Yes or No? Switching from Wood to Vinyl Siding

Feb 2, 2018 | Latest, Siding

switching wood to vinyl siding

Switching from wood to vinyl siding is a big decision.

Who doesn’t love wood siding? However, it can be a lot to maintain and expensive to continually repaint and repair. That’s why making the switch over to vinyl siding may be what’s right for you.

If you’re thinking about updating the look of your home’s exteriors, learn more about switching from wood to vinyl siding to determine the best route for you!

Vinyl Siding vs. Wood Siding

1. Vinyl

What is vinyl exactly? Great question.

Vinyl is a polymer formed during a chemical do-si-do between ethylene gas and chlorine, which produces a fine white powder called vinyl resin. When it’s melted and mixed with different additives, the resulting compound can be as rigid as pipe, as supple as a shower curtain, or durable enough to survive the heavy foot traffic on a kitchen floor. -This Old House

There are some polarizing opinions out there about the use of vinyl materials as siding and there are merits to both sides. It’s a relatively new material used in siding and flooring and wasn’t available commercially until the 1950s. It was created as a replacement for aluminum siding.

One argument against vinyl is that it cracks, it fades, it sags, and that it will make your home look trashy (much to the chagrin of your neighbors). While this may have been true in the early days of vinyl, advances in technology and building materials have improved the production value and quality of vinyl siding.

Another perk with vinyl siding for your home is that you don’t have to paint or stain it (though you can) and it comes in a bigger variety of colors. But don’t forget that it needs to be washed regularly to maintain a nice exterior look!

2. Wood Siding

Wood siding is the epitome of timelessness when it comes to home exteriors. High-quality wood siding not only looks great but can increase the overall value of your home. There are a healthy variety of wood types you can choose from as well when installing or replacing wood siding. It also gives homes a more rustic aesthetic which a lot of people want.

Wood is the standard and is ever-classic, but it too has its negative aspects. Costs for wood siding add up when it comes to repainting and staining your home’s exterior. One the one hand, the repainting can be a DIY project which can save you money on hiring a professional. On the other hand, it takes time, effort, and more money to still buy the paint.

Wood is more durable to extreme weather conditions everywhere, but the cost and maintenance factors make it a more of a hassle for some homeowners.

Cost of Wood Siding vs. Vinyl Siding

Vinyl siding in the cheaper choice of the two and is easier to install. The average cost of vinyl siding for mid-grade materials is $1.60 per square foot including installation cost. At this price, it would require $4,000 to install vinyl siding on a 2,500 square foot house. Even high-grade vinyl siding that cost as much as wood siding is still cheaper to install since the process is easier and faster.

Good quality wood siding can cost 250% more than vinyl siding of similar quality. Part of this higher expense is the result of the material itself, but it also has to do with the installation labor as well as the volume of trim and paint required to finish the siding.

No matter the cost, the quality, visual appeal, and maintenance requirements are the main factors that go into making the decision to switch from wood to vinyl siding.

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Siding Removal & Replacement

If you’re switching from wood to vinyl siding, removal vs. replacement is definitely something you need to consider. Installing vinyl over wood is common practice, especially when a sheathing wrap and an installation layer is installed in between.

There are, however, a number of points you need to know:

  1. You can only install vinyl over wood siding if the wood is in good condition, without rot or mold.
  2. If your wood siding is beveled, you’ll need to use furring strips and foam board to provide a flat surface for the new vinyl siding.
  3. If there isn’t a moisture barrier beneath the old wood siding, you’ll want to install one over it before you add the new vinyl siding.
  4. Window and door frames may need to be adjusted to match the new thickness of the wall.

If, however, you have metal or old vinyl siding, that will need to be removed before new vinyl is installed.

Vinyl is a more credible siding option than ever.

It’s affordable, reliable, and a sensible alternative to traditional wood siding options.

If you have any questions, call American Dream Restoration at one of our local offices (Front Royal, Woodbridge, Winchester).

Our home improvement professionals will be happy to answer any of your questions and assist in your siding projects.

37 Comments

  1. Sophie Sitko
    Sophie Sitko on April 24, 2018 at 9:15 pm

    Do I need to remove wood siding before installing vinyl siding on my house ? Wood siding God holes and needs about 30 years old .

    Reply
  2. Eugenie Constantine
    Eugenie Constantine on August 10, 2018 at 4:25 am

    I have a townhouse with wood siding. Some planks are damaged. Is it possible to replace damaged wood siding with vinyl siding without replacing the whole thing?

    Reply
    • Destan
      Destan on December 24, 2018 at 7:49 pm

      Nope. But you can find wood siding scraps from contractors who do renovations on older houses. And new wood planks aren’t that hard to come by either. Those handy with a table, or circular, saw can “rip” proper shapes of wpod from common lumber to match 4″, 6″, or any size wood lap siding.

      Reply
  3. Mickey Hamlin
    Mickey Hamlin on September 5, 2018 at 1:17 pm

    How much would it cost, approximately, to replace my house’s cypruss boards w vinyl siding? 2500 sq feet

    Reply
  4. Sarah Smith
    Sarah Smith on November 29, 2018 at 11:57 pm

    The siding on our house has received a lot of damage from woodpeckers and other pests. I really appreciate your information that while wood siding is classic, vinyl siding is less expensive and is more reliable. With this in mind, we will look for a siding replacement service to install some vinyl siding on our house.

    Reply
  5. Peter Samuel
    Peter Samuel on April 15, 2019 at 2:37 pm

    What on earth is a do-si-do? Who uses such nonsense words when regular english will suffice?

    Reply
    • James
      James on June 5, 2019 at 7:52 pm

      Someone who goes to Country & Western type Saloons or takes Square Dance Lessons. It is a Square Dancing Term that they call out and you follow during a Square Dance. You must be young and inexperienced. Try taking interest in what others do besides yourself. A lot of younger people are only interested in self and not interested in the world around us. With all the technology around, it should have been very easy for you to have found this out instead of calling what another human used and calling it nonsense when you are the one that supposed to not know. Oh well, I am going to go play with my thing-a-ma-jig! lol

      Reply
  6. jenny jenkins
    jenny jenkins on June 3, 2019 at 2:33 pm

    Good points touched on in your article. I recently got new vinyl siding from conservation construction of houston and I have found that my energy efficiency has gone up so much. I appreciate helpful articles like this that help others identify the right choices when they are switching siding.

    Reply
    • Becca
      Becca on July 9, 2019 at 5:50 am

      Hi!

      I live in Houston and am looking to switch from wood siding to vinyl. @jenny Jenkins, do you have any suggestions on who to use?

      Reply
  7. ann
    ann on February 24, 2020 at 3:36 pm

    If you paint the wood siding does it last longer and will it deter woodpeckers and other pests from destroying it?

    Reply
  8. Loreen
    Loreen on June 10, 2020 at 10:52 am

    Can you vinyl side an old Dutch colonial home that has eyebrow above the top windows?

    Reply
  9. Thomas Witzel
    Thomas Witzel on October 3, 2020 at 3:27 pm

    [* Shield plugin marked this comment as “Trash”. Reason: Failed Bot Test (expired) *]
    So many homes are done with vinyl siding you would think there is no other choice anymore. Houses traditionally were done with cedar here in New England and in an older neighborhood a traditional older home done over in vinyl stands out. It’s a shortcut to save a few bucks and sold as a way skip maintenance. To me the immediate impression is negative on looks, but a positive on having to ever work on it. Actually, cedar repels bugs naturally whereas vinyl siding makes a perfect home for bugs once they find even a tiny entrance to get underneath.
    Wind driven rain will push into gaps left in cedar siding that are left unsealed, so caulking needs to be applied and checked regularly. Typical vinyl siding is a series of channels and at the corners the junctions are left unsealed to allow for expansion and contraction, allowing rain to be pushed in depending on the direction of the prevailing weather. Nails on both cedar and vinyl jobs should be rust proof, like stainless steel ring shank nails, but pan head galvanized roof nails are usually used on vinyl channels since they are readily available. Galvanized nails do eventually rust. If aluminum trim is used then hopefully aluminum nails have been used also. There is no way of knowing or checking under vinyl siding to see what was used unless you take it apart. But you won’t want to bother with that if you find vinyl attractive. With cedar you can see what you have, check it easily, and it looks superior to vinyl. Paint will last many years when kept clean. Vinyl siding looks better when kept new looking, using the same easy cleaning procedure as with cedar, every couple of years. Comparing overall cost, the savings are small when spread over the years. Cedar (clapboards are my favorite) are not for everyone, but maybe that’s good since cheap and quick like vinyl siding is what counts these days, and although cedar is a renewable resource it would sure be more expensive if everyone suddenly wants it.

    Reply
  10. Susan
    Susan on October 13, 2020 at 2:23 pm

    [* Shield plugin marked this comment as “Trash”. Reason: Failed Bot Test (checkbox) *]
    What would it cost to replace wood siding with vinyl siding on a 1600 square feet house

    Reply
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