Should you use liquid vinyl siding on your home?

• March 22nd, 2010
• In: Liquid Siding
• By: Rob Sabo
• (2 votes, average: 1.00 out of 5)
  
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Liquid siding is a relatively new application for home renovation. Many companies that manufacture liquid siding have advertisements on their Web sites such as, “Never Paint Again!” Sound too good to be true?

What is Liquid Vinyl Siding?

Liquid siding is a spray-on application made from a mix of resins and polymers. It’s gained ground with homeowners in the past two decades because it is designed to resist:

• chiping
• flaking
• cracking
• peeling

It’s also touted as being waterproof, and its high reflectivity helps save on summer energy costs. It’s so sticky it can be applied over:

• wood
• stucco
• brick
• steel
• aluminum

The Liquid Siding Debate

When searching the Internet for information on “liquid vinyl siding,” a huge red flag should arise in any homeowner’s mind when the second or third search suggestions are “liquid vinyl siding complaints,” or “liquid vinyl siding scam.”

Companies that manufacture the product offer warranties of 25 or more years, yet homeowners in many states–with both humid and dry climates–have had problems with this product after just a few years. Their frustrated complaints can be found in online forum posts–and more formally with the Better Business Bureau.

When Renovating, Should You Choose Liquid Siding?

Cost is definitely a consideration: Liquid siding is much more expensive than repainting, but not as much as hiring a siding contractor to replace damaged siding.

My summation? Applied properly, liquid vinyl siding does what it says. Too many companies are in business selling the product for it to be a total fraud. However, improper application by inexperienced contractors has left too many homeowners wishing they had chosen a different option.

Liquid vinyl siding can be a viable option to repainting your home. But before hiring a contractor to apply this product on your home, follow tried-and-true methods of self investigation, such as:

• asking for three homeowner references
• checking with the Better Business Bureau
• searching for complaints about the proposed product on the Internet