Fiber Cement Vs Vinyl

In this article we will take a look at insulated vinyl siding vs.

Fiber cement vs vinyl.

Insulated vinyl siding is made of rigid contoured insulation permanently adhered to vinyl siding while fiber cement siding is made from a mixture of sand cement and cellulose fibers. The styles are just as varied as fiber cement. Part of the maintenance is painting. The installation of fiber cement also replicates the slight irregularities of a natural material installation.

Its overall low cost ease of installation minimal maintenance and long term beauty and durability make it a favorite choice among installers and homeowners who would prefer to spend their time and money in other ways. Another house siding material is fiber cement which is more typically associated as being a replacement for wood. Similar to high quality vinyl fiber cement siding should provide a lifetime protection for a house. Vinyl siding didn t become america s most popular home siding material by accident.

Maintenance of vinyl vs. Wood products will soak up the paint but fiber cement does not absorb anything. It is composed mostly of polyvinyl chloride resin. Even though vinyl products may mimic wood grain as a material vinyl is nothing like wood.

However it needs far less maintenance than wood siding. Fiber cement to help you determine which may be right for your project. Therefore vinyl siding is more durable than fiber cement. Vinyl generally has product warranties between 25 and 40 years versus fiber cement warranties which typically range from 30 to 50 years.

Fiber cement siding does require a little more routine maintenance than vinyl. It can imitate materials like wood shingles lap boards logs and stone. According to the rsmeans 2014 residential cost data report the installed cost of vinyl siding is on average 201 per 100 square feet while fiber cement totals 300 for the same area. Vinyl siding is a plastic siding material.

Finally because fiber cement is in part a wood product it will hold paint and have a surface luster that is nearly identical to full wood products. Whereas in conditions of moderately sized hail fiber cement will hold up better than vinyl. Another major consideration is that vinyl is a flexible material whereas fiber cement is rigid this can lead to chipping and cracking occurring in fiber cement siding. However it falls short when imitating wood because it isn t as thick.

Lack of depth makes its stone replicas less textured. Fiber cement is composed of wood pulp sand portland cement and water. In terms of resistance to weather related elements vinyl usually fares better in high wind than fiber cement. And again you will never need that paintbrush.