What materials have the longest life?

Of the many factors to consider when choosing siding for your home, longevity is one of the most important. Certainly aesthetics and personal taste are controlling factors – but, you don’t want to have to replace your siding too soon after first purchasing it.

Different siding styles last for varying lengths of time based on material, and are available at different price points. When making a decision about the right siding for your home, it is important to consider what the lifetime of the siding is before you make your choice.

Vinyl

Vinyl siding lasts as long or longer than any other kind of siding. Surveys indicate it should last for a minimum of sixty years but will probably last for well over one hundred. Trim nearby trees and bushes so they don’t puncture your vinyl siding, and get out a brush with stiff bristles to clean it every year or so. If taken care of, vinyl siding should last for the life of your home.

Fiber Cement

Fiber cement is a new product that is rapidly gaining popularity for it’s durability and integrity to moisture.  Although is has not had enough time in service to go through its life cycle yet, according to tests, it might be the longest lasting siding of them all. It could outlive the home itself while providing many of outliving the home it is a part of, while also providing many of the same benefits as stone and brick.

Wood

Wood only loses 1/8 of its thickness every 100 years if properly engineered. This provides for good longevity, although you will have to take more care of it against the elements.

How to Tell When to Replace Your Siding:

Finally, you will begin to see signs as your siding does expire, if you know what to look for. There are obvious signs like warped or cracked siding, or blisters and bubbles forming on the surface. Additionally, if you see fungus or mildew growing, you know you will have to replace your siding.

There are less obvious signs, as well. If you have to repaint your home too frequently, the problem could be the siding underneath the paint, instead of the paint itself. If you find yourself paying higher energy bills and can rule out other factors, it could mean your siding is old and not insulating as well as it used to. Peeling wallpaper inside the home, or peeling paint, is also a sign that moisture is getting into your walls, and the siding could be at fault.

Need more information on how to care for your vinyl siding, or wondering whether it’s time to finally replace it? Reach out to Tri County Windows & Siding for all your home exterior needs.