If your home's wooden siding is aging and starting to look worn, you may be thinking about having it replaced. However, before you decide to simply replace it with newer wooden planks, consider the following reasons why you consider opting for vinyl siding instead.
1. Vinyl Is More Energy Efficient than Wood Siding
While wood is generally a natural insulator, it does come with the inherent problem of contracting in freezing weather. When the temperatures are cold outside, the wood fibers contract, leaving small spaces through which the frigid air can enter your home.
However, unlike wood, vinyl siding does not contract when the air temperature surrounding it dips below freezing. It will not consistently create gaps in your home's first barrier to the air outside.
Also, since vinyl siding is thinner and more lightweight than wood, it allows for the installation of extra foam insulation underneath. You can even have it applied over your current wood siding, as long as the old material is not rotting away or has suffered extreme damage. This then increases the insulation for your home, allowing for lower energy costs.
2. Vinyl Requires Less Maintenance than Wood
As you probably know, wood siding comes with a lot of maintenance and extra work. Every year, you need to check for loose or split boards that need to be repaired or replaced. Also, if you want to keep your home's appearance up, every few years, you have to scrape off bubbling or chipping paint, then repaint your house.
However, vinyl does not require this extensive maintenance to keep it looking nice. The material from which the siding is constructed does not easily break or crack, reducing the time and cost repairing it.
Also, the color of the vinyl goes through the entire thickness of the material. Even if the surface is scratched, the color remains and is not noticeable. And, since the material is not painted, you do not have to worry about the surface bubbling up or peeling. This can save you many hours of work by not having to worry about scraping the side of your house so that you can repaint it every few years.
After considering the benefits of having vinyl siding on your home instead of wood, you may be ready to learn more. Contact a company that offers home siding replacement for more information about having vinyl siding installed on your house.