<p>My son is looking at houses and came across one that has vinyl siding. I really know nothing about it, but I always thought it was a cheap option on a lower priced home. What little I have read makes me think vinyl is used more often now. The home is 14 years old, and I don’t know if the vinyl is the original install or if it was placed over something else.</p>
<p>This was the first look at this home, so before we go back I would like us to be better educated on vinyl siding. What do we need to know or look for?</p>
<p>In some areas (mine included) vinyl siding is a plus up to a certain market value, and then becomes a minus - as higher end buyers want “real” products (wood, etc.).</p>
<p>But in other areas, vinyl siding is accepted on higher end homes, and even sought after.</p>
<p>If the vinyl was placed over something else, it would be a good idea for an inspector (when he is in the inspection process on a home he actually makes an offer on - he wouldn’t do this for every home he looks at) to <em>try</em> to determine that the job was done well - ie, not trapping moisture between the original siding and the vinyl. I don’t think they can always tell this, but they can look for tell-tale signs.</p>
<p>If your son is working with a good realtor, s/he should be able to advise whether vinyl is a plus/minus/neutral in his price range. Even if it’s something of a minus, doesn’t mean he shouldn’t buy it - just that he should be sure he is paying appropriately for the house. It’s especially ok if he values what vinyl offers - no need for routine painting.</p>
<p>I’ve yet to see vinyl mushrooms. I have seen concrete mushrooms (hardiplank siding) normally with toads and gnomes. I see less of the presswood mushrooms but the algae and mold is ubiquitous on natural products especially on the northface .</p>
<p>Have an home inspector inspect the entire house before buying, including the siding. But until then you can look for evidence of seams. If they are really visible you may have had in an inferior installation. Look at the overlap if it is where you can see it to see how tight everything is. Look around the windows and doors for tight seals. Around here new siding is expected. We are having it done because the wood siding has about had it and it will increase value. But a bad siding job is usually pretty evident if it has been there 14 hears.</p>
<p>In this area, LOW maintenance is the operant idea and even the very high end homes have vinyl siding now. That was not the case 20 years ago, but it is now.</p>
<p>OSB siding is highly preferable. It installs better and the fact that it can be painted is a PLUS. You want to look for LP SmartSide or the Hardie siding. Even the Habitat homes in our area are moving away from vinyl because the oriented strand board siding is far better. (I work in this industry)</p>
<p>We absolutely will have an inspection if we make an offer; I was wondering what I should look for before the offer stage.</p>
<p>I did notice yesterday that one edge or one piece of the siding had a gap, so was not really connected to the next. I wasn’t sure it siding should be caulked between pieces, but I only noticed this in one place; not that I looked everywhere!</p>
<p>Is there a way to know if the siding is the original installation or if it was placed over something else? I am guessing an inspector might be able to tell, although maybe not without removing a piece of siding. Before we make an offer, I would like to know as much as I can. I love to play detective, so this is right up my alley!!</p>
<p>MOWC-is there a way to know the brand used; maybe a stamp or something? Again, I am guessing a good inspector will know the difference, but if there was a way for me to tell that would be great. As best as I could tell from my brief look at the siding, it is not paintable, but I could be wrong.</p>
<p>I should have mentioned that my husband and I are buying this home for my son to use while in medical school. The area is such that there is a good turn over of homes due to the medical school and a local college. We figured out that the home doesn’t need repairs that are over the top during his 4 year stay, we will come out cheaper than renting. He has a roommate lined up, so finding the perfect house is what we are doing now. The area is several hours from our home so I can not look at homes everyday; but we knew the neighborhoods we were interested in. I am really enjoying home shopping again, even if it isn’t for myself!</p>