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When remodeling a home’s exterior, material choice plays a critical role in budget, durability, and curb appeal. Consumers want to be assured their investment is going to provide satisfaction and peace of mind for years to come, and contractors want strong, dependable products and easy installation. The type of siding selected can add a significant increase to the value of a home. While vinyl and fiber cement are both popular options, insulated vinyl siding provides several benefits that edge out fiber cement.

Insulated vinyl siding is quicker to install, with fewer laborers. We aren’t talking a little time savings – we’re talking one laborer instead of two. No extra wall-prepping time like fiber cement often requires. No scaffolding. No gearing up to protect against silicosis. No sealing, caulking, or touch-ups.

One-piece insulated vinyl siding is lightweight, rigid, easy to install, and safe to handle. Installers who have worked with traditional vinyl siding can quickly learn to work with insulated siding, whereas fiber cement is heavy, hard to handle, and requires considerable training, specific tools and techniques to install correctly.

Insulated vinyl siding is jobsite durable, and durable for life. Fiber cement has been known to crack and chip during shipment and installation, requiring added time and labor to repair. One-piece insulated vinyl siding is jobsite tough and meets ASTM standards for wind load and impact resistance. Once installed, it withstands just about anything life throws at it, including rocks from lawn mowers, baseballs, and wind-driven hail.

Insulated vinyl siding creates a thermal envelope around the home, resulting in higher R-value and lower energy bills, while fiber cement has no inherent energy efficiency properties. CedarMAX™ insulated vinyl siding from ProVia is manufactured with rigid foam insulation that blankets the wall studs and prevents thermal bridging. The foam backing also bridges the subtle bows and dips that are present on almost every wall, resulting in longer, straighter panels and increased curb appeal; rigid fiber cement can mirror bows or dips in the wall behind it.

Insulated vinyl siding can be installed over exposed foundation surfaces that are commonly found on the sides and rear of a house. This is an affordable solution for covering a bare foundation because vinyl can be installed within inches of the ground with no negative effects. Due to ground moisture, snow accumulation, and eave drippage, fiber cement installed near ground height can rot, starting from the bottom edge and moving up over time.

Insulated vinyl siding from ProVia breathes. One of the worst nightmares for contractors is moisture damage in a wall, resulting in callbacks from unhappy homeowners and costly, time-consuming repairs. CedarMAX insulated vinyl siding is formulated with rigid EPS foam insulation that allows moisture to escape to the outside of the home, preventing mold and moisture damage.

Insulated vinyl siding delivers the high-end look and beauty of wood, without the risk of rot. Real wood or fiber cement siding have porous cores that absorb water, swell, and rot when moisture penetrates through gaps or cracks in the paint or primer. Insulated vinyl siding repels moisture and is resistant to damage and rot.

CedarMAX insulated vinyl siding delivers the wide profiles and bold colors homeowners want. CedarMAX is available in wider profiles that create a distinctive look: Double 6″, Triple 4″ Dutch Lap, 7” Single, and 8″ Board ‘n Batten. ProVia’s Super Polymer Formulation and Tri-Pigment Reflective Technology create rich, bold colors that resist fading, chalking, cracking, and peeling—guaranteed. Homeowners can choose from 30 beautiful colors, while fiber cement offers prefinished panels in a limited range of colors.

Insulated vinyl siding never needs painting or caulking. Fiber cement must be re-caulked and painted every few years, adding to its cost and maintenance. Homeowners appreciate that insulated vinyl siding is easily maintained with an occasional rinse from a garden hose.

There’s never been a better time to present CedarMAX insulated vinyl siding as part of your product offering. When you do, you’ll be offering contractors and homeowners a beautiful product that’s durable, on trend, energy efficient, and easier and less time-consuming for installation crews to handle. Learn more at ProVia.com/siding.

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