Put Away the Paint Brush and Invest in Vinyl Siding

If painting the exterior of the house is not your favorite thing, before you pull out the paint brush and tarps and ladders, consider investing in vinyl siding. Vinyl siding is the virtually maintenance-free solution to covering the exterior of your house. It never needs to be painted, washes easily with a garden hose or pressure washer, and is resistant to denting and marring such as aluminum or wood siding. So, if you were planning to hire a team of painters, you could take that money and put down a nice down payment for new vinyl siding in Annapolis, MD.

Vinyl Siding

Vinyl siding is extruded, producing long pieces of siding in a variety of colors. Polyvinyl chloride, and other materials for color and ultraviolet protection, are fed through an extruding machine. This makes it possible to have the entire piece of siding one color. Having a solid color throughout the siding piece, helps the siding hold its color and will fade less in the sun. Also, vinyl siding because it is a plastic PVC-based material has some flexibility and impact-resistance. So, when gravel or hail, or a stray baseball hits it, it will not dent.

You do get what you pay for in vinyl siding. The general rule is the thicker the piece, the greater the durability. Some vinyl siding is as thin as 35 mils. This is considered builder-grade siding. It is less expensive and looks great when it is first installed. That is why contractors use it, but over time it may have problems. The higher-grade siding is up to 52 mils thick and will last years and years. But it will cost more. If you plan to stay in your house many years, invest in up to 52 mils thick siding. More expensive siding also comes with higher-quality ultraviolet coatings. These coating repel the sunlight that could potentially melt and warp the siding.

Construction Process

Adding vinyl siding is a relatively easy process. In most cases, the siding is added over the existing exterior of a home, so there is nothing to pull off and haul away. Wood strips are nailed on the corners and along the tops and bottoms of the wall. Then vinyl corner and trim pieces are added. These are slotted and the siding pieces slide inside the slots. Starting at the bottom of a wall, the first piece of siding is nailed in place. The next piece of siding slips over a specially design groove at the top of the siding. This locks the second piece to the first piece of siding. Then the siding installer works up the wall until they reach the top. A finish piece slides over the top for a completed look. Once every wall is completed, you’ll home will look practically brand new.

So, if painting the exterior of the house is not your favorite thing, consider investing in vinyl siding in Annapolis, MD.