Changed my mind about vinyl siding after a storm hit my neighborhood last spring

I used to think vinyl siding was the worst, cheapest option for houses. But after a hailstorm tore through my street in Des Moines back in May, I watched my neighbor's $8,000 fiber cement job crack while my cheap vinyl panels just flexed and bounced back. I replaced two broken pieces for $40 total, no tools needed. Has anyone else had a similar experience with a material they used to hate?

3 comments

3 Comments

jade5173d ago

$40 and zero tools? Sold.

diana5123d ago

Oh man, same thing happened to me! lol. I had that thick hardieplank stuff on my old house and a tree branch took a chunk right out of it during a storm. Cost me like 300 bucks to get one piece replaced. Switched to vinyl on my new place and last summer a crazy windstorm pelted my house with debris. I had one panel crack, popped it out, slid a new one in, done in ten minutes. It was like 15 bucks at Home Depot. I used to think vinyl looked cheap too but honestly after dealing with that repair I don't care what it looks like. Function over fancy any day.

riley_wood8413h ago

Gotta agree completely. I used to think vinyl was the builder grade special for landlords who don't care. But after my own storm damage I'm fully converted. The thing nobody talks about is how easy it is to fix. With wood or fiber cement you're looking at cutting tools, caulk, paint matching, and a whole day of work. With vinyl I keep a few extra panels in my garage and if something breaks I just swap it out during a commercial break. Plus if the color fades over time or you just get bored of it you can paint it or replace the whole thing for way less than any other option. Function over fancy is exactly right. I'll take practical and cheap over pretty and fragile any day.