Vinyl Siding installation Costs (how much, buying a home, buying)

[ianwaters]

I see a few people getting their siding done and was wondering how much it costs to do the installation. Most of the houses I live around are colonial, 1500sf. I have heard it can be expensive but the house down the street from me just started Friday morning and it appears to be done as of yesterday (so two full days) They put a type of insulation one day and the siding the next. The house looks transformed! Gives me hope that if I find a house that I like but the outside is ugly I can put a vinyl coat on her! I wanted to factor this into buying a home

thanks!

[hotkarl]

Average is around 6k and up. Many factors are involved other than just square feet.
Pay extra for the better quality siding too, you'll be glad. And make sure that you actually get the better quality siding and that the contractor isn't screwing you by charging for the good and installing the bad. Most homeownwers can't tell the difference...until it's too late.

[scottzilla]

Originally Posted by hotkarl

Average is around 6k and up. Many factors are involved other than just square feet.
Pay extra for the better quality siding too, you'll be glad. And make sure that you actually get the better quality siding and that the contractor isn't screwing you by charging for the good and installing the bad. Most homeownwers can't tell the difference...until it's too late.

What other factors?
What is the difference between good stuff and bad stuff?
How can one tell the difference between good stuff and bad stuff?

[hotkarl]

The difference is the thickness and the raw materials used to make the siding.
Thicker often, (not always)=better, or more durable when it comes to vinyl.
Crap quality thicker ply may not always be better than a top quality brands thinner stuff, but anyway...
If you're on a budget and every single penny counts, use the thicker stuff on south facing walls, and use the thinner stuff on the less sunny or shadier sides.
Most brands should have the same colors available in all thickness.
Heat is vinyl sidings worst enemy. It is prone to buckling/warping under extreme heat.
The good stuff is almost the thickness of a nickle. The thin stuff is more like the thickness of a dime or a penny. I suggested this theory to my friend a few years ago.
His house and his neighbor face directly south, almost no shade. The neighbor had his place sided with the thinner stuff and within 2 years the side facing the sun began to warp and actually begin to fall apart at the seams. My friends place is going on 4 or 5 years and it's still straight as a pin. The neighbor still hasn't corrected the problem, he just keeps trying to nail it back up or glue it together with silicone. Yikes!

Other additional factors include style, and difficulty of installation. If you have crazy additions on your home, it's more measuring and cutting etc, not necessarily the sheer square footage of a home. Certainly a monstrous sized home will be big bucks, but a smaller home could possibly be just as expensive as a larger home if the labor is more intensive. These siding guys want to be done within a few days. Any and every job. More windows and doors=more measuring and cuts, trim, etc...doghouse dormers, all this stuff is factored in to the price. Don't forget about your garage either, sometimes the detatched garage is overlooked.

[KarenBo]

Considering what you say about the heat warping factor, is it worth the money? I'm not ready to change my siding yet (have aluminum now) but when I do, I'm thinking of cement board siding. It seems a little more expensive but it may be worth it in terms of longevity.

[scottzilla]

Originally Posted by KarenBo

Considering what you say about the heat warping factor, is it worth the money? I'm not ready to change my siding yet (have aluminum now) but when I do, I'm thinking of cement board siding. It seems a little more expensive but it may be worth it in terms of longevity.

I like that cement board stuff too. I think it double the price, not "A little more expensive" though.

[hotkarl]

Go to the home forum and do a search on the cement board stuff, seems there's some controversy about it.