vinyl siding

KeithBall

What is the best thickness for vinyl siding?

kwikfishron

The thicker the better. I use nothing less than a .046

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dpach

.046 is good. The thicker the better, against wind, hail, etc. I've heard the thinner stuff can "hum" on windy days as it vibrates. We put .046 on our house and we've had 100 km/hr winds and no issues (no movement, damage or "humming"). We also used a Cedar shake style on the front to help with some definition for the house, so don't be afraid to check out different styles.

Also check the way the panels hook together; some designs are better than others for wind resistance.

You can get siding with insulation attached to the back if you want real ridgid siding, and and an R-value, but it is not cheap.

Here's a before and after of our house (the windows have also been updated to triple pane low E, argon, etc since the pics).

Good luck.

Attached Thumbnails

   

msaecdaily

For some more information about vinyl siding check out this free online course through AEC Daily. The link to the course is below.

http://www.aecdaily.com/course.php?n...ompany=Ply+Gem

HomeSealed

The available thicknesses are .040, .042., .044, and .046. I will install no less than .044, but .46 is definitely preferred. Many contractors will start out at .042, but I just can't do it. .040 is for hacks only. You may as well donate your money to a charity.

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framer52

I have used the cheapest 20 years ago, and it still looks like the day it was installed.

Thickness has little to do with how long it will last. What is critical is that it is installed correctly.

Shoot, I even installed the old wolverine that was grey on the back with the color on the front. That I sold as a "green" alternative years ago, to my cheapest customers. If the pictures weren't in film version I would share them with you.....

HomeSealed

Your right, it will last, it will just be wavy and buckling all over the place. The thickness is a major factor as to how the siding will look upon completion and years down the road. If you have 20 yr old .040 siding that still looks good then that is called luck. The thicker, the better. That is just common sense.

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cleveman

It depends on the construction of the siding as well, or a plastic cup for that matter.

If you have a plastic cup with no indentations on the bottom, no ridges along the sides, and no lip at the rim, it will bend all over.

Ridges and bends make for strength and rigidity.

Therefore, go with a triple 9 or triple 8, definitely not a double 10 or double 9.

kwikfishron

Can't say I've ever seen those flavors before.

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HomeSealed

Huh?!

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4just1don

daughter had .050 with the seamless(very long panels) professionally installed on her 3-400,000 house. Looks great old siding was sorry rotted out 4 x 8 stucco looking stuff with battens.

New siding is very straight

What also looks great is the real wide large j-trim they used

I want to buy .050 to install on my house but cant find any. How can commercial companies have it but d-i-y er cant get it??

cleveman

You guys have never seen a piece of siding 9" wide or 8" wide made to look like three pieces of clapboard? Or a 10" or 9" made to look like two pieces?

kwikfishron

Sure but that would be a triple 3 or a double 5 or 4.5.

Cant say I've ever seen a triple 2.7 though.

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framer52

Sorry but that is just incorrect.

If you have a flat surface to begin with a .40 will look the same as the thicker.

You have been brainwashed. it is all in the installation, not the thickness. Remember the difference between a .40 and .44 is only 10%.

Arky217

I agree completely.

I sided my garage 10 years ago with the box store .40 and it looks the same as the day I put it on.

I think there are a lot of diy's who buy the .40 siding and nail it tight.

This has probably contributed to the thinking that you can't do a decent job with .40 siding.

That said, however, the thicker, more expensive siding is probably better formulated to resist physical and uv damage.

I just finished putting .46 siding on my retirement house and it certainly appeared to be stiffer and of a higher quality than the .40. (It was a closeout and I got it at a good price, else I might have gone with a lesser siding)

However, as I said, the 10 year old .40 siding on my garage looks as good as the day I installed it.

You can't just nail or screw vinyl without allowing for expansion and expect it to remain looking good.

I have seen a number of cases where the siding was buckled and coming loose and discovered that it was put on with a staple gun.

That kind of installation may be more common than realized, especially with uninformed diy's who probably typically get the .40 from the box stores.

Arky