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Home siding is important with its additions to the aesthetic value of your home and the extent of protection it provides the home’s structure. You can decide the design of the structure with a few exterior siding options. Homeowners most commonly choose vinyl or wood siding for their home. But have you wondered what may be a better choice between vinyl and wood siding? We will help you to make a choice.
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Vinyl siding requires low maintenance after its installation. It doesn’t need refinishing or repainting. You can clean the siding by using a garden hose, soapy water and a rag to retain its original look. | Wood sidings require immediate maintenance work after it is installed. Over time, it has to be maintained by regular painting or staining at regular intervals. This can be a time-consuming and costly affair. Wood is susceptible to rotting, warping, or twisting. This can cause damage to the home structure and increase damage amounts. |
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Wood-eating pests and insects such as termites and carpenter ants cannot damage vinyl. However, the pests can attack your home’s wooden frame from beneath. | Wood is prone to attract wood-eating insects. The termites can infest and destroy or damage the wood siding and eventually the home as well. |
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Vinyl is a material that can last for more than 40 years. This makes vinyl siding durable in nature. | If structured procedures are used to maintain the wood siding during fixed intervals of time, it can last for 20 to 40 years or more. These procedures would include painting and staining the home siding. |
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Vinyl is high-quality plastic that is reasonably priced in comparison to natural wood. The quality of vinyl affects the price you pay for the home siding. | Wood sidings are expensive compared to vinyl. The initial cost of installing wood siding is high, as much as twice the cost of vinyl siding. The cost maintenance of the home siding accrues with time, adding the initial cost. |
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Choosing vinyl siding for your home gives you access to a range of styles and colours. It gives the liberty of customizing your home with different design combinations for a unique look. You can even get a wooden look with the option of grain-finished surface that feels just like wood. | Wood sidings are available in different styles. They give a traditional and regal look to the house which definitely adds to the beauty of the house. |
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Vinyl is likely to expand and contract due to climatic changes. It becomes brittle and cracks in cold temperatures. | Wood is not affected by extreme temperature changes and maintains its quality. |
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The installation process of vinyl siding is faster and easier. The material is cut and placed with nails to secure. If not installed by a professional, the siding can warp in the summer and crack in the winter. | For installing wood siding, the wooden board has to be cut with a saw. They then have to be coated with paint which in turn increases the labour hours to finish the job. Inviting professional workers can fasten the process. |
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Vinyl is made of plastic and can produce harmful gases when it is manufactured. When disposing off vinyl, the fumes emitted may be harmful to human respiratory system. Apart from that, vinyl home siding doesn’t cause any environmental issues. Furthermore, vinyl sidings can be recycled too if you don’t want to dispose them completely. | Although wood siding is an eco-friendly choice, it isn’t the best one. Remember, in order to make wood sidings, countless trees are cut, which means a grave impact on the environment. Also, disposing wood siding isn’t as easy as the preservatives and the fumes are be toxic. |
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Vinyl is not affected by moisture or humidity. Moisture cannot seep through vinyl siding panels. Vinyl siding has holes at the bottom to allow drainage if water gets behind the siding. This means that water heavy showfall or rains won’t affect the integrity of vinyl siding. | Moisture impacts wood causing it to expand and shrink. This can affect the home structure. |
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Vinyl sidings don’t require any additional work to be done. You can purchase the home siding in the colour of your choice. Customization is one of the highlights of installing vinyl siding. | When wood sidings are installed, it requires to be painted and treated immediately to maintain the appearance and add to its durability. This can make wood sidings a costly affair. |
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Vinyl sidings won’t affect the resale value of your house. They are equally as valuable as most other hhome siding types. | Similarly, wood sidings increase the value of your home. If you plan to sell your home, the home siding would level up the cost. |
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Some of the common types of vinyl siding include board and batten or vertical siding, horizontal or clapboard siding and vinyl cedar shake siding. | Some types of wood sidings include cedar siding, pine siding, fir siding and redwood siding. |
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You can add extra layers of foam insulation between the walls of your home and the siding. The foam insulation keeps your home warm during the winter and keeps it cool during the summers. | Wood siding in itself is a good insulator. But since it’s a natural product, it is prone to expanding and contracting with temperature changes. |
Vinyl siding is attractive with inexpensive cost, durability and low maintenance. The varied chances of customization can fit the design of your home. Thus, although both vinyl and wood siding have their pros and cons, it is your choice to select the alternative that would suit your home’s style. Contact professionally skilled installers for your home renovations.
