It seems like every month, there’s another fresh new siding product for us to quote on. And it’s fun and interesting to review the specs on new product lines! But most new materials come into the market with minimal test data, and no experience with Edmonton’s insane climate conditions. (How many places in the world see -35C and +35 in the same year, every year?)
While we’re always on the lookout for innovative new products, we don’t want our clients to be anyone’s guinea pigs for trial and error. Our average siding renovation costs $35,000 - would you want to spend 35K on an experiment? Probably not. And since we warranty both material and workmanship on our projects for up to 15 years, we don’t want to either.
With that in mind, here’s an intro to the 5 most common exterior cladding options that you’ll see in the Edmonton area that actually have a proven track record of durability. For this article, we’ll give you a quick rundown of each product, and some links to more in-depth resources for further research if you’d like to read more!
1. Vinyl Siding
With a market share of about 60%, vinyl siding is by far the most popular siding in Edmonton for both new and renovation projects. Vinyl is the least expensive siding product out there, and is available in well over 100 colours and multiple profiles, such as dutchlap, bevel, board & batten, shakes, and scallops.
Royal Building Products dutchlap siding in Estate Gray, and board & batten siding in Estate Gray and Storm
But the main thing that makes vinyl so popular in Edmonton isn’t just the cost - it’s the fact that performs really well in our climate. It’s pretty much waterproof, and will expand & contract freely when installed properly. This means vinyl siding looks great year-round no matter what the weather happens to be doing!
There are dozens of vinyl siding manufacturers to choose from. In our experience, the Royal, Mitten, and Gentek vinyl lines have the best performing products.
If you’d like to read more about vinyl siding, check out The Pros and Cons of Vinyl Siding, or take a look at some of our past vinyl projects!
2. Hardie Board Siding (Fiber Cement)
Technically, Hardie Board is a brand name; but Hardie is by far the most well-known fiber cement siding manufacturer. It makes sense, as James Hardie Building Products invented the current version in the 1980s and manufactures about 87% of all fiber cement siding sold in North America today. There are a few other companies that make fiber cement, but their products are made for the hot, dry climate if the southern USA and don’t really come into play in Edmonton.
Hardie fiber cement siding is available as lap siding, board & batten, shakes, and trim boards. Many profile and colour options give you tons of design combinations to work with.
Hardie board’s claim to fame is really the durability. Because it’s made of cement, Hardie siding is tough enough to hold up to hail, rain, high heat, and even wildly-thrown baseballs. Fiber cement siding also won’t burn when exposed to heat, which protects the home in case of a fire next door. These qualities have helped Hardie take about 20% of the siding market in Edmonton.
On the downside, Hardie board is quite a bit more expensive than vinyl - you can expect a Hardie project to be anywhere from 40% to 90% more expensive than a vinyl siding job. And because Hardie board installation is more complex than vinyl, a poor install can really ruin the final product.
If you’d like to read more about Hardie siding, we’ve got plenty of articles for you. Here’s a few good options to get you started:
3. Acrylic Stucco
Acrylic stucco is usually installed as the top-coat of an EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish System) cladding. In Edmonton, you’ll usually see stucco in the “estate” areas of new neighbourhoods where vinyl siding isn’t allowed.
If you love modern design, flat monochrome walls, and the colour grey, then acrylic stucco is probably a great choice for you. If you don’t like those things, you might have to work pretty hard to make acrylic stucco fit your design plan.
Acrylic stucco is often installed in this type of arrangement - flat gray colour and a monolithic design.
On the plus side, acrylic stucco has a design that’s really on-trend right now. At Blue Jay we don’t install stucco, but even we have to admit that a sharp stucco exterior can look fantastic if the design is thoughtfully put together.
On the downside, acrylic stucco needs to be installed perfectly - especially in an EIFS system. When stucco is badly installed, you’ll likely find a cracking and bubbling finish coat. Worse yet, the finish doesn’t breathe very well, so any water that gets behind the cladding will almost certainly lead to major rot damage in your walls down the line. But when acrylic stucco is installed correctly, it will last for decades with minimal maintenance.
Price wise, acrylic stucco is all over the map. You’ll find contractors to install stucco for about the same price as vinyl siding, and you’ll also find prices over and above the price of Hardie board. You’ll have to decide for yourself if a cheap stucco price is worth the risk.
We haven’t written any of our own resources on acrylic stucco since it isn’t one of our products, but here are a couple of links for you to review:
Get familiar with the EIFS system by checking out Sto Canada, a stucco manufacturer with an excellent reputation.
The Leaky Condo Crisis in B.C. caused millions in damages, and was the result of bad stucco installation design. Stucco details have come a long way since then, but this represents the worst case for a bad stucco job.
4. Faux stone
Edmontonians absolutely love the look of masonry in exterior design. You’ll see stone work in most new neighbourhoods, and in plenty of renovation projects as well. Most of the time on renovations though, the masonry is actually fake! Imitation stone products were developed because it can be costly to hire a mason to tackle a smaller stone accent. Sometimes it’s hard to even find someone that wants to take on a small stone accent project.
There’s no shortage of faux stone products out there. But as far as Blue Jay is concerned, there’s only one option for a good looking, realistic feeling stone veneer product that will stand the test of time - Versetta Stone, manufactured by Boral Building Products. Other faux stones are made from PVC (like vinyl siding) or hard foam, but they don’t really look or feel like stone. Versetta is made from concrete: so while it’s not as expensive as quarried stone, it’s a far more convincing stand in.
When there’s less square footage, hiring a mason can be expensive. In these cases, faux stone can be a great option!
If you’d like to see some more examples of our work with Versetta stone, here are a few projects to check out:
5. Wood-look siding
Yep, it’s another “fake” siding! This time, we are talking about metal or PVC siding products that are made to look like natural wood. Homeowners have always liked the look of stained cedar siding, but almost nobody wants to have to get outside and re-stain their house every 2-3 years. That’s a huge reason why alternative materials have exploded in popularity over the last decade in Edmonton.
Lux V-Groove panels can be used in soffits, as well as in feature walls!
Of all the wood-look products on the market, we prefer to work with Lux Architectural Products. Lux is sold all across North America, but is manufactured right here in Edmonton by Wayne Building Products. Lux is made from 24 gauge steel with a KYNAR 500 paint finish, so it will resist all types of weather, impact damage, and just about anything else you can throw at it.
There are a few PVC based faux wood siding products as well, but we have had some issues in the past with these products so they aren’t our first choice.
Here are a few projects where we’ve installed wood look siding for you to look at:
SUMMARY
As you can see, there are quite a few options for homeowners in Edmonton that are thinking about new siding for their home! If you want to continue your research, we invite you to come visit our showroom at 4214 99 Street in Edmonton to see and feel these products in person.
If you’re ready to find out how much a siding renovation for your home will cost, fill out the form below to schedule your free, zero-pressure consultation!