Posted on Monday, December 5th, 2011
Vinyl is the most popular cladding material in the United States because the advantages of vinyl siding are just staggering. The disadvantages of alternative cladding materials are hard to swallow when vinyl siding can provide much more value. Vinyl is resilient, easy-to-clean, and green. Most importantly, vinyl siding can look amazing too. Modern manufacturing breakthroughs allow vinyl to be molded and colored to satisfy the needs of every homeowner.
There are three primary vinyl profiles:
Each profile offers a different look. With vinyl siding, your home can be transformed to look Victorian, modern, European, Southern, or just about anything you can imagine. Horizontal profiles come in many shapes and sizes. The versatility of the horizontal layout makes it the most common choice. Vertical profiles are for the classic barn look. Shingles and shakes give home a Victorian, or rustic texture. Faux profiles come in nearly every shape and size, but they always imitate the look of another cladding like brick.
The texture of the profile gives the siding more dimension. Smooth sidings can look sleek and modern, while shake is heavily textured to look like split wood.
Textures have been around for a while, but recent breakthroughs in vinyl siding manufacturing have breathed new life into the textures. Before, the texturing on vinyl was noticeably synthetic, but now they use molds from custom materials. The edges of new vinyl siding perfectly matches the contours of the real thing. Even from a few feet away, most people cannot tell the difference.
With shingles and shakes, not all of the edges align perfectly. To add even more dimension, they can be split, staggered, variegated, or circled.
There are literally thousands of vinyl sidings to choose from. The choices can be quite daunting since the finished look will have such a dramatic impact on your home. While making a final choice is never easy, vinyl siding does not have to be complex. All you have to do is read on and you will learn everything you need to know about your vinyl decision.
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