What Are the Pros and Cons of Vinyl Siding for Missouri Homeowners?

Vinyl siding is the most common type of siding for homes throughout our state, but many don’t know the pros and cons of vinyl siding for Missouri homeowners when they order it. If you’re looking to redo your home’s siding, you might wonder whether vinyl siding is the right material for you or if you should choose an alternative.

Today, let’s break down the pros and cons of vinyl siding in detail, plus go over how it works.

Pros for Vinyl Siding for Missouri Homeowners

Vinyl siding has a number of major advantages that make it the go-to choice for Missouri homeowners.

Cost

For starters, vinyl siding is generally affordable and cost-effective. If you need to add a lot of siding to your home, if you need to construct a new home, or if you need to redo the siding on your home’s entire exterior, vinyl siding could be the perfect choice to stay within your budget.

While the exact price of the siding will depend on the thickness of the siding boards and other factors, vinyl siding is typically more affordable than siding made of other materials on a pound-for-pound basis.

Quality

Not all vinyl siding brands are the same.  Many refer to “builder grade” vinyl siding which tends to be thin and or lesser quality than what typical homeowners would prefer. Como Premium Exteriors typically recommends that homeowners use quality brands with decent thickness, which in turn affects durability and color consistency/depth.

If you pick vinyl siding with reasonable thickness, it’ll be comparatively durable compared to vinyl siding that’s thinner and installed poorly. This good all-around thickness makes vinyl siding a suitable choice for most typical Missouri weather (though it’s not the best against heavy storms).

Less Color Fading

Lastly, vinyl siding doesn’t usually have severe color fading, at least in the short term. While color will fade over decades (given vinyl siding’s general affordability), homeowners who want something that will look reasonably good without breaking the budget will find vinyl siding to be an excellent match for their needs.  However, homeowners should carefully consider if they may want to change the color of their homes in the future since vinyl siding cannot be painted.

Cons for Vinyl Siding for Missouri Homeowners

Although vinyl siding does have major benefits, there are also some potential downsides to keep in mind.

More Wind Penetration

For example, vinyl siding does allow greater wind penetration, specifically around the windows or j-trims. J-trims are details around the windows and doors or other portals into your home. In this way, vinyl siding could make your home less energy-efficient by letting out air-conditioned or heated air from inside the home.

Discoloration Potential

Vinyl siding is potentially vulnerable to significant discoloration depending on the quality of the brand of vinyl siding and its exposure to direct sunlight. This discoloration could be spotty or could be relatively uniform depending on the quality of your vinyl boards and the hazards that they are exposed to.  Some severe discoloration can even be caused by the reflection from neighboring windows that are close to your home.

Not Super Durable

Lastly, vinyl siding is not the most durable siding material on the market, especially when compared to fiber cement siding. This is partially due to its overall affordability; it’s a trade-off you have to keep in mind when you are deciding whether you want affordable yet less durable siding materials or more durable siding materials that charge a higher price.

While these downsides should be kept in mind when shopping for the perfect siding for a Missouri home, remember that experts like Como Premium Exteriors can help walk you through the pros and cons of all the different siding choices in relation to your goals.  We only install quality vinyl products that meet the needs of the homeowner and provide the right balance of cost, durability, and aesthetics.

Ultimately, vinyl siding is a great choice for many Missouri homeowners. If you’re not sure whether the pros and cons of vinyl siding for Missouri homeowners make this material right for you, contact us today – we can give you more information or set up a consultation.