Buy Quality Vinyl Siding: The Best Manufacturers & Brands Reviewed

Having decided on vinyl siding for your home, your next concern with be to find the best quality siding at the right price. How can you define quality vinyl siding? Well, you get what you pay for, and in this vinyl siding buying guide we will help you select the best vinyl siding that gives you many years of durable, fade-resistant performance while beautifying and protecting your home’s exterior.

We’ll look at the characteristics of a good quality vinyl siding product and also give you short reviews of the best vinyl siding manufacturers and retailers so you can get a sense of where to start your research. If you’re not yet sure if vinyl siding is for you the please check out our buyers guide for more information on the different types vinyl siding available and the pros and cons of choosing vinyl.

CHARACTERISTICS OF QUALITY VINYL SIDING

Like most materials, vinyl siding is available in good (or cheap), better and best (or premium) categories. Let’s focus on the better and best vinyl siding, so you’ll know what to look for and to expect in the product you choose to clad your home.

It is thick: This is the first way to separate the cheap stuff from quality vinyl siding you should consider. Vinyl is measured in mils or thousandths of an inch:

• .038” and .040” – Builders grades
• .042” – Light residential grade
• .044” – Standard residential grade
• .046” and thicker – Premium residential grade

Thicker is better in every way because it is more rigid and will prevent sagging, resists impact better and is generally more durable.

It is hardened: The primary ingredient in vinyl siding is polyvinyl chloride or PVC. Better grades of material have acrylics added to the top layer, the cap stock, to make it very hard.

It fades very slowly: Fast-fading vinyl siding is pretty much a thing of the past. However, to ensure you get the most colorfast product, look for siding containing titanium dioxide which is proven to inhibit fading to the point you probably won’t notice it year to year. True colorfast siding is independently certified ASTM D6864, ASTM D7251 or ASTM D7856. Look for the certification on the siding box or ask the sales representative about it.

A double nailing hem might be included: The nailing hem is where fasteners are installed through the siding into the sheathing on the house. A double hem allows for more nails, and this improves the siding’s resistance to wind.

The profile is deep: The deeper the profile of clapboard vinyl siding, the more shading it will produce on the side of the house. This more closely mimics the effect of natural wood siding. Look for a clapboard profile at least ¾” deep for the most authentic appearance.

Related Reading: Log Cabin Siding: Options, Costs & Manufacturers

Offers excellent aesthetics: Premium grades of vinyl siding have deeper wood graining patterns to replicate the look of painted wood. Most also come in a wider range of color choices. Finally, look for top siding with attractive accessories that put the finishing touches on your home.

It comes with a lifetime warranty: The cheapest grades of siding come with 5-year or 10-year warranties. You should look for a product with a 25-year warranty at least. The best vinyl siding products are backed by lifetime limited warranties against manufacturing defects.

If your still researching different types of material you might want to consider all your other home siding options and in particular the best fiber cement manufacturers, cedar siding, engineered wood siding along with brick veneers and stone veneers. And make sure you check out the difference between aluminum siding vs vinyl siding.

REVIEWS OF TOP VINYL SIDING MANUFACTURERS

These siding brands lead the industry, and here’s an overview of what they offer. All these top vinyl siding brands back their best products with lifetime limited warranties that are, in most cases, transferable to the new owner if the home is sold.

CertainTeed – Truly one of the premium brands, CertainTeed’s best vinyl siding lines such as Monogram and Monogram XL check all the boxes including enhanced thickness, colorfast material, rigid durability, many attractive appearance options and a good selection of accessories. CertainTeed makes vertical, shake & shingle and insulated siding with equal quality and distinction.

Alside – Also among the best vinyl siding brands, this producer covers all the bases too. Premium Charter Oak horizontal siding is offered in 19 colors, and you’ll find similar options for vertical siding, shakes and scallops. Alside makes the thickest insulated siding in the industry, the Prodigy line. Its multi-tone Cypress Creek variegated siding is uniquely beautiful.

Royal Building Products – RBP siding options range from better to best in attractive horizontal and vertical profiles to give your home just the look you want. Products mimicking cedar shakes and shingles come in 20 colors and feature enhanced thickness to produce a more authentic profile.

Georgia Pacific – This leading producer of building materials offers a full range of vinyl siding. Horizontal siding like best-selling Compass line in 24 colors is produced in a variety of profiles and styles. The company also offers vertical and insulated siding plus faux cedar shake siding in 15 colors.

Mastic by Ply Gem – Horizontal vertical, insulated and shingle/shake siding, this brand has it all. Each type is available in several quality lines and the most popular profiles, so you can tailor the appearance of your home to suit your style. Quest horizontal siding, for example, is made in 7 profiles and 35 brilliant colors.

Mitten – This is another Ply Gem brand with quality though limited lines in all the major vinyl siding categories. The popular Sentry horizontal siding is produced in 33 beautiful colors from frost-white to deep brown.

Kaycan – You’ve got a wide range of profile and color options with Kaycan horizontal siding including the Richmond line in 9 heritage colors like Brick and Umber. Browse the company’s vertical, shake & Shingle siding for similar appealing choices.

REVIEWS OF VINYL SIDING RETAILERS

All the national home improvement chains sell a huge amount of vinyl siding, and online sales are brisk too. The number of retailers keeps prices very competitive. Here is what you’ll find as you venture out to big box stores or browse siding sellers on the Internet.

Home Depot – Visiting the Home Depot website will only show what is currently in stock. However, you can order vinyl siding from top brands like CertainTeed, Mastic and Wolverine. Horizontal, vertical, insulated, shakes, shingles and accessory products are available in dozens of colors and textures, so putting together a fantastic cladding package for your home won’t be a problem.

Lowes – This top retailer sells an impressive range of vinyl siding with a heavy emphasis on products from Georgia Pacific. The vinyl siding lines cover the gamut – horizontal traditional and Dutch lap, vertical board & batten, shakes, shingles, scallops and accessories. Lowes has good, better and best options to fit any budget. Like all the major home improvement chains, most vinyl siding available from Lowes isn’t stocked; it must be ordered.

Menards – This retailer’s selection of what can be ordered might be the largest available from any retailer. What you’ll find in stock is more limited. Menards offers siding from leading brands including CertainTeed, TimberCrest, Wolverine and ABTCO. There are numerous appealing options in every siding type, profile and color.

ABCSupply.com – Among the many top brands stocked by ABC Supply are CertainTeed, Mastic and Royal Building Products. As a result of carrying many producers, the selection might be the best you’ll find online including all types and profiles in a rich palette of colors.