Answering Your Questions About Vinyl Cladding for a Home
Vinyl cladding is a very good choice for any homeowner looking to improve the overall appearance of a home and even its insulation, reducing their energy costs. If you are looking into the option of vinyl cladding, note a few questions you might have about this choice and then discuss it with a siding contractor as needed.
What is the difference between cladding and siding?
Cladding refers to a layer of some material that is put on top of another layer of materials. Vinyl cladding is then put over your home's exterior, versus siding, which is installed just over the home's framework and insulation. You can have cladding installed over old siding, brick, or wood; to install just siding, you would need to remove those old layers of materials first.
This makes cladding a more affordable option as you're not tearing off those old materials, and this also adds to its insulation value, since it's an additional layer of material over your old materials.
Can you paint vinyl cladding?
Vinyl cladding has the benefit of being available in a wide range of colours, so you can find something that matches the accessories of your home, such as a painted deck or painted concrete driveway. You can typically have the cladding repainted after some time if you decided that you want a change of colour, but this should be done by a professional to ensure the right paint is used and it adheres properly.
However, another of vinyl cladding's benefits is that the colour won't fade over time, even when exposed to harsh sunlight and other weather elements. Unlike brick that may eventually fade and chip in sunlight or cheaper siding that may not hold a colour, the paint colour of a high-quality vinyl cladding can last the lifetime of your home.
Can vinyl cladding be put over every home's exterior?
Vinyl cladding can usually be put over any other exterior material, but note that if your home's exterior has a lot of leaks and gaps or other damage, you may want those fixed and addressed before you add cladding.
The cladding can help to cover minor damage to a home's exterior, but leaving serious damage such as gaping holes can mean allowing in humidity that can cause mould build-up inside the home. You will also want to close up holes and gaps in exterior materials that can allow in rats, mice, and other pests, even under the cladding.
