Each trade show and every year this same question is brought up! And honestly, it's a tough question, which merit's a post, and we recommend asking your go-to contractor his thoughts. If you asked 100 contractor's you'd get a variety of responses. Regardless whether their a preferred contractor, 30+ years in construction, or your favorite handyman. However, in my experience this question can only be answered by YOU the homeowner!

Go ahead visit the leading vinyl manufacturers websites such as: Plygem or Royal Building Products, James Hardie.com, or LP Building product's they'll showcase the advantages over their peers. Each site exhibit beautiful houses, trending colors, and their extensive product warranties. I'd recommend before you upload an image of your house to ask yourself "what are your intentions for your home?"

[gallery ids="980,981" type="rectangular"]

We know it's common for homeowner's to comprise a " fix-it" list in March and we professionally recommend it. A proactive homeowner is great homeowner and we suggest every Spring/Fall you address an on-going issue (Mines - Air Conditioning not that you care!). It's much easier in Spring especially when your accountant indicates you're receiving a $5,000 tax return. Regardless of your situation or tax refund situation, ask yourself these questions:

How long do you plan on living at your home?
- The average family lives at their "home" 13 to 17 years according to the NAHB This is the most important question! Because this should alter your product consideration simply because why invest in siding when you'll have a possible down payment?
What are the "comp's" in the area or neighbor's house look like?
- If the entire block is barren from James Hardie siding and the median 3 Bedroom/1 bathroom home doesn't fluctuate much, than it's possible there won't be much ROI. We don't believe your decision solely on ROI, especially if the intentions are to live their your entire life, but it's worth the consideration. In contrast to that, many neighborhood's will transitions after one makes the jump to a premium siding material (keeping up with the Jones - it's real!)
Do you have newer windows?
- I'd say 50% of homeowners initially don't consider window replacement , because they're focused on their ugly, outdated, or bird ridden siding. Yet, the honest truth is, if those windows are over 15+ years it may be worth considering to do a 2 for 1 deal. Why? It's much easier to install a quality siding product such as LP & James Hardie alongside those new energy efficient windows rather than remove the "newer" siding system in 5-7 years to replace those faulty windows. It's much easier ( and cheaper) to do it all at once.
Do you know a quality contractor or trust the local contractor?
- Again, we're bias because we're contractor's, but we're aware of the significant cost difference and investment of these material's. LP & Hardie is more labor laden, along with their product specifications! So hiring the right contractor should save you $$$ and headaches down the road regardless if you sell or stay (even if their estimate is more expensive).
What's your project budget or expectation?
- This is the most important question. I agree, the more expensive product's are better for the environment and currently have longer warranties, but will you be financially stable in the next 1 to 5 years? We're not the door-to-door contractor that wants all customers to sign for 5 to 10 year home improvement loans. Because we understand it's vital that you love the product, installer, color, and more importanly believe it's the best suited system for your goal's, which should have been clarified with the questions above.

So, what's the final decision? We were not going to say one over the other, because A. our manufacturer's will get upset and B. because we don't know your personal intentions with your home. We want to provide the best information and will surely do so if you reach out individually. A variety of our own employees have a variation of vinyl, James Hardie, and LP Smartside, so we'd be lying as a company by saying there's a one size fits all.