Vinyl vs Fiber Cement Siding: Which Is Better on Long Island?

What is the real difference between vinyl and fiber cement siding?

Vinyl siding is a lightweight PVC product with the color molded all the way through, while fiber cement is a heavy board made from cement, sand and wood fibers that is painted, either at the factory or on site. That difference in weight and makeup explains almost everything else about how the two behave on a house.

Vinyl panels lock together and hang loosely on their nails so they can expand in summer heat and shrink in winter cold. They are quick to install, never need painting and clean up with a garden hose. Fiber cement planks are nailed tight to the wall like wood clapboard. They are rigid, hold a crisp shadow line and take paint well, which is why they read as wood from the street.

• Vinyl: light, flexible, low maintenance, color goes through the material, wide range of profiles and colors, including insulated vinyl with a foam backing.
• Fiber cement: heavy, rigid, noncombustible, looks like painted wood, needs repainting over its life unless it has a long-lasting factory finish, more labor to install.

Neither one is the "right" answer for every home. The better choice depends on how exposed your house is, how long you plan to stay, the look you want and how much upkeep you are willing to do.

How do vinyl and fiber cement hold up to Long Island weather?

Both materials handle Long Island's climate well when they are installed correctly, but they fail in different ways. Vinyl is more likely to crack from an impact in the cold or loosen in a hard wind, while fiber cement shrugs off wind and impact but depends on good paint and sealed joints to keep moisture out of its edges.

Wind and nor'easters

Nor'easters and the occasional tropical storm push wind-driven rain sideways into walls for hours at a time. Vinyl panels that were nailed too tight, nailed too far apart or not locked fully into the panel below are the ones that unzip and blow off. Heavier, thicker vinyl panels with a reinforced nailing hem hold much better. Fiber cement is face or blind nailed directly to the wall and its weight works in its favor, so wind loss of whole planks is uncommon.

Freeze-thaw winters

Vinyl gets stiffer and more brittle in freezing weather, so a snowblower, a thrown ice chunk or a ladder can crack a panel in January that would have flexed in July. Fiber cement does not get brittle in the cold, but water that soaks into an unpainted cut edge can freeze and damage the board over time. James Hardie makes a product line formulated specifically for freezing climates with snow and ice, which it describes in its Hardie Zone System; that is the line that suits our winters.

Salt air on the South Shore

In coastal towns like Long Beach, Freeport, Massapequa and Bay Shore, salt spray and constant sun are harder on exteriors than the cold. Vinyl will not rust, rot or peel, though dark colors can fade on sunny, exposed walls. Fiber cement handles salt air well too, but its paint finish is what takes the weathering, so expect to keep an eye on south and water-facing walls. On both materials, use stainless or hot-dipped galvanized fasteners near the water.

Which siding needs less maintenance?

Vinyl needs less maintenance. A gentle wash once a year or so to remove mildew and pollen is usually all it asks, and there is never any paint to scrape.

Fiber cement is still low maintenance compared with wood, since it does not rot, warp or attract woodpeckers and termites. But it is a painted surface. Over its life you should plan for:

• Repainting when the finish chalks or fades (a factory-applied finish lasts considerably longer than site-applied paint).
• Checking caulk at butt joints, windows, doors and trim, and renewing it where it has cracked.
• Touching up any chips so water does not get into the board.
• Keeping mulch, soil and lawn sprinklers away from the bottom course, and keeping the required gap where siding meets a roof line.

If you want an exterior you can mostly forget about, vinyl wins. If you like the idea of changing color down the road, fiber cement gives you that option because it is designed to be repainted.

Which looks better on Cape, ranch, colonial and split-level homes?

Fiber cement generally looks more like traditional painted wood, while good-quality vinyl looks clean and uniform. On many Long Island houses either one can look right; it comes down to the details.

Fiber cement has crisp, square edges, a deeper shadow line and no visible overlap seams on long walls, which suits colonials and older Capes where you want a classic clapboard or shingle look. It also pairs well with wide trim boards. Vinyl has come a long way: thicker panels, wood grain textures, shake and board-and-batten profiles and matching trim, soffit and fascia make it a natural fit for ranches, split-levels and Capes where a tidy, uniform finish is the goal.

A few things give away cheap siding on either material: wavy walls from panels nailed too tight, thin J-channel around windows, and mismatched trim. Those are installation and product-grade issues, not reasons to rule out a whole material. Looking at finished houses is the best way to judge; our siding installation page covers every material we install.

What drives the cost of vinyl versus fiber cement?

Vinyl usually costs less to buy and install than fiber cement, mainly because it is lighter and faster to put up. The total for your house depends on far more than the material, though, so two quotes for the "same" siding can look very different.

The main cost drivers are:

• Material and grade: panel thickness for vinyl, insulated backing, and for fiber cement, whether you choose a factory finish or site painting.
• Labor: fiber cement is heavy, has to be cut with dust control equipment and takes longer to handle and fasten, which adds crew time.
• Tear-off and disposal: removing old siding, especially more than one layer, adds time and dumpster loads.
• Sheathing repairs: rotted or damaged plywood behind the old siding has to be fixed before anything new goes on.
• House size and shape: two-story walls, dormers, gables, bays and lots of windows mean more cuts, more flashing and more trim.
• Trim, soffit and fascia: wrapping trim, replacing rotted fascia and adding vented soffit all add to the job.

When you compare estimates, make sure each one is itemized so you can see whether house wrap, flashing, trim and sheathing repair are included. If spreading the cost out would help, we offer financing through Hearth.

Does installation matter more than the material?

In most cases, yes. Siding is the outer layer of a wall system, and the house wrap and flashing behind it do much of the real work of keeping water out of the wall.

Wind-driven rain gets behind every type of siding at some point. What matters is whether that water hits a properly lapped house wrap and is directed back out at window heads, door sills, roof-to-wall joints and deck ledgers. When those details are skipped, water soaks into the sheathing and framing, and the siding itself can look fine for years while the wall rots behind it. That is one of the most common problems we find on siding repair calls.

Each material also has its own installation rules. Vinyl needs to be nailed in the center of the slots and left slightly loose so it can move with temperature. Fiber cement needs specific nail placement, gaps or flashing at joints, clearance from roofs and grade, and sealed or primed cut edges. Manufacturer instructions exist for both, and following them is what keeps the material warranty valid.

What if your house is older?

If your home was built before 1978, plan for lead-safe work practices during siding removal, whichever new material you choose. Many local houses from that era still have original painted wood siding or trim under later layers.

Disturbing old lead paint by prying off clapboard or cutting trim can spread dust around the yard and into open windows. The EPA recommends that owners of pre-1978 homes hire a lead-safe certified contractor for renovation work like this. LaRocco Roofing & Siding is an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm, and we set up containment and clean-up accordingly.

Older homes also bring a few practical points worth knowing:

• Walls are rarely perfectly straight, and vinyl will show waves unless the wall is shimmed or furred where needed.
• Fiber cement adds noticeable weight, so the condition of the sheathing and framing underneath matters.
• Some mid-century homes have old cement shingle siding that may contain asbestos. It should be tested before anyone breaks or removes it.

So which should you choose?

Choose vinyl if you want the lowest upkeep and a lower upfront cost; choose fiber cement if you want a painted-wood look, more impact and fire resistance, and you are comfortable repainting over time.

Vinyl is usually the better fit if:

• You want to wash it occasionally and otherwise leave it alone.
• Budget is the deciding factor.
• You have a ranch, split-level or Cape where a clean, uniform look suits the house.
• You like insulated vinyl for a stiffer wall and a little extra insulation.

Fiber cement is usually the better fit if:

• You want the look of painted wood clapboard or shingles, especially on a colonial or traditional home.
• Your walls take a beating from wind, hail, kids' balls or yard equipment.
• You want a noncombustible exterior or have a grill or fire pit close to the house.
• You plan to stay long term and may want to change colors later.

Many homeowners also mix the two, for example fiber cement on the front elevation and vinyl on the sides and back. If you would like a second opinion on your own house, we offer free, written, itemized estimates across Long Island & Queens, NY. You can request one here or call (516) 924-2050.

Related service: Siding Installation