material under the siding... my DH is not a fan of most building wraps used by contractors under siding. He recommends asphalt paper or a self-sealing breathable product (Gortex(t) characteristics). It may be more expensive but moisture penetration is a major cause of mold and dry rot. And while you are at it.. make sure that your windows are properly flashed. This is the ideal time to address this.

If the building envelope isn't in great condition all the interior finishes are like lipstick on a pig.

FYI, not only did we use Hardiplank on our home, DH has specified it for our daughter's home that is currently under construction. She is spending a huge chunk of change on the home in a very nice Silicon Valley neighborhood. The choice of Hardiplank was driven by the product features.