When it comes to deciding if your home needs new siding, or if you have already determined that your house needs a complete siding replacement, then there are a few products that you should familiarize yourself with.
The three most common types of siding products are:
Vinyl.
LP SmartSide.
Metal, or what is sometimes referred to as steel.
Each of these siding products are unique in their own way, but here is a brief summary of each individual siding material.
Vinyl: lowest price, but lowest quality material.
LP SmartSide: arguably the most visually appealing product on the market, but also the most expensive product.
Metal: slightly less expensive than LP SmartSide, and similar in appearance to vinyl, but the product will last upwards of 50 years, and it is backed by an excellent manufacturer warranty.
For more information on each siding product, let’s look at vinyl, LP SmartSide, and metal in more detail.
1. Vinyl
For context, most homes in the United States install vinyl siding because it is the least expensive product currently available.
With vinyl siding, there are also many color options, which is a bonus for homeowners who are also looking to renovate their gutters, soffit and fascia, or window trims when they replace their siding.
Another benefit to vinyl siding is that after it is installed, homeowners don’t have to spend more money to consistently clean it because it is considered by many in the roofing industry to be a maintenance-free product.
“The nice thing about vinyl siding is that it is very low maintenance,” says Grussing Roofing owner Guy Grussing.
“Homeowners don’t have to clean their siding every year or regularly power wash vinyl.”
As for the installation of vinyl siding, Grussing says that process takes roughly 7-10 days, during which the exterior of a home undergoes a complete revamp.
“The first day our crews remove the old siding, and then we cover the house with Tyvek house wrap,” Grussing says.
“This ensures that the home is protected from rain, wind, or anything else that could affect the exterior of the home.”
Of note:
If siding was never installed, Tyvek house wrap could protect the exterior of a home for up to 90 days, which is why Grussing Roofing works diligently to wrap each home once the old siding has been removed.
“From there it will take us about a week to install new vinyl siding on the entire home, depending on how big the project is,” Grussing says, adding that his crews can carry out any design that a homeowner has created.
“If you want to add specialty trim like cedar or an upgraded vinyl, our crews have a lot of experience installing all different types of color and material combinations.”
2. LP SmartSide
The designation of the most expensive siding product on the market belongs to LP SmartSide.
Manufactured out of composite wood, LP is an excellent product both for its visual appeal and longevity, and unlike vinyl siding, pesky animals like woodpeckers don’t damage LP because it is not a true wood.
“LP SmartSide is a fantastic product,” Grussing says.
“It actually protects against woodpeckers because it is a composite that the woodpeckers don’t want to mess with.”
Another bonus to LP SmartSide is that homeowners can change the color of their home if they ever want to switch things up.
“LP SmartSide is desirable because if you want to repaint your house in 10-15 years, you can repaint LP,” Grussing mentions.
“You can’t do that with vinyl siding or metal siding.”
Something else worth considering is that many homeowners will elect to install LP SmartSide only on the front of their home, as opposed to the entirety of the home.
By installing LP SmartSide on the front of the home and then vinyl siding on the remainder of the exterior, homeowners can get the curb appeal of vinyl siding without paying a premium price to install it on all sides of their home.
“Some roofing contractors neglect to inform homeowners of the different installation options, like only installing LP on the front of the home, because they want to make more money,” Grussing explains.
“That’s not how my company does business. We believe that an educated homeowner ultimately translates into a satisfied customer, which is why we have no problem giving as much information as we can about design options, as well as pricing.”
3. Metal (or steel)
The last siding option for homeowners to be aware of is metal, or what again is sometimes referred to as steel siding.
Like LP SmartSide, metal siding is not cheap, but it is the highest quality siding product available going into 2023.
“Although metal siding can be expensive, in our opinion, it’s also the best,” Grussing says.
“Like vinyl siding, it’s maintenance free and very easy to install. It also comes with a lifetime warranty, so if it any point you have issues with the metal siding, our manufacturer, EDCO, will pay for the labor and materials to fix it.”
By saying this, Grussing hits on another benefit of metal siding, which is their industry-revered longevity, with metal siding capable of lasting over 50 years, just like metal roofs.
“One way to look at metal siding is to compare them to metal roofs,” Grussing notes.
“Metal roofs, unlike asphalt shingles, last for a very long time; upwards of 50 years. Metal siding is the same, and although the price for metal siding is more than vinyl, and on par with LP SmartSide, the quality and the long-term viability of the product make that price worth it for some homeowners.”
Of course, price is an important factor when deciding which siding option is right for your home, which is why despite its obvious advantages, most homeowners elect not to install metal siding.
“Simply because of the price, metal siding is not something that homeowners are actively looking to purchase unless they have already done their homework and fully understand the benefits of why investing in metal siding is a worthwhile endeavor,” Grussing says.
Lastly, here is a quick breakdown of what siding prices were for a number of roofing contractors in 2022:
1. Vinyl
$775 per 10’x10’ section of the exterior.
For some homes in Eden Prairie, the total price for a complete vinyl siding replacement is: $27,900
2. LP SmartSide
$1,400 per 10’x10’ section of the exterior.
For some homes in Eden Prairie, the total price for a complete LP SmartSide siding replacement is: $50,400
3. Metal
$1,200 per 10’x10’ section of the exterior.
For some homes in Eden Prairie, the total price for a complete metal siding replacement is: $43,200
For more information on siding products and appointments, or to schedule a no-obligation appointment with a Grussing Roofing representative, call 952-935-0557.