I just bought an older home and need to replace the the aluminum siding that is on it with some new vinyl siding. The house is two stories with the bottom half brick and the top half with siding, if that make a difference. The total area of the siding is right at 1300 sq/ft, maybe a lil less. I have got quotes from a couple of different contractors and they range anywhere from 3000 all the way up to 6000. My question to someone that may know is what is the best siding to go with, I really dont know anything about this so I dont want to get "taken to the bank".

 

If you have the time do it yourself. I did my garage a while back and it was easy. Looks like a pro did and all it cost was materials and some beers for my brother to help. Check out your home supply stores to see what they have for product. There are many brands out there but really it is all made from the same stuff. See how long each brand says it will last and if it comes with any sort of warrantee.

 

Be careful with those vinyl siding outfits, the majority of them tend to just cover up any existing problems (rot or any other damage) which can lead to more problems down the road.

 

Why did you need to replace the siding? Is it damaged? If it's not damaged it's much cheaper to paint it than to replace it.

 

Yeah there are several spots that are dented and I dont want to paint it. I know that would be cheaper, but we are doing alot of work to the house so I just want to go ahead and get it over and done with.

 

Make sure you are the one that takes the scrap siding to the scrap yard. Aluminum is around $1.00 a pound. that much siding will help cover defray the cost of vinyl siding.

 

Here's a breakdown ( N.E. Ohio pricing)

Vinyl siding .044(thickness) - 40.00 - 43.00 per square(sq)
Install 75.00 per sq

1300 sq ft = 13 sq x 43.00 = 559.00
13 sq installed @ 75/sq = 975.00
Trim pieces ( j-channel, soffit, outside corner pc's., etc.)500.00

So basically were at 2000 and change for material and install
Say around 700.00 to remove all existing siding and prep. So if you were quoted 3000.00 I'd say that's pretty fare. Carefully inspect the structure once the siding has been removed. Any dark area may be an indication that there is or was water infiltration. This may have jeopardized the integrity of the structure. If you can hit it with a hammer and it holds up to that, then don't worry about it. A couple additional pointers while the siding is off :
1. Foam inject, caulk, or insulate any gaps that you notice
2. House wrap or Tyvek is a good draft stop also if you have the time. If the installers are willing to install for you, don't pay more than 300.00 for material and labor
Any good installer will be knowledgeable in the fundamentals of flashing. It is so, so, so very important that this is done correctly. If not, you will, more than likely, have leaks which you may or may not notice initially but over time you will.

In Ohio a good premium siding will be around a .046 thickness and have a foam backer to it. Norandex Reynolds has a product known as Polar Wall. This siding has a 3.5 - 4.0 r value and also adds superior sound proofing. However, this product also runs around 130.00/sq but is well worth it.

For your application(KY), a .044 thickness would be sufficient. Norandex, Alside, or Kaycan are the leaders in the vinyl siding industry. Kaycan is the leader globally.

Good Luck

 

Installing it is quick and easy. I just did my house by myself with a little help from the wifey. Do it yourself and save some cash.

 

i agree for the most part, never seen any siding other than aluminum that has a foam backer but i suppose things may be different where you are from. and to those saying hey do it yourself, please dont listen to them. on an older house if you dont know what your doing its more trouble than you wanna get in to. and id say for sure go with some sort of aluminum soffit material. looks 100 % better than wood if its not already done. and back to why you shouldnt do it yourself. its a TWO STORY HOUSE, safety issues are a major concern there. it needs to be scaffolded. price seems fair to me really so id say if you can get it for 3000 do it. but as said already, clean up yourself. that makes a heck of a difference in price beings that takes forever and you can haul that siding straight to the scrap yard and make some money back. good luck

 

for that little sq ft, go with fiber-cement - Hardie/Nichiha/CertainTeed..... check with your insurance company as well if you go this route... between the brick and cementitious fiber-cement, you may get a discount on the fire portion of your homeowner's policy.... personally, I'd get the primed hardie and then have it painted... (unless you know a VERY good installer who has hung alot of pre-finished fiber-cement before.... there are a number of ways they can screw it up)

 

James Hardi Siding is a great product but must be installed specific to the instructions and I mean specific. Your going to pay close to 200.00 a sq for the color match, which is what you want, and then all the caulking and trim. If $ is no factor (ha ha) then go with the hardi. Looks great too.

Forgot to mention that if you do not house wrap at minimum wrap the outside corners with either ice and water shield or 15# felt paper.

 

x2
I have sided a house with hardi and it turned out fantastic. The vinyl stuff is bad juujuu for the environment. With hardi you can even raise the R value of your home believe it or not. It is easy to work with but you need a good saw blade rated for cutting it and wear a mask because that stuff will tear your lungs up. As for color matching, just paint it and be done with it. It is definately worth the insurance break and resilient as all get out.

 

There's some tricks/tools to hanging Hardie (I used to work there)...but with regards to cutting, make sure you're upwind of the saw.... the visible dust is not what you really need to worry about... it's the microscopic particles that get inhaled which get into the lungs and contribute to silicosis... but then again, you have to be cutting an awful lot of board daily for a long time... you breathe silica every day already.. it's in the air.

Unless you get a good installer (and check his jobs), you may want to avoid the pre-finished fiber cement - I've seen guys who caulk the butt seams - the caulk has a different sheen than the board and when you walk away at an angle, every joint is highlighted... you just about want to cry... (NO caulk should be used in the butt joints on either primed or prefinished)

If you're considering doing it yourself.. good tools over at http://www.pactool.us/ - the green gecko gauge is great...