Compare Fiber Cement Siding With Vs Vinyl

Fiber cement siding is often called hardiplank or even hardie board named from the most popular brand of fiber cement siding which is manufactured by james hardie.
Compare fiber cement siding with vs vinyl. Fiber cement siding carries a certain premium in terms of costs versus vinyl. One rough rule of thumb. Fiber cement siding is a hardened concoction of cement sand and synthetic polymers. Vinyl siding in comparison consists of pure plastic formally known as polyvinyl chloride.
Vinyl siding is far cheaper than the fiber cement siding both in terms of the product and labor costs. Fiber cement siding consists of a mixture of wood fibers mixed in with cement. Taken from the freedonia group on siding vinyl still commands a 27 market share in the overall market with fiber cement close behind. The cost to have fiber cement siding installed by a professional ranges from 5 to 10 per sq.
Compared with wood both vinyl siding and fiber cement are very durable exterior cladding options. However vinyl s lead is slowly slipping as more and more competitors enter the market giving more traditional and green siding options to the consumer. Vinyl siding is nearly always less expensive than fiber cement siding. The maximum you can expect to pay for vinyl siding is the minimum you can expect to pay for hardieplank and other fiber cement siding products.
Homeadvisor s siding comparison guide explores the differences pros and cons of fiber cement and vinyl including information on james hardie s hardie board hardiplank fiber cement. Fiber cement planks are formed by combining wood pulp with portland cement. Designed to withstand physical trauma water damage and sun damage it can thrive in all climates. As a result the planks or individual shingles do an excellent job of mimicking the look of traditional wood siding.
While vinyl siding is among the two most popular options of siding in america fiber cement siding continues to grow in market share. An average cost to install fiber cement siding ranges between 850 to 1 450 per square. A typical mid range fiber cement siding installation costs just a tad over 17 000 to 30 000 with a recouped value of about 78 to 80. James hardie offers either 30 or 50 year warranties on all of their fiber cement siding options.
In a heads up comparison between the two they both have strong and weak points. Compare costs easy of installation colors painting options durability thickness r value length of life and more to decide which is the best siding for your home. Vinyl siding however edges out its heavier cousin because fiber cement has been known to absorb.