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Vinyl Siding Benefits: More Than Low Cost

Vinyl Siding Benefits: More Than Low Cost

Whether you have a class Colonial house that demands the clean lines of siding, or you want to clean-up a ranch style home, consider some common vinyl siding benefits. Most homeowners know vinyl siding costs are low and quality is high. What most homeowners don't know is that vinyl siding can offer safety benefits too. The Vinyl Siding Institute in Washington D.C., the trade association of vinyl siding professionals, posts on their Web site that, "Vinyl's chemical makeup makes it inherently flame-resistant. Rigid vinyl building products are slow to ignite, their flame spread is slow and they cease to burn after the flame source is removed." They also point out that the smoke is no more hazardous than any building material.

What About Those Vinyl Siding Costs?

Searching the Internet for materials reveals that vinyl siding costs can vary from a very low $4 per square foot, to a very high $12 per square foot. The industry average is about $5.50 per square foot. Remember that contractors will offer you a price that includes their labor and that can vary greatly from contractor to contractor. It's best to get at least three bids and compare vinyl siding costs.

Some other vinyl siding benefits to consider:

  • fire-resistant,
  • reduced energy costs
  • maintenance-free
  • low-waste
  • easy to install
  • durable and long lasting
  • environmentally-friendly

The Vinyl Siding Institute submitted vinyl siding to be tested using the Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES®) software, a "life-cycle analysis tool" developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It was proven to be a green building material for all "life-cycle stages" including raw material acquisition, manufacture, transportation, installation, use and waste management. It performed better than stucco and brick and mortar.

Even if you are choosing your siding based on cost, you might be getting more vinyl siding benefits than expected.

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