Stucco Versus Vinyl
Siding For a House Exterior by Angela Glancy
When you are considering how to finish
the outside of your house, you may want to consider the advantages
of stucco versus vinyl siding. While the first one certainly is an
attractive finish for your home, it does require maintenance and
repair, while the second one is virtually carefree. Frequently the
choice of whether to maintain an old stucco finish or simply cover
it with vinyl siding simply depends on how much maintenance the
old stucco finish needs.
Understanding Stucco
Even though stucco does require maintenance, there are some
advantages to having a stucco finish on your home. First of all it
is attractive and durable. A stucco finish on your home gives it a
very distinctive style. It is resilient, and even though it may
need maintenance, it is generally pretty low maintenance. Stucco
also helps to insulate your home making it more energy efficient.
Many areas of the country prefer stucco homes, and having a real
stucco home adds resale value to your house. Some stucco is
applied using a concrete mixture over a wood or wire lath. It is
first coated with an acrylic polymer making it weather resistant,
and it helps to minimize cracking in the stucco. There are also
new materials that are used in construction today where a
Styrofoam based stucco product is sprayed onto a fiberglass mesh
and foam board creating stucco panels. This newer stucco costs
more than the original concrete stucco, but it has superior
insulation qualities.
All About Vinyl Siding
As you are considering which product will best suit your home,
remember that vinyl siding has some good qualities of its own. It
is almost maintenance free, and it comes in a huge array of
colors. It is not painted; instead the color goes all the way
through the siding. Newer versions of vinyl siding are much
improved over its predecessors in that modern siding has better
color, and it is more durable and flexible. This home finish is
extremely weather resistant, and it does not rust, crack or
deteriorate. An occasional hose washing is pretty much the only
maintenance that it requires, and many people consider it one of
the best home finishes available.
Which is Best?
As you are considering which finish is right for our home, you may
want to remember that while vinyl siding is virtually care free,
the original concrete stucco is far less expensive to apply.
However, when you compare your costs over the years and factor in
maintenance costs, then vinyl siding may not actually be more
expensive at all. Finding a contractor to install vinyl siding
will be easier than finding one to install stucco, but regular
stucco does add a warmth, style and charm to a home that you just
do not get with vinyl siding. So if you have a stucco home, and
you are trying to decide if you should repair it or simply cover
it with vinyl siding, unless it has a lot of extensive damage, the
most economical solution will be to repair it.
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