I see a lot of what I think is fiber cement siding in my area and I get the impression that it’s generally considered superior to vinyl siding from reading online. But I can’t find a really solid reason, or at least not one that sounds relevant to me, for why it’s better.
The biggest reason I see is that vinyl is ugly or doesn’t look like wood. That seems highly subjective. If it’s the cheaper stuff and it’s hung poorly then sure but that’s true of anything. I’m fine with white so it won’t fade. If it gets hit by a rock flung by a lawn mower, you might get a hole in your vinyl siding but the fiber cement would still get a dent. Vinyl will melt or burn and fiber cement won’t but I’m not in a forest fire area and my neighbors’ houses are far from mine.
Vinyl is easy to put on or replace, doesn’t really deteriorate as far as I can tell if it’s decent quality, and you don’t have to paint it or caulk it. Biggest problem is finding panels that match if you have to replace some. It’s not 100% water tight but it breaths and dries. Fiber cement has to be painted and caulked periodically. If you don’t keep the water out, fiber cement will absorb water and swell and that can’t be good for what’s underneath. I’m having trouble trusting hardieplank for siding same as hardieboard for tile substrate because it wicks up water readily.
Am I missing something important? Is fiber cement siding great for non-subjective reasons and worth the extra expense and effort or is it a fad?
Replies
Besides fire resistance, fiber cement also is quieter acoustically.
FIber cement has nicer ends, rather than that plastic j-channel required with vinyl.
You can even do a weaved corner if you are so inclined.
To me, vinyl is just another leaky plastic bag stapled to the outside of the house.
(ed. and invest in Gecko Grips if you do with fiber cement)
Fiber Cement siding has a similar quality to stucco. You paint it any color you like and it will last until someone just wants to change the color. And the paint adheres to it just like stucco. I have it on a duplex up at Big Bear Lake, CA and looks just as good as when I installed it by myself 18 years ago.
Hardie or LP Smartside looks and is more solid.
The "flat" part of vinyl siding and the "flat" part of the corner pieces are not "in plane".
The j-channel details look cheap.
The whole concept of covering your house in plastic is to me obscene. Houses are outside,they don't need to look fake. Hardly to mention the environmental costs to make and then dispose of plastic. Way back in 2000 Time Magazine reported it as one of the worst ideas of the century. I concur.
Most of the objections to vinyl are aesthetic ones. Practically speaking though, it's hard to beat. No matter what kind of siding you do, the weather resistant barrier (WRB) behind it, consisting of the housewrap and integrated window and door flashings, are essentially the same. All siding leaks, and the WRB is really what keeps water out of your house. Vinyl costs less than FC, and the gaps behind the paneles act as a kind of rain screen. The main downsides, other than aesthetics, are that it's more susceptible to wind damage, it can melt if you put your grill too close, and that it moves a lot with changes in temperature. In itself, this movement isn't an issue with properly installed vinyl, but it does make a creaking noise as it happens. That said, my house has FC siding.
26 year old vinyl on my house and I don't even look at a paint brush...I doubt you'll get away with that on your 26 year old FC.
My original preference was fiber cement board as I had issue with the appearance of vinyl products. During this selection process, a local supply house referred me to Cellular PVC composite siding. There are a few companies producing it in the States. It is worth a look. I am inclined towards Royal Building Products' Celect as it is joined on all four sides.
I was in a condo when we (the board) researched this idea with our architect. At the end of our research the main point was to never have to paint again. We resided the entire complex, replaced wood railings with vinyl, wrapped the existing posts in vinyl. The project cost several million dollars but the result was a much needed face lift and to rid ourselves of the wood siding issues. Now 10 years later it still looks great. I no longer live there but on occasion visit.
I installed cheap vinyl siding on my new home here in Minnesota 24 years ago, since we were on a tight budget. It has faded but is still very functional and solid - no complaints. However, it will likely need replacing within the next ten years. For our upcoming new home this year, we will use fiber cement siding (lap and shake style), for looks, durability, and because it requires virtually no maintenance. It is available pre-painted and warrantied up to 50 years. I will install it "rain-gap style", using furring strips, since I read here on Fine Homebuilding that it can absorb and hold moisture if installed tight to the sheathing. Can't be installed over thick rigid exterior installation and of course silica dust is an issue both are worth overcoming, IMHO.