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Home Vinyl Siding

Making the decision to use vinyl siding

Home vinyl siding when compared to any other siding, has a great advantage. Most home owners think vinyl siding is a cheap way out of replacing wood or giving the house an appearance that everything is good when behind the vinyl siding the wood is rotted. That’s why we repair all rotted wood before we start installing vinyl siding. I have been installing vinyl siding in the Dallas/Ft Worth metroplex for almost 25 years and every time I do a vinyl siding repair or a complete vinyl siding replacement the problem is always poor installment. Vinyl siding when installed properly is the best investment a home owner can make to their house especially if they never want to paint again.

When hiring a home vinyl siding contractor the first thing a home owner should do is find a company that does not subcontract the work. If the vinyl siding installers work directly for the company they will take the time to make sure that all nails have the proper spacing and that all the rotted wood is replaced before covering walls with vinyl siding. Anyone could buy some vinyl siding and install it on a wall, but you must be a professional to make sure the vinyl siding will not buckle and come off with time. Making sure that the existing wood on the home is fastened is important as well. Before installing vinyl siding and after replacing rotted wood the existing wood siding should be re-nailed using ring shank nails at every stud. Mostly 100% of every home has a stud separation of 16 inch. Center and there are some vinyl siding manufactures that sell vinyl siding with 16 inch. center marked on the vinyl siding so that you can make sure you are nailing your nails on every stud. Vinyl siding also adds value to your home of 8% average.

Vinyl siding covers existing wood, so it is never good to remove wood siding unless it’s rotted. Some home owners don’t like vinyl siding because they have seen bad install jobs, so it is always good to ask the vinyl siding contractor how far apart they nail their siding nails. The insulation we install behind the vinyl siding is important. The thickness varies between ¼” and ¾” both sizes are good but ¾” is better especially on older homes. Customers always ask if they should spray for termites before or after installing vinyl siding. Before installing the home's vinyl siding it is better to spray for termites however you could still spray after. I love installing vinyl siding because I know that once I have installed a home's vinyl siding they will never have to maintain the outside again. Vinyl siding thickness is also important when making a decision to go with vinyl siding. .042 is not thick enough and .055 is very good so please ask the vinyl siding contractor if the vinyl is anywhere between .045 and .055 and you will have chosen a good siding for your home. There are so many vinyl siding contractors in the Dallas/Ft worth metroplex but I think there are only a few who think about never coming back if they do it right the first time. Money is important when making a decision for vinyl siding that’s why it is important to not have so many middle men.

We cut out the middle man because we do our own work, our home vinyl siding installer’s work directly for us. When a homeowner wants to decide whether to go with vinyl siding or any type of other siding it is also important to compare maintenance. Vinyl siding manufacturers carry a lifetime warranty and it is very easy to maintain, just pressure wash with soap and water every two years. When you compare the cost to the maintenance and never having to paint again vinyl siding will come out on top every time. Back to articles