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We replaced our masonite siding 2 years ago because it was falling apart. The company replaced all the rotted masonite with exterior-grade plywood. Then they covered the entire house in a 1/4 thick foam barrier board. Then they placed the siding on top of that. We do not have any mold, although many of our neighbors do. We chose a higher grade siding which cost more, but still looks like it was just installed 2 years later - and no mold. You get what you pay for!
I would really appreciate any information regarding the pros and cons of vinyl siding (or aluminum siding for that matter) and if we were to buy a house with siding is there any reason why we couldn't take it off and have the original wood (or brick?) showing again? Is that expensive?
I'm with plaidmom on this one - yuck! When we had our older home resided - the cedar on the west face had weathered to the point that we couldn't get it to hold paint - we went with Hardiboard. It was less that new cedar (and no one was willing to guarantee that we wouldn't get tannin bleed through on new cedar) but more than vinyl would have been.
I have seen a few homes sided with vinyl that don't look too bad, and those have tended to look good over time as well. Most of the vinyl that I've seen eventually chalks and/or mildews, the seams don't hide well and the corner treatments are hideous.
The few places I've looked at with aluminum siding weren't pretty - they looked like they'd been through hail storms. OTOH these were fairly old so there may have been improvements since then.
It's not likely that any wood under existing vinyl will be useable, though we did see one example locally so I won't say that it can't happen.
Wait--so you can paint aluminum siding? Can you paint vinyl siding? So where is the maintenance free in that?
You can NOT paint vinyl siding, that's what makes it maintence free!
and I could be wrong, but I don't think you can get aluminum siding done
anymore...
I have never lived in a home with vinyl siding and many of the older homes we are looking at to buy have it. I don't know why but I just don't like the idea of it--it's plastic and I don't want to live in a plastic house--but then again there must be advantages--cheaper? easier to maintain? Insulating?
I would really appreciate any information regarding the pros and cons of vinyl siding (or aluminum siding for that matter) and if we were to buy a house with siding is there any reason why we couldn't take it off and have the original wood (or brick?) showing again? Is that expensive?
Do people put up vinyl siding to hide damage? I can only imagine it's like when you take off wallpaper and see the state of the walls underneath how you then understand why the wallpaper was there in the first place.
Is it expensive taking it off? Would it decrease/increase a home's value if it was taken off?
Thanks in advance for any views or insights you have.
It is both good and bad. A lot depends on the particular house. There are good alternatives, even for a new house.
New houses are designed to use a siding like vinyl. Their dimensions and trim out are made that way. Like for how the soffits, eaves, windows, doors trims will fit. Most new houses look beautiful in well installed vinyl.
Vinyl is not cheap today. An oil based product. The trim is horribly priced. There is an alternative siding to vinyl. Cement based product. Web search for James Hardie. Comes in a large variety of styles. Can simulate lap, wood shakes, etc, etc. Beautiful product to use to restore old Victorians. There is also a vinyl board product that looks like wood. I got some of it to side a large shed. Very nice stuff. I got it surplus, big advantage, you can use normal wood trim out in a lot of places to dramatic cut costs. I doubt anyone would attempt to put vinyl siding over brick, can be done but would be a bit weird.
No in general you can not just take it off and go back to what was under it. On most older homes, they have been "Knocked Flat". All the wood trim detail have been removed, anything rounded or with any nice detail. Damage probably done during the prep for vinyl, no care is used, going to get covered anyway. The old saying; "If its vinyl, its final".
They want to get it into a condition like a new house. All surfaces flat with just the right dimensions in the trim areas. Plus there are nail holes all over the place, many shingles, lap boards, whatever have split. Basically you are probably going to make a mess. It would have to be disposed of, many dumps may not take it, classified as a building product, might be able to get a recycler to take it. Vinyl can be brittle after years, must be careful putting ladder up on it, can break. Also fairly easy to damage in a major hail storm with blowing wind. High winds can rip it off, a common type of damage claim. Give it a service life of say 50 years. Fades with time. Best practice is keep some spare pieces for future repair. Can be difficult to match as time goes on. Same with all siding products. Keep some repair stuff.
Aluminum siding is not a good choice. Dents easy, can show waves after a while, has a large expansion / contraction due to temperature swings. Can be painted. Good to remove and replace. Has a high resell value as a metal product for scrap. Dangerous in a fire. Results in much higher temperature within the building, holds in the heat in a major fire. Just about can't put a ladder up on it, tricky to maintain.
For a new house or even an old house I wanted to upgrade, today I would go with the cement based sidings. I have never installed it but seen it done. Looks like wood, designed to be painted, holds paint extremely well. Far more resistant to damage. Going to be most cost effective.
Natural wood products are still available but quite expensive. The red cedar resawn / butted shingles look fab, just don't lace the corners like in the old dazes.
NAH loves brick and that may be better buy today. Tho brick homes can have their own problem sets.
I have never lived in a home with vinyl siding and many of the older homes we are looking at to buy have it. I don't know why but I just don't like the idea of it--it's plastic and I don't want to live in a plastic house--but then again there must be advantages--cheaper? easier to maintain? Insulating?
I would really appreciate any information regarding the pros and cons of vinyl siding (or aluminum siding for that matter) and if we were to buy a house with siding is there any reason why we couldn't take it off and have the original wood (or brick?) showing again? Is that expensive?
Do people put up vinyl siding to hide damage? I can only imagine it's like when you take off wallpaper and see the state of the walls underneath how you then understand why the wallpaper was there in the first place.
Is it expensive taking it off? Would it decrease/increase a home's value if it was taken off?
Thanks in advance for any views or insights you have.
Hi! We lived in a house with vinyl siding in the Mountains
of western MD. The house was only 4 years old when we bought it, so I'm sure they weren't trying to hide any damage. However, I will say, I won't ever live in another home again with vinyl siding. we now have a brick house here in FL and I love it.
The bad thing about it was...the wind! We got a lot of high winds in our area and every night in the winter I woke up with my heart racing...it sounded like a freight train was coming thru our house! Vinly siding flexes, and the sounds it makes in a windy area are horrible!
On the pro side, you don't have to paint it. Once again, in a high wind area, plus lots of bad weather, your house really gets worked over. We had to paint the deck and hand rails every year we were there...they were wood.
The house I'm referring to was built in 1999.
Don't know if this helps or not...just my 2 cents.
Thank you all so much--what a wealth of information here--I really appreciate it.
MsMuir--I would never have imagined that it would make noise in the wind! That would bug me for sure. Wood must move too or else it would fly off I guess. (I'm guessing here, as you can tell I'm no expert)
Cosmic--what excellent information--many thanks. It makes me sad to think so much of the charm and original features has to be stripped off or otherwise ruined through the vinyl installation process. That's what I want in an old house--and I am so glad to know this because I can totally see myself falling for an otherwise great house with vinyl siding, optimistically thinking, aw, we'll just rip it off it'll be as good as new..then being heartbroken. The aluminum siding is just scary!
escapetahoma--I have seen the photo of your house in another thread. I don't think I've ever been more jealous in my life. It's gorgeous!
Thanks everyone for your views, I had originally specified to the agent--no vinyl siding--and she said--oh but it makes the list so much shorter, it's not so bad, and I sort of did get that "ick" factor plaidmom spoke of every time we went to see one.
We live in a Victorian (1895) terrace house in London England which has had nearly every original feature inside and out stripped off. There are plenty of identical houses on the road that are full of the original detail and have been untouched--beautiful--and ours looks like a shoebox with an ugly shoebox bay window--(why?--the price was right!) We've made the best of it, but now that we are moving back to the states, we are going for charm, charm and more charm. I just have to add that some people have said that our house is the nicest on the block --everyone has their own opinion and taste, which is good for us since we'll be able to sell it!!
escapetahoma--I have seen the photo of your house in another thread. I don't think I've ever been more jealous in my life. It's gorgeous!
We got lucky We have the ability to move just about anywhere in the states that we want so we first set out the things that we had to have (more sunshine but still some humidity) and used that to narrow things geographically. After that we just cruised the internet looking at houses until we found one that was jaw droppingly beautiful, in a good area (smallish town in Wisconsin), at a GREAT price.
vinyl is total garbage in my book, i built a garage about 12 yrs ago & put vinyl on it, that was the big thing back then, was told oh yea that's the way to go has a 30 yr or more warranty, you never have to worry about it, it was a big mistake, it has a small place of mold on the northeast side, the south side the sun hits it all the time it has gotten so brittle that if you push on it it cracks.
vinyl is total garbage in my book, i built a garage about 12 yrs ago & put vinyl on it, that was the big thing back then, was told oh yea that's the way to go has a 30 yr or more warranty, you never have to worry about it, it was a big mistake, it has a small place of mold on the northeast side, the south side the sun hits it all the time it has gotten so brittle that if you push on it it cracks.
We live in a Victorian (1895) terrace house in London England which has had nearly every original feature inside and out stripped off. There are plenty of identical houses on the road that are full of the original detail and have been untouched--beautiful--and ours looks like a shoebox with an ugly shoebox bay window--(why?--the price was right!) We've made the best of it, but now that we are moving back to the states, we are going for charm, charm and more charm. I just have to add that some people have said that our house is the nicest on the block --everyone has their own opinion and taste, which is good for us since we'll be able to sell it!!
Tiggywink if you really want a Victorian style house in the states buy one without any vinyl. You can redo a house in the newer cement products. Even to include all the gingerbread. Some can be brought directly, or it can be cut.
Beware of old houses with loads of lead based paint. Can tell you some stories about that are hair bending.
The other thing to know about Victorians the best ones are probably done by folks that specialize in restoration of them. Ain't cheap. Lots of examples in Hyde Park, Ma where I used to live but bring your check book. If you get to far out in the boonies, can be difficult to find the right suppliers.
Lot more to it than just the charm and O' it is so pretty. Remember the realtor agents love to sell charm, act like you could care less.
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Both good and bad
