(quoted from post at 17:30:30 08/05/08) Do alot of siding, and my take on cement is make sure you can afford paint some day. I can promise you the moon, and never paint if you like. Also the thicker vinal isn't worth a nickle differance. The differance in thickness is equal to a spray mist of paint. Real good selling point for those who want to pay for the best. Thicker panels make the seams stand out more also.
Make sure if you choose a color that they have a double vft trim, or under sill trim. It takes alot of stress out of shiming to keep your vinal neat under windows and soffit.
Avoid the larger 18 inch panels, as the wind is more apt to get behind it, as it did with one house we did. The company man said we did a excelent job instaling, and they did make good on replacing two panels. We questioned the salesman when we installed it.
Coments are made about instaling vinal siding and getting sags, cheap looking etc. I will not start something, but 99% of the great crews, screw up. They are just from a ways away making them a great crew. Notice the new pickups, new trailers etc. that is perfection and any guess who is paying for all that new stuff?
Vinal siding must be ----HUNG---not freakin nailed. You should be able to slide every panel on your house when you get done.
I will also make a stament that 90% of those windows trimed out that look like 100% will leak water if I use a garden hose on them near the vertical j-chanels. Anyone can avoid the problem with less than 10 cents worth of material, and a nickles worth of time. READ the directions.
We always wrap coil stock on the corners before instaling the corners to keep mice out, and to make a stable surface to chalk line when doing 2-stories. Vinal corners are less than a stable product.
I also avoid colors in vinal, only white if you want to avoid fading. I do not know of any insurance company, auto or home owners that owe you a whole side of the house replaced.. They owe you for damaged panels only. And when it comes to colored vinal, you will see what three years can do for color fading.
A big problem we run into with numerous companies selling vinal, is not having a uniform product.
The first vinal we instaled was 1977, and the homeowner remarked a month or so ago, that it still looks great after they washed it.
Mold on the north side can be controled with a weak mixture of bleach and a sprayer.
There is little question in my mind about the cement board warrenty. It is probably just as good as the shingle, car, & weight loss adds. Yea, sorry that company sold out to another---bla bla bla.
Any idea what lifetime means in Wisconson in the court of law when addressing lifetime siding? Anyone guessing over seven years---yes that is not a mistake!---7---years has rose colored glasses on.
