Pros and Cons of Horizontal and Vertical Siding

If you’re getting ready to replace your home’s siding, you’ve probably already considered material, color and even shapes—now it’s time to decide between horizontal and vertical siding. It might not be something you think about often (if ever), but there are distinct pros and cons to using horizontal or vertical siding on your home in Tyler, TX. Here’s how to pick between the two.

Horizontal siding

Horizontal siding is often favored by homeowners because it’s cheaper, faster and easier to install, as opposed to vertical siding, which can be expensive and challenging. If your budget is on the lower end or you’d like to get this facelift performed quickly, horizontal siding is likely your best bet.

On the other hand, horizontal siding is more prone to water damage—water collects on top of the planks and can penetrate into the walls, causing interior and exterior problems. If you’re using wood siding, it can rot or warp, necessitating an entire siding replacement. Vigilant homeowners might be able to avoid this problem, but if you deal with a lot of rain and snow, you may have problems keeping the water away from your home.

Horizontal siding has more color, shape and size options than vertical siding, since it’s a more popular choice on the whole. You can get horizontal siding in wood, vinyl, cedar and James Hardie fiber cement varieties. Vinyl and James Hardie siding tend to be more water resistant, but you’ll need to ensure that you have a skilled siding contractor performing the job to minimize the possibility of water intrusion.

Vertical siding

Vertical siding is often reserved for commercial and industrial buildings, but it can create an elongated, unusual look for residences. As a bonus, it’s also a lot easier to clean than vertical siding. If you want your home to stand out while you enjoy the benefits of siding, vertical may be the way to go.

Vertical siding is more difficult to install and takes longer, making it a more expensive choice than horizontal orientations. It’s important to choose a contractor who is familiar with installing vertical siding, as it has special installation requirements. It requires extra materials (another factor in the increased costs), and may make it tougher for you to sell your home if buyers are looking for something with a more conventional appearance.

Vertical siding also comes in fiber cement, vinyl, wood and cedar options, in a number of different colors and styles. If the idea of refacing your entire home in vertical siding doesn’t appeal to you, but you still love the unusual look, you might consider creating vertical accent spaces and filling the rest with horizontal siding. As long as your siding contractor is skilled in vertical siding installation, it should not significantly increase your construction time.

Need help picking between vertical or horizontal siding in Tyler, TX? The team at Canfield Construction Management can help you make the right choice for your home. Call us today to schedule an appointment to discuss your project.

Categorised in: Siding

This post was written by Writer