We’ve been seeing notable growth in the number of siding manufacturers trying to steal a piece of the business.  It’s understandable, after all, considering that sidings have become pretty indispensable as both decorative and functional external home fixtures.  Siding manufacturers are right in the forefront of the home remodeling market, being one of the most lucrative sectors in the industry.

Just as there exists a wealth of options in exterior sidings for your home, a large number of manufacturing companies has come along with it, offering their own take on what will best help outfit your remodeling projects.  Finding a siding manufacturer is now as easy as it can be that the biggest problem for homeowners is choosing one!

Whether customers are shopping for brick sidings, the always-popular wood options, hardiplank exteriors or low-maintenance vinyl units, they’ve been noticing more and more brands crop up.  While some people would prefer sticking with popular names, many opt for smaller outfits that offer comparable quality at significantly lower prices.  Which one should you choose for your own home remodeling?  Honestly, the options are so closely matched, it’s difficult to give a single, all-encompassing response.

What we’d recommend is to go through trade organization listings and consumer reports to check how often the manufacturer’s name gets mentioned.  Of course, it’s important to take note of the context (people can either be praising it or complaining about the product) in which their brand is mentioned when making your decision.  You can also check with local independent contractors.  These people most likely work with sidings day in and day out – and they should have a pretty good idea of the real-world performance for many locally-available brands.

Never have to paint your house again.  That’s the wonderful promise of vinyl siding installations.  It’s true to a large extent too.  Vinyl sidings, after all, are pretty durable.  They neither rot nor flake and many modern units come in colors and designs that mimic architectural details that were once only available for wooden surfaces.

They aren’t perfect, though, and do come with their own share of baggage.

1. Environmental Issues

Vinyl is derived from PVC, a plastic resin with cancer-causing properties in humans.  While the vinyl should be safe while installed in your home, their manufacturing and disposal have long been questionable.  Burning vinyl, for instance, produces toxic, highly-dangerous fumes.  If you’re an eco-conscious consumer, you’ll probably want to investigate the carbon footprints associated with vinyl sidings before pressing forward.

2. Property Appraisal

While vinyl siding is gaining greater acceptance among homeowners (and home shoppers), it bears repeating that it can still serve as a cover-up for some inherent problems.  I would probably be suspicious when buying a house filled with vinyl too and the burden of proving otherwise, of course, will rest on homeowners like you.

3. Maintenance

Vinyl sidings have been touted as maintenance-free.  After all, you won’t need to ever paint or stain the units.  Apart from an annual washing, there is really little needed to keep it from looking fresh.  Do expect some amount of slight fading starting five years onwards though.

What vinyl installations put your home at risk of, though, are hidden rotting and insect infestations beneath the sidings.  Left unchecked, the damage can end up being considerable before any signs manifest.

4. Energy-Efficiency

Some salesmen will try to sell you on the energy efficiency of vinyl.  They’re lying.  Vinyl panels provide no significant insulation so it will not help in lowering your energy bill.  Additional insulation inside the walls is what you’ll need if you want shaved-down energy use.