Siding is a material that is used on the exterior walls of a building. Vinyl siding is siding made of polyvinyl chloride, a plastic. Cedar vinyl siding is vinyl siding made to resemble cedar wood siding.
Traditional materials used for siding include wood and bricks. In addition to wood and bricks, today's siding options are made from wood composites, brick veneer, and stone veneer as well as vinyl. Other siding materials include synthetic stucco and fiber-cement.
In addition to cedar, wood siding is made from woods such as fir, pine, redwood and spruce. Cedar wood takes well to staining. In addition, cedar is naturally insect repellent and moisture repellent. This type of wood also resists swelling and splitting.
Cedar vinyl siding has advantages and disadvantages when compared to cedar wood siding. For example, vinyl siding requires a lot less general maintenance than wood siding. Wood siding has to be sealed and painted or stained periodically. In comparison, vinyl siding only needs to be washed down to remove dirt as needed.
Another advantage that cedar vinyl siding has over wood siding is that vinyl siding is not a food source for wood-eating insects. Vinyl siding will also not rot over time. Algae and mildew will not have an impact on vinyl siding, unlike wood siding.
Cedar vinyl siding is also less expensive than cedar wood siding. In fact, cedar vinyl siding is typically less expensive than any type of wood siding. In addition, vinyl siding is longer lasting overall than wood siding.
Wood siding does have some advantages over cedar vinyl siding. While this type of vinyl siding may resemble cedar wood from a distance, the appearance of cedar vinyl siding will not hold up under close inspection. In addition, vinyl siding does not have the natural texture of wood siding when the siding is touched.
Cedar vinyl siding does not offer any insulation to a home unless the siding is sold with backing that has insulation value. Wood has a natural insulation value. If vinyl siding is installed over wood siding, the vinyl siding will "inherit" the wood's insulation properties.
Wood siding, unless the siding is treated with preservatives, is biodegradable. Vinyl siding is not biodegradable. Recycling vinyl is difficult because of all of the additives that are used to manufacture this product. In addition, vinyl gives off toxic gases when burned.