How to choose siding

This article is the archived version of a report that appeared in June 2009 Consumer Reports magazine.

Other siding can also be a dubious deal. Georgia-Pacific’s Forest Ridge vinyl costs only $90 per square, and Owens Corning’s Essentials is just $55. But so-so scores in our warm-impact tests, among others, put them at the bottom of our Ratings.

Before choosing vinyl, consider whether your own taste or your neighborhood makes the added realism and cost of plastic shakes or even real wood a better choice. Then follow these steps:

Check the features

Look for vinyl with a double nailing hem, which helps resist lifting from high winds. Foam backing makes vinyl more rigid and adds some insulation; profiles ¾-inch deep or more increase shadow lines. Some vinyl offers lengths beyond 12 feet to eliminate seams on long walls without windows or doors. Those features are noted in our Ratings.

For fiber cement, decide whether the added color choices and money savings of painting it yourself outweigh the longer durability of a factory finish. You can get that finish on the HardiePlank Select by James Hardie for roughly $30 more per square.

Factor in your climate

Top-scoring siding resisted fading longest. For stormprone areas, choose siding that scored at least very good for wind resistance.

Do the choosing yourself

Pros also tend to have siding preferences. But as with roofing, we suggest choosing a topscoring line even if it means changing your installer or paying a bit more for a special order.