Give Your Home a New Look With Maintenance-Free Vinyl Siding

As a 40 year veteran of the remodeling industry, people always ask me for advice on how to make their homes as maintenance-free as possible without losing any points in the design department.

When vinyl siding first hit the market, lots of people turned up their noses because while it was easy to care for, the look left much to be desired. But over the past several years, the siding industry has developed new, technologically advanced products that solve both design and durability requirements and tick all the boxes for homeowners. In fact, vinyl siding is now the number one exterior cladding choice in the United States. So if you’re looking for a way to update your home that will require minimal upkeep, vinyl siding is an excellent choice. Here are all the reasons why:

It now looks great. Vinyl siding has come a long way with manufacturers creating a library of products that are more visually pleasing than when the cladding first hit the market. Believe it or not, you can now find vinyl siding that comes in a variety of profiles such as fish scale, shake or scallop shapes – plus there are styles to mimic the look and texture of natural building materials such as wood.

It’s incredibly strong.  Seasons here in Central Connecticut can be brutal, with summer sun and winter snow and ice taking their toll on our homes. Vinyl siding is made to withstand winds of up to 110 mph and it won’t fade or deteriorate as the seasons change. Most products come with a prorated warranty of up to 50 years for peace of mind, so you know your siding will stand up to the test of time.

It’s easy to maintain. Imagine a lifetime free of painting, staining and caulking the outside of your home.  One of my favorite things about vinyl is that it doesn’t need much maintenance, other than a soapy sponge bath and garden hose shower once in awhile. Plus, unlike wood, you never have to worry about splitting, rotting, or termite and insect damage.

It will reduce your energy bills. Insulated siding is energy efficient and works like a blanket over your walls and wall studs. More than 75% of homes I work on are under-insulated, which means that cool air is getting out in the summer and heat is escaping in the winter. By installing vinyl siding, you’ll be able to keep the air in your home regulated at a more comfortable temperature without running to the thermostat.

It pays for itself. With a 50-year warranty, no cost maintenance and the savings you’ll reap from your energy bill, installing vinyl siding is an investment worth thinking about. Plus, vinyl consistently ranks as one of the highest returns on investment for remodeling projects.  

If you’ve ever thought about giving your home a facelift, vinyl siding is an option you’ll definitely want to consider. You’ll be blown away by the variety of options to choose from, and you can say goodbye to many of the hassles that come with outdoor home maintenance.

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Siding Layers Cause Problems Down the Track

One of my readers sent me a question that I thought I would share this week. She said, “Dear Bob, we are thinking about getting our house re-sided but we are unsure if we should have our old wood shakes removed or if it’s better to just put new vinyl siding over the top of the old material. What would you suggest?”

I love this question because it addresses an issue that I see all the time on the job. If you’re having new siding installed and you’re on a budget, your contractor may suggest just leaving the old material on the home so they don’t have to charge you for the extra time and labor it takes to rip it off. While this is absolutely an option, there are a few reasons why it’s better to have the shakes removed and start fresh.

Firstly, the only way to check for water or termite damage is to get behind the original wood or siding material. If you’ve had issues with leaks in the past, this will only get worse if the new siding is laid over existing, rotting material.

Another point is that installing vinyl siding on top of another material such as wood shakes is difficult because it’s not a flat surface. This makes it more likely that the new siding will warp or show bumps, and it becomes increasingly probable that water will get underneath. If you’re thinking that an issue like that would be covered by the product's warranty, you’re wrong. Most siding manufacturers will void a warranty on a product that’s laid over an existing layer because it hasn’t been installed the way it was intended to be.

Something else to think about is that when you layer siding, it ends up sticking out further than your windows, which can obstruct the view outside and will leave the windows very susceptible to leak problems. I’ve seen this same issue on homes with shallow roof eaves. When there isn’t enough room for the water to run away from the house, it runs down the siding and eventually into it.

Finally, ripping away the old material and putting on new gives you the opportunity to put more insulation in your home, which keeps it warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. A full wrap also protects your home from potential damage and ensures that the warranty will stick if anything was to happen.

So, in a nutshell, I completely understand why a homeowner would want to put new siding on top of their existing material and I agree that the option will offer cost savings in the short term. The question I would ask is if it’s worth the risk of potential problems that can arise during the lifetime of the newly installed product. My advice is to make sure to weigh all your options and ask plenty of questions before you make your decision. Good luck!

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions for Bob to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only. Get in touch.

Reduce your home maintenance to-do list with vinyl siding

As a siding contractor who came into the industry when aluminum siding was popular, one of the best enhancements I’ve seen in home remodeling is the evolution of vinyl siding. It’s now the number one exterior cladding choice in the United States, and for homeowners in our area, installing vinyl siding is an excellent investment due to its durability, no fuss maintenance, energy efficiency, and overall esthetic. If you’re looking for a way to update your home that will require minimal upkeep, vinyl siding has my vote. Here’s why:

It looks great. When vinyl first starting getting popular, some people shied away from it because it looked a bit, well, plain and ugly. But vinyl siding has come a long way in the past few years, with manufacturers listening to the call to create a product that’s more visually pleasing. Believe it or not, you can now find vinyl siding that comes in a variety of profiles such as fish scale, shake or scallop shapes – plus there are styles to mimic the look and texture of natural building materials such as wood.

It’s incredibly strong.  Winters here in Central Connecticut can be brutal, as can the summer sun. Vinyl siding is made to withstand winds of up to 110 mph and won’t fade or deteriorate as the seasons change. Most products come with a prorated warranty of up to 50 years for peace of mind, so you know your siding will stand up to the test of time.

It’s easy to maintain. Imagine a lifetime free of painting, staining and caulking the outside of your home.  One of my favorite things about vinyl is that it doesn’t need much maintenance, other than a soapy sponge bath and garden hose shower once in a while. Plus, unlike wood, you never have to worry about splitting, rotting, or termite and insect damage.

It will reduce your energy bills. Insulated siding is energy efficient and works like a blanket over your walls and wall studs. More than 75% of homes I work on are under insulated, which means that heat is escaping in the winter and cool air is getting out in the summer. By installing vinyl siding, you’ll be able to keep the air in your home regulated at a more comfortable temperature without running to the thermostat.

It pays for itself. With a 50-year warranty, no cost maintenance and the savings you’ll reap from your energy bill, installing vinyl siding is an investment worth thinking about. Plus, vinyl consistently ranks as one of the highest returns on investment for remodeling projects. 

Have you ever considered vinyl siding for your home? Do you have questions about making the switch to vinyl? I’d love to help – get in touch or check out our siding page for more information.