Vinyl and Winter: How the Cold Affects This Siding Material

Vinyl is a popular siding choice in cold areas. Other than being affordable, this material is an excellent insulator. With optimal thickness and built-in insulation, vinyl siding can trap the heat inside your house and save you some money on energy.

These benefits, however, don’t make vinyl impervious to the harshness of winter. When exposed to the severe elements regularly, you can reasonably expect the problems below to manifest over time.

Brittleness

A first-rate and properly installed vinyl siding system can last a long time. But extreme temperature fluctuations can weaken the product’s structural integrity.

Sub-zero temperatures force vinyl to contract while it expands accordingly once the air gets warmer. The material’s sensitivity to such changes may cause it to crack at some point.

Moreover, overlooked crevices, when left unaddressed, could compromise any insulation inside it due to moisture infiltration. Likewise, insects and critters could invade your house, causing an entirely different list of headaches.

Instability

Aside from frigidity, vinyl is susceptible to wind damage. While any siding system is prone to blow-offs, the light weight of this material makes it more vulnerable to gales and gusts.

Furthermore, buckling increases the likelihood of a strong winter wind event blowing off vinyl siding panels. When siding sections are already pulling away from the house, it wouldn’t take much for Mother Nature to send them someplace else.

What’s a Viable Alternative to Vinyl?

Fiber cement siding promises to fare better in freezing weather. This product fends off moisture well, is heavy enough to hold its own and doesn’t expand and contract significantly.

At Up and Above Contractors, we take pride in being a certified James Hardie® siding contractor. This designation makes us the local authority on fiber cement siding, but it’s not the only product we specialize in. Ultimately, you can decide which replacement siding suits your needs.

Call us at (973) 300-0636, or fill out this form to schedule your FREE in-home consultation to get expert advice on which siding product to buy. We serve Northern New Jersey, especially Sussex County’s Sparta and Andover as well as Morris and Warren counties.