Fiber Cement or Vinyl Siding: Which Is Better?

When deciding which siding is best for your home, it’s important to weigh all the qualities of siding across the board. We’re examining the qualities in eight core areas from price to environmental impact to help you decide which is better for your home.

Cost

Best bargain: Vinyl

When comparing siding costs, it’s important to know the square footage of your home to allow pros to calculate accurate costs.

Fiber Cement

Fiber cement siding costs $5 to $25 per square foot, including materials and labor. The price for materials equals $1 and $15 per square foot. The labor cost ranges from $4 to $10 per square foot.

Vinyl

Vinyl siding costs range from $3 to $6 per square foot. Labor runs between $2 and $5 per square foot. Expect to pay $5 to $11 per square foot for materials and installation.

Appearance

Photo: Ursula Page / Adobe Stock

Best looking: Fiber Cement Siding and Hardie Board

Your siding is one of the most important factors in determining your curb appeal, so choosing the right one is essential.

Fiber Cement

• Looks more like original wood or cedar shakes
• Comes in thicker planks
• Maintains a natural appearance throughout planks and boards
• Shows dirt, debris, and dents more quickly
• Thinner boards may not be as visually appealing as fiber cement boards
• Wears faster, which can diminish the appearance

Vinyl Siding

Durability

Built to last: Fiber Cement

Fiber cement can last up to 50 years, and vinyl, although durable for a time, begins to show signs of wear as soon as 10 years in extreme climates.

Vinyl Siding

• Freezing temperatures can make vinyl siding prone to peeling and cracking
• Prolonged exposure to heat can warp vinyl
• Water can get behind the vinyl siding and damage ceilings and the interior
• Exterior walls are resistant to mold and insect resistant, and rot
• Resistant to mold, insects and rot
• Withstands fierce storms, hail and temperature fluctuations
• Fire retardant construction makes material fire resistant

Fiber Cement

Maintenance

Easiest to maintain: Vinyl

After you hire a local pro to install your siding, you likely want a product that’s easy to clean and requires little siding maintenance. Although fiber cement siding is low maintenance, vinyl siding practically needs no maintenance.

Vinyl

• Cleans up quickly with a garden hose
• Doesn’t require power washing
• Doesn’t need painting or caulking
• Needs to be repainted every 10 to 15 years
• Needs to be cleaned with a garden hose every six to 12 months, depending on trees and the weather
• Stubborn stains may require a soft bristle brush and a mild detergent

Fiber Cement and Hardie Board

Energy Efficiency

Best energy efficiency: Insulated Vinyl

When determining energy efficiency in siding, we need to consider R-values, the ability of insulation material to allow heat to enter or escape. A lower R-value number equals less insulation, and a higher number provides more insulation. Neither standard vinyl siding nor fiber cement possesses low R-values.

Hardie Siding

• 0.5 R-value
• For cold climates, it’s best to apply an insulated house wrap before siding installation.
• You’ll see an increase of 4.0 R-value by adding a house wrap, a synthetic material installed over the sheathing and behind the siding.
• Standard vinyl has a 0.61 R-value.
• When you install and nail down a half-inch vinyl foam board insulation, you’ll see an increase to 2.5 to 3.5 R-values.
• You’ll see an increase to a 4.0 R-value when an insulated house wrap is installed over sheathing and behind the siding.

Standard Vinyl

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Ease of Installation

Best for DIYers: Vinyl

Whether you decide to install fiber cement siding or vinyl siding to your exterior walls, you’ll achieve the best results with professional installation. However, if you have construction and siding knowledge, vinyl makes a better DIY installation option than fiber cement. Just note that all siding can have major issues if you don’t install it correctly.

Vinyl

• Improper installation can lead to cracking, buckling and breaking
• Incorrect installation can lead to water damage behind your siding
• Lightweight material (30 to 35 pounds per 50 square feet) makes vinyl easier to transport and install
• Heavy-duty material weighing 150 pounds for every 50 square feet makes it difficult to carry and install
• Easy to break material when handled improperly
• Requires professional installation
• Thicker boards are not recommended for non-professional installation because they contain crystalline silica, a hazardous dust that can lead to silicosis, a deadly lung disease, according to the CDC
• Contractors will wear protective gear needed while working

Fiber Cement

Environmental Friendliness and Safety

Better for the environment: Fiber Cement (when installed by a professional)

When working with construction materials, it’s important to know how to handle each with care. Both come with risks when installing. However, professionals can take precautions to keep the hazardous dust from fiber cement out of the air during the cutting and sawing process.

Vinyl

• Requires lighter loads and less fuel needed for transport due to vinyl’s lighter weight
• PVC is not eco-friendly due to the manufacturing process
• Releases hazardous, carcinogenic dioxins into the air when burned in landfills
• Many facilities will not recycle PVC
• Made of some natural materials, including wood pulp
• Cannot be recycled at this time
• Doesn’t emit hazardous gasses
• Longer lifespan
• Hazardous crystalline silica dust can be emitted in the air when sawing and cutting boards and not using the proper gear and method to collect the dust, such as attaching a wet-dry vacuum to saws while working

Fiber Cement (Hardie Siding)