It’s time to reside your home but what siding products should you use? Vinyl siding, James Hardie Fiber Cement siding, or LP Smartside siding? What are the pros and cons of each product? What is right for you? Let’s tackle those questions with this article.
Back to the basics– what is vinyl siding and what is considered a hard board siding?
Vinyl siding is primarily made up of PVC resin that is extruded out to make up the length of the siding piece. The top layer usually includes fade resistant material to protect the original color of the siding from fading in the sun.
Hardboard siding can cover an array of products but is meant to simulate a real wood product. It’s a solid board while vinyl siding is a shell. Our company only offers LP Smartside and James Hardie Fiber Cement Siding as hardboard options. LP Smartside is an engineered wood product including waxes, resins, and wood strands harvested from a renewable wood source. James Hardie Fiber Cement is cellulose fibers, cement, sand, water, and minor additives. Both LP Smartside and James Hardie Fiber Cement use heat and pressure (in different ways) to create their finished product. Below are 2 virtual tours of the factories.
In the photo, you can see the vinyl siding only gives the allusion of being a solid piece while LP Smartside and James Hardie Fiber Cement Siding are actually solid pieces of siding.
Pro’s of Vinyl Siding
- Maintenance free
- Costs less than LP Smartside or James Hardie Fiber Cement Siding
- Easier to make storm damage repairs on
- Most Siding Contractors can install correctly
- Wide array of colors
Con’s of Vinyl Siding
- More susceptible to storm damages
- No insurance discounts
- No custom color options are available
- Limited in profile options (Double 4″ and Double 5″ are available in most colors. Single 8″ is only available in white)
Pro’s of LP Smartside Siding
- Impact resistant (may qualify for insurance discounts)
- Available in standard colors or custom colors
- Comes in a wide array of profiles
- Looks like real painted cedar siding
- Does not require and special blades or tools to install
- Costs slightly less than James Hardie Fiber Cement because it’s slightly easier to install
Con’s of LP Smartside Siding
- Limited contractors are skilled enough to install properly
- Requires re-caulking around every 3- 5 years
- Harder to make repairs on
- Costs 4-5 times more than vinyl siding
Pro’s of James Hardie Fiber Cement Siding
- Impact Resistant (may qualify for insurance discounts)
- Fire Resistant (may qualify for insurance discounts)
- Available in many profiles and styles (Board and Batten come in custom widths)
- Looks like real cedar siding
- Available in 700+ standard colors
Con’s of James Hardie Fiber Cement Siding
- Limited contractors are skilled enough to install properly
- Requires re-caulking every 3-5 years
- Higher risk of product breakage in delivery
- Needs special blades and tools for install
- No custom colors are available (but it is available in 700+ standard colors)
- Costs 4-5 times more than vinyl siding
Conclusion
If you plan on staying in your home for a long time, a hardboard option might be right for you if it is within budget. If you aren’t sure how long you will live in your home or are trying to update on a slimmer budget, vinyl siding might be the best option for you.