Cost of New Siding

New siding serves twofold purpose – it protects the house or the building from the elements and it also greatly improves its appearance. The traditional materials that were the choice of the day decades ago are slowly being replaced with cheaper, more durable and environmentally-friendlier ones.

Unless you have unlimited resources (and most of us don’t), you will have to carefully consider the cost of a new sliding. The first factor that you have to take into account is to actually decide if you need new sliding at all. Regardless of your house’s current siding material, it most likely can be restored – metal, brick, wood and even vinyl tend to fade and get discolored over time, but simple restoration can bring back the siding’s colors and add some gloss to it as well. Not to mention that the restoration process is likely to cost anywhere from ten to fifteen times less per square foot than new sliding installation.

If your house desperately needs new siding though, then you have to take a closer look at the different available options –wood, aluminum, and vinyl are by far the most commonly used sliding materials, but others are available as well. Wood was greatly popular years ago and still is today, but even though it is natural, absolutely beautiful, and ages well, it also requires painting and regular maintenance, which adds to the cost. Aluminum is durable and fireproof, but is poor insulator and also costlier than vinyl, which makes the latter the most popular choice today. And since vinyl is easy to maintain, typically more affordable than the other materials and low-maintenance, you might want to give it some serious consideration.

Which brings us to the next question: how can you lower the costs of your new vinyl siding?

1. Think long-term: consider vinyl siding with higher R-Value and even though the higher value comes with higher initial cost, in the long run you will inevitably save large amount of money on heating due to the better insulation of the siding.

2. Install the siding yourself – this can save you a lot of money, but it is also potentially disastrous, so you should proceed only if you are confident that you can handle the task well. The main challenge is to accurately estimate the amount of needed siding and then carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions during the installation process.

3. Hiring a professional is what most people do and this can be pricey, but there is no reason why you shouldn’t shop around: get a quote from a few contractors, ask friends and family for recommendations and choose the contractor that gives you good price and is known for his high quality work. You can compare local siding contractors for free here… its free and you don’t need a credit card.

Keep in mind that when choosing the siding type for your house, you will have to take quite a few other factors into consideration as well: regulations, the type of the existing siding (if any), and the climate should be taken into account before making any final decisions. However, when done right new sliding can not only immensely improve your house’s appearance and protect it from the elements, but also greatly increase its re-sale value as well.

© Cost of New Siding

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1. Aluminum Siding Replacement

Aluminum Siding Replacement

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Aluminum siding is a very good, affordable way to side and protect your home. Aluminum siding goes a long way these days, with many brands lasting 30 years or more, but after time even durable siding wears down, gets faded, cracks or just needs to be replaced. So what should you consider when looking at the cost of new siding and other options?

There are a lot of advantages to installing Aluminum siding. First of all, aluminum siding costs a lot less than some alternatives. You can find good siding options for around $2.50-3.50 a square foot which is extremely reasonable for home siding. For this price you can install aluminum siding on a reasonably sized home for less than $5,000.

Aluminum siding is also extremely easy to install, which is a very important consideration for a full aluminum siding replacement. When installing siding of any kind you need to consider contractor labor costs. Simply put, the more complex your siding is to install the more you can expect to pay when you get the bill. Aluminum siding is very lightweight and comes in long strips which interlock and are easy to hang on the side of the house.

Some of the disadvantages of aluminum siding are that while aluminum siding is very low maintenance it doesn’t always have the classic look that many people desire these days. Most aluminum siding will come pre-painted in a wide variety of colors, but paint has a lot of trouble sticking to aluminum so over the years it can fade giving your house a dated look. Even though you may get 30-40 years out of your siding structurally, you may want to consider aluminum siding replacement much sooner than that.

Another downside is that aluminum siding is prone to denting, especially if you live in a high traffic area where debris or sticks could hit the siding, or even children may bounce a ball off of it. These dents don’t spring back like they might in vinyl siding and the strip may need to be replaced or refinished to make it look right.

Also, aluminum siding tends to be noisy when the wind starts to blow hard. Since it’s lightweight and made of metal you get a lot of “pinging” sounds when it rattles in high winds. Many people will not notice it but some may not appreciate being serenaded by their choice of siding every night.

Bottom line, do your homework and be sure that whatever siding option you pick, you know it will be the right one for you. Would you be better off with a vinyl or wood siding? Could you learn how to paint aluminum siding and keep the siding you already have? If you are considering aluminum siding replacement for your house be sure to explore all of your options.

© Aluminum Siding Replacement

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