It doesn't take an engineer working on the new Austonian building at 2nd and Congress to understand why vinyl siding is so popular. It's durable, easy-to-install, versatile, and cheaper than most siding materials. It's also fire and pest-resistant. Vinyl is made of PVC plastic resin (essentially a hard plastic). While it's extremely durable, it's not indestructible. You can probably kick a soccer ball against it and be relatively safe, although your lawn mower can rip it to shreds. Proper installation is also required to prevent high winds from peeling the siding from your home.
Vinyl Siding: Austin, TX
So, how do the popularity and benefits of vinyl siding relate to Austin homeowners? That really depends on where you live. In south central Austin, for example, you might want something a little more chic, like metal, Hardie board, or faux stone siding. More affluent west side Austinites may covet the elegance and distinction of true stone siding. Really, though, there's hardly any place where vinyl siding in Austin wouldn't work. It creates the perfect home exterior in quiet city neighborhoods such as Hyde Park, Burnet, and throughout the greater Austin area. One of the hidden gems of vinyl siding is that it also increases sound insulation by up to 50%. If you have an attached garage, this siding will help keep your band practice from generating noise violations.
Cost of Vinyl Siding in Austin
ServiceMagic does a lot more than simply match homeowners with home improvement contractors. We also gather information on each and every project we process to give you a better idea of how much your project might cost and how long it will take to complete. Our national database reveals the average cost for vinyl siding is $7,500. For vinyl siding in Austin, though, it's not uncommon for your project to stay within the $5,000 mark. It really just depends on the quality of the vinyl you choose and how big your home is.
Project Length of an Austin Vinyl Siding Installation
Not only is your Austin vinyl siding likely to cost less, you can also often get your vinyl siding installed in half the time. The national average is two weeks; in Austin it's one week. Part of this efficiency is likely due to the pleasant weather. Should you get unlucky and inclement weather does hit, you may need to have a little patience with your contractor. As much as you probably want to get your siding project completed, take your time choosing an Austin vinyl siding contractor. Unfortunately, poor installation with vinyl siding isn't uncommon. Plus, the quality of the vinyl can also vary widely; make sure your contractor is getting his or her vinyl siding supply from a reputable manufacturer.
Austin Vinyl Siding Repair
As durable as vinyl siding is, the danger to the exterior of your home is equally formidable (be it the weather, kids, strangers, etc.) and no siding is damage-proof. The average Austin vinyl siding repair job runs around $500 or $600. Vinyl can't really be patched, so a new panel will have to be installed if an existing one is severely damaged. The problem then becomes trying to match a new vinyl panel with the other paneling, which may have faded slightly from sun exposure. Often times, an original panel is removed from the back of your home near the ground and the new panel is then replaced in this less visible spot.

Marcus Pickett is a professional freelance writer for the home remodeling industry. He has published more than 600 articles on both regional and national topics within the home improvement industry.