BUYERS DECISIONS
In selecting a vinyl siding panel there are three decisions you will need to make.
QUALITY
The quality of the panel affects the price, and there are generally three price points for horizontal vinyl siding. The decision of what to buy may be determined by the intend use of the property. For example, are you, siding your primary home? Remodeling a rental apartment? Preparing an investment property for re-sale? Covering a garage or outbuilding? While you might not want to side your primary investment with the cheapest panel available, it is also unlikely that you will put a premium panel on a tool shed.
There is a paradox to pricing and quality. While there might be a large difference in the retail price per unit, between the economy panel and a premium panel, the overall price of the project may only change by a few hundred dollars. As an example: Assuming a building requires 20 squares of siding and the difference between the economy panel and one of higher quality is $20.00 per square. The better quality panel will add $400.00 to the total cost of the project. With a service life that can span decades, the additional expense for a stronger panel becomes minimal.
COLOR
Color affects price. White is always the least cost choice and there may be two or three price levels, based on color, within a panel family. Economy panels have the fewest number of colors, premium panels have more choices. The manufacturers generally have a number of core colors that rarely change, while experimenting with new color offerings from year to year.
Most buildings have two or three colors chosen to compliment each other. If you are building new, then your choices are not limited. If you are remodeling an existing structure, and some areas are to be left as-is, then your color decisions will need to compliment what is already there. As a last thought, take note of your neighbor’s color scheme, it is likely you will want to do something different.
PROFILE
The profile does not affect the price. Some profiles are more popular than others, and in-stock availability, and return of excess may be an issue.
If you would like to experiment with colors and profiles try out the Cellwood visualizer by clicking this link.
