It’s a big deal to choose the right type of siding for your home. When I was choosing mine, I was overwhelmed by the number of different options available. Luckily, I narrowed it down to the two most popular siding types: vinyl and brick. The differences I found when comparing the two surprised me.
Vinyl siding is the best affordable option with an average cost of around $5 per square foot. Brick siding is slightly more expensive, at around $10 per square foot. Brick siding is much more durable and resistant to the elements but is much more expensive to replace or repair than vinyl siding. Vinyl siding is also not as attractive as brick siding but can be installed more cheaper.
The rest of this guide will focus on the differences between these two siding types and how they compare with each other. This will help you make an informed decision when choosing.
Budget Needed For Vinyl Siding Vs Brick Siding
Cost is a major thing you should think about when deciding between vinyl siding or brick siding. If you are like me, you are looking to save money in any way that you can. We will discuss the costs associated with both types of siding so you can make the most cost-effective decision for your siding.
Cost Of Vinyl Siding And Installation
Most homeowners spend between $4,999 and $16,836 on vinyl siding around their homes or about $2.50 to $10.75 per square foot. The average cost of vinyl siding is $3,060, while the average cost of extensive vinyl siding is $22,133.
Cost Of Brick Siding And Installation
The cost of installing brick siding usually ranges from $5 to $15 per square foot. Typically, it costs $7,500 to $22,500 to install brick siding on a 1,500-square-foot home. There’s no guarantee the cost won’t change depending on the brick type. You have to factor in the size of your house, the design, and whether you’re installing full or partial brick siding.
Will Vinyl Or Brick Siding Increase The Value Of Your Home
Your home will be worth more when you get new siding. It’ll go up more with brick than vinyl. Unless you’re planning to sell the house, it won’t make much difference. It’s better to get vinyl than brick- if the buyers want brick, let them do it themselves.
Advantages Of Vinyl Siding
Vinyl Siding Is Low Maintenance
To clean dirt and mold that accumulates between panels, this material just needs regular maintenance. Hand washing with 70% water and 30% vinegar is the most common way to clean it. Also, you can mix water, bleach, and detergent together.
Also, you can pressure wash with a pressure washer. If that’s the case, you’ll want to keep the walls of your house dry. You’ll have to replace your facade once it fades.
Vinyl Siding Doesn’t Need Painting Every Year
Wood siding sounds great, right? You’ll have to paint, scrape, replace wood rot, and fight insects to keep it looking good. Taking care of that takes time – and money.
Any exterior product you choose, whether brick, stucco, fiber cement, or something else, needs maintenance – or someone to do it. Vinyl siding is a great alternative. You can put it in and forget about it. Basically, you just hose it down if it gets dirty. There’s nothing more simple than that.
It Comes In Many Colors And Textures
It’s no longer just a practical choice – vinyl siding is aesthetically pleasing too. Colors, styles, and realistic textures are now available to homeowners. There are endless possibilities and several options available for customizing your vinyl siding.
Pests Wont Destroy Vinyl Siding
There’s now vinyl siding that’s insect-proof. Today’s vinyl siding is made to last for years with little maintenance, and it resists cracks and warping as the old stuff did. It’s a protective shield against insects because vinyl siding provides a barrier they can’t get through.
Five Disadvantages Of Vinyl Siding
Vinyl Siding Burns Quickly In A House Fire
A moderate amount of heat will warp or melt vinyl siding. It’s pretty much goodbye to your vinyl siding if you keep your barbeque too close to the wall. Even reflections from your neighbors’ windows could ruin vinyl. This also means that vinyl will burn much more quickly in the event of a house fire.
Vinyl Siding Can Warp, Crack, And Chip
In comparison to other siding materials, vinyl is more likely to break. As time goes on, your vinyl siding will deteriorate. Every element plays a role, from wind to rain to freeze to thaw cycles. Vinyl siding gets brittle after 25 to 30 years. Nailing hems aren’t as strong as they used to be, so a heavy wind might break several panels off the wall.
A case study shows that fiber cement siding remains mostly unscathed from hail storms, even when vinyl siding is shredded by falling ice (check out this case study). If you get hail damage, your insurance company will pay for new siding, right? Insurance companies are doing everything they can to limit their exposure as the years go by (and the claims pile up).
In hot temperatures, vinyl does warp a little, but it doesn’t peel or chip. It’s not a good idea to install vinyl siding on a house that gets hot in the summer because the siding will change shape after a while.
Even if you replace the warped areas, the same problem will keep happening unless you install some sort of shade. Especially in desert regions where trees do not grow well, and summer temperatures exceed 60 degrees Fahrenheit, this can pose a problem.
Cold climates can also be tough on vinyl siding. A cold vinyl can crack and fracture if you hit it with anything. You may not notice some cracks unless you get close, but others might cause the siding to come away in chunks. Eventually, this can lead to wood rot, mold, and mildew underneath the siding that will go unnoticed until it’s too late. That’s how moisture gets in.
Punctures To Siding Leads To Water Damage Underneath
Punctures in the siding can easily cause some big-time water damage underneath. It’s also possible for water to get into the wall cavity through the siding edges if it’s not caulked. It’s important that vinyl siding can move independently of the wall surface.
Under siding, a water-resistant house wrap is usually installed, but nails puncture it during installation, causing leaks. The leakage is minimal if this happens, so it’s not as big a deal as it sounds. It happens with most siding types, though. It’s not just about moisture-rotting wood but also about termites and mold growing on decaying wood
Mildew Grows Well On The Vinyl Siding
Due to dirt, dust, and sugars attached to the vinyl sidings, mold and algae are attracted to it. Almost no one knows that trees and other vegetation release ultrafine sugar particles into the air throughout the year.
It’s not uncommon for sugars to settle on vinyl. Tree sap could end up on the siding if your house is close to trees, which is a delicious food source for mold and algae. You should clean your siding at least once a year, if possible.
More Time Is Spent On Cleaning The Siding
Vinyl will also need to be cleaned much more often than brick siding. Although this is relatively simple maintenance, you will need to ensure that it is cleaned properly and regularly to keep mold and mildew off of your siding.
Advantages Of Brick Siding
Brick Is A Durable Material
It’s hard to beat brick when it comes to structural durability. Due to their durability and color retention, bricks are relatively low maintenance. In addition to providing additional protection against the elements, bricks also add aesthetic value to your home.
Brick Siding Is A Safer Material During A House Fire
Brick siding is also much safer during a potential house fire. Vinyl siding will burn much faster than brick siding. This makes it a much more durable and safe material if you live in an area where wildfires are common.
Brick Siding Needs Less Maintenance
It’s easy to keep brick and stone siding looking great for decades. All they need is the occasional power wash. They are also not as prone to water damage or molding, so you can wash them often without worrying.
Insurance Costs Are Lower For Brick Siding
Fire and wind damage are less likely to happen to brick houses than frame houses, so insurance prices are cheaper for brick houses. While there are lots of factors that can affect premiums, a brick home might cost less than a similarly-sized frame home.
Brick Siding Won’t Fade
Brick siding won’t fade as fast as vinyl siding because of sunlight and weather exposure. This will keep your siding looking great for years to come.
When it comes to choosing the face of your home, function isn’t everything. It’s also important to have beautiful siding. The elegance of stone and brick buildings can be matched by a wide range of siding options in color, texture, and style to fit any taste. You’ll never go out of style with a brick or stone home.
Disadvantages Of Brick Siding
Moisture And Water Can Crack The Mortar And Damage Bricks
While bricks last for a long time, mortar doesn’t. You’ll have to repoint the brickwork eventually to stop moisture from getting in and damaging it. In repointing, you take out the mortar in between the bricks and replace it. You’ll pay about $8 per square foot to replace mortar.
Its Expensive To Repair Brick
Let’s see how brick compares to other options when it comes to home maintenance. Brick houses can be more expensive in the long run not just because of the materials, but also because of other jobs involved in maintaining them. It costs around $1,400 to repair a brick wall.
Mold Likes To Grown On Bricks
Brick siding is much more likely to develop mold growing on it than vinyl siding. If you leave the spores on your bricks for too long, they’ll start to destroy them, so you’ll need to do expensive renovations.
Ruben has a diverse background in the home services industry, with experience running a construction company, a kitchen and bath showroom, and a moving and relocation company. This breadth of experience has provided him with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in various areas of home improvement in general and specifically in the heating and plumbing niche.