Replacing the siding on your home with either vinyl siding or fiber cement siding can be a very sound investment. According to Remodeling Magazine, replacing the siding on your home has one of the best payback rates of any home remodel project. In fact they are rated as the number one and two projects. You can recoup a little over eighty percent of your investment for vinyl siding and almost 87 percent of your investment for putting on fiber cement siding.
Calculating How Much Siding You Will Need
In order to get an estimate for the installation of replacement siding, you will need to know how much area you will be covering. To calculate this, measure the distance around your home. Multiple this number by the height of your home. A standard one story structure will be approximately ten feet in height.
For example, if your home is 50 feet wide and 30 feet deep your calculations will be done in this manner. 50 + 50 + 30 + 30 = 160 x 10 = 1600 square feet of siding required. This number will be used in calculating the cost of the replacement siding as well as the cost to remove the existing siding.
Cost of Fiber Cement Siding
As with most building material, fiber cement siding comes in a variety of styles and grades. This will cause a wide variation in the price of the raw materials. Installation costs will also vary depending on the specifics of your installation as well as the area of the country in which you live.
Costhelper.com reports the average cost of fiber cement siding to range from $4.50 up to $9.00 per square foot. For our example home, this translates into $7,200 up to $14,400.
RemodlingOnline.com reports a slightly higher average price of $10 to $11 per square foot for fiber cement siding. At these rates, the siding for our example home will be $16,000 to $17,600 for the project. If your home has a large number of corners, this price can go up still more.
Cost of Vinyl Siding
Vinyl siding is less expensive than fiber cement siding. Once again the siding materials vary widely in both style and thickness. Thicknesses can range from .035 to .055 inches. Premium brands are generally between .040 and .048 inches thick. Most vinyl siding comes in lighter colors. This is because darker colors absorb heat and can increase the cooling costs of your home.
Replacement vinyl siding will range from a low of $2 per square foot up to a high of $7 or more. Using the same example home as before, the cost for vinyl siding would range from $3,200 up to $11,200. Again a large number of corners or trim work can push the cost higher.
Additional Costs of Siding Replacement
With a remodel project there is always the possibility of added expense. If any damage, such as water damage, is discovered during the remodel it should be corrected before moving on. With most siding replacement projects, the old siding will need to be removed prior to the new siding being installed. The cost for this can range from $1,000 up to $3,500 or more.
Be certain to get estimates from a number of contractors. if possible, ask for a list of homes the contractors have installed siding on, then drive by and casually examine the quality of their work. Even the best raw materials can result in an unsatisfactory final project if completed by a sub-standard contractor.
Replacement siding will increase the value of your home, improve its curb appeal, and in many instances reduce your utility costs as well. It is also maintenance-free, requiring only an occasional washing to keep it looking like new.
Sources:
Remodeling Magazine
Costhelper.com
RemodelingOnline.com
