Are you trying to find out what type of siding product is best for your home? The right type of vinyl siding to keep your home protected and insulated, as well as to maintain energy efficiency. In this article, we’ll cover why vinyl siding products are the best choice for your home. Additionally, we will cover a little about the origins of vinyl siding.
At AWS, we have a passion to bring the best craftmanship products to your home and we also love to educate homeowners. Let’s explore what type of siding is best for your home, so you can be informed when looking for siding services.
Earliest use of aluminum siding date back to late 1800’s; however, official residential use didn’t start until the 1940’s and was extensively used until the 1970’s. Technology and new discoveries allowed the replacement of the aging wood siding that was widely used before. Aluminum siding was seen as a modern, more affordable and maintenance friendly option than wood, which also requires constant painting and frequent small repairs.
If damage does happen on the aluminum siding, it is more difficult to replace in comparison to vinyl siding products. Aluminum siding doesn’t rust because it has no iron; however, it can still corrode. It can be raining or hailing outside and the sound of water drops or hail impacting the home can be very loud, making your time enjoying a book or a movie in a rainy day a very loud and distracting experience.
In addition to this, another disadvantage of aluminum siding is that it requires a vast quantity of raw materials and energy to produce, making it a less environmentally friendly option for your home.
As technology advanced through the years, home owners started looking into better options that were not only initially more affordable but also had lower maintenance costs, offered more customization options and offered better protection for homes. Although, it became popular in the late 1970’s, vinyl siding started to be manufactured since the early 1960’s and the blending of colors was done manually.
Vinyl siding came to the market because it was so innovative and offered so many features that it allowed to replace the aging aluminum siding. Any scratches on vinyl siding won’t be as noticeable as scratches in aluminum siding, because they can reveal the metal surface below the paint. Even after replacing the damaged aluminum siding panel for a brand new one, color matching can be difficult, leading to mismatched panels.
Both aluminum and vinyl siding are durable; however, aluminum siding is more prone to dents and scratching. Vinyl siding, in comparison with other siding products, is slow to ignite and fire retardant, as a result, you would be having a home that is more resistant against high temperatures. Vinyl siding also needs high amounts of oxygen to burn and stay burning, so you can trust the safety that vinyl siding will bring to your home.
Considering that most homes are located in suburban areas, they are exposed to wildlife, rodents and small animals, vinyl siding gets one point when it comes to having the most protected home. In addition, the weather in the Northeast can be quite unpredictable and rough at times.
One example of this was hurricane Isaias in August of 2020. This hurricane caused a large number of damages in homes across Connecticut and Massachusetts, in addition to a lot of power outages. Vinyl siding not only protects your home against wildlife better than aluminum siding but it also protects your home better against branches, rocks, snow and heavy winds. With vinyl siding your home will be more protected!
Even high-quality aluminum siding won’t last as long as our high-quality vinyl siding. Some homeowners might find the highest quality aluminum siding in the market; however, this can only last up to 20 or 30 years before it needs to be replaced again. In contrast, vinyl siding has a longer lifetime of up to 50 years with no painting or updating needed. Aluminum siding was a great invention for its time, but after inventing vinyl siding, it not only looks better, but lasts longer, reduces your energy costs and costs way less to repair or install.
Not having a well-insulated home can lead to leaks of hot or cold air. This can cause both your furnace and your air conditioner to work harder to maintain the temperature you prefer inside your home. Aluminum, like any other metal tend to absorb heat more in the summer and can cause your home to be hotter than usual.
The reason is that all metals are good heat conductors and you will have to rely a lot on your air conditioner and room fans to keep your home cool, as a result, your monthly costs would increase. Vinyl siding on the other hand, is not a thermal conductor; however, it will keep the internal temperature of your home more to your liking. This gives another point to vinyl siding for keeping your home better insulated than aluminum siding!
Aside from being more scratch and dent resistant, vinyl siding is also more durable against warping and cracking. For parents worried about their children playing ball in the back yard and accidentally causing eye sores on their siding, vinyl may be the best option. Vinyl products are more damage resistant to these circumstances than any aluminum siding in the market!
Vinyl siding requires less maintenance than aluminum. Aluminum siding requires painting overtime. On the other hand, vinyl siding will never fade since its components block UV light and because the colors are baked in during production and this will result on your siding looking stunning for a very long time! All vinyl siding requires is some cleaning once in a while, making it the most maintenance friendly between the two.
Vinyl siding is molded from real cedar boards, giving it a unique look of real wood. Vinyl siding offers a wide variety of styles that can be of your liking such as scalloped, standard and more. There are also a lot of customizations that you can add to give your home the appearance that you prefer such as, window crowns, corner posts, door surrounds and more! There are no limits to your creativity!
Dents and scratching can lead to costly repairs over time, making siding more expensive over its lifetime. Whether you add an extra protecting board in the back of aluminum siding panels, or extra protecting paint coatings, aluminum siding will still be more prone to dents, scratches and natural decay than vinyl siding; therefore, you would still need to do constant repairs on aluminum siding panels. Why not save time and money on constant repairs with a product that is more affordable to install and maintain? When it comes to savings, vinyl siding gets another point in the competition.
The clear victor is vinyl siding. There are so many advantages vinyl siding has over aluminum siding, so if you are planning on upgrading the siding or simply changing the look of your home, don’t hesitate to check out our products and offers. Schedule an AWSome consultation to learn more about our awesome siding systems!
Upgrading or replacing the siding in your home is not only important to you as a homeowner but it’s also important for us that you are satisfied by getting the best siding products and services in the market. We take pride in not only bringing quality products to you but also in educating homeowners and being the most transparent company in the market.
For 40 years, Advanced Window Systems has been helping home owners improve their properties. Whether you are in Hartford County, Litchfield County, Middlesex County, Tolland County or Windham County and even Western Massachusetts, we have your back. Please give us a call and learn more about how you can make your home look beautiful and maintenance free with new vinyl siding.
Written by: Nicolas Espinosa
The Importance of Siding: Exploring the Best Home Improvement Choice Discover why siding is a crucial aspect of your home’s well-being and explore the top choice for enhancing your residence….
Must Haves and Essentials For Your Bathroom Have you ever wanted to spruce up your bathroom or make it easier to do your daily routines? If you answered yes to…
From Lackluster to Luxurious: Transforming Your Bathroom Aesthetics Does your bathroom need a makeover? Fed up with leaks and endless fixes? Ever wish your bathroom could feel a bit more…
Catios, or cat patios, have gained immense popularity among cat owners who want to provide their feline companions with a safe and enriching outdoor experience. When building a catio, selecting…
If you want the best Vinyl Replacement Windows for your home in Connecticut or Western Massachusetts, contact us today at 1-800-CALL-AWS to schedule your free in-home estimate!
