There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing siding for your home. You have to think about price, durability, maintenance, appearance and more. Diamond Kote siding, fiber cement siding, and vinyl siding are very popular options that people may have trouble choosing between. In this blog article, we compare the three siding options and help make your decision easier.
Fiber Cement
Fiber cement is a man-made material comprised of a mixture of wood fibers, cement, and sand. It is meant to mimic other materials, mainly wood.
Diamond Kote®
(Pre-Finished LP® SmartSide®)
Diamond Kote® Siding is a pre-finished LP® SmartSide® product. LP SmartSide is made of durable, engineered wood substrate, made of wooden strands and resin, which binds the wooden strands together and has rot, decay, and insect resistant qualities. The Diamond Kote finish is painted on the LP SmartSide, which provides durable color and a finish resistant to fading, moisture cracking and peeling. The final product is a combination of the superior wood composite siding from LP® SmartSide® and the innovative color technology of Diamond Kote.
Vinyl Siding
Vinyl siding is a synthetic material, very popular because of its low cost, and low maintenance. It also comes in many forms including shakes, shingles, panels, and fish scales. However, vinyl is not as eco-friendly as other materials and is more vulnerable to wind and high temperatures.
Product Comparisons
How long do they last?
Fiber Cement
Fiber cement is expected to last about 30 to 50 years. This depends on manufacturing quality, weather conditions, and maintenance.
Vinyl
Vinyl can last about 20 to 40 years depending on manufacturing, installation, weather, sun exposure, and maintenance.
Diamond Kote
Diamond Kote® is backed by a 30-Year No Fade Warranty, and an overall 5/50-Year Limited Warranty. Their products are exclusively built on LP® SmartSide®, an engineered wood siding, and treated with a SmartGuard® process to withstand extreme weather, fungal decay, and termites.
Maintenance
Fiber Cement
It is best to power wash this siding once or twice a year and to regularly inspect for cracks or damage every few years.
Vinyl
Vinyl siding should be pressure washed once every one to two years and inspected for leaks, mold, loose nails, and cracks. If the product gets burnt or damaged it should be repainted.
Diamond Kote
Diamond Kote is designed to be low maintenance, and resists the buildup of dirt and grime, and locks moisture out. It’s easy to clean and their coloring process provides consistent paint coverage. The material also has a durable scratch-resistant finish that is achieved by being sent through an oven.
Cost
Fiber Cement
According to Forbes, “Fiber cement siding costs between $5 and $14 per square foot with an average cost of $10 per square foot. Exact prices will depend on the siding’s brand and quality as well as the size and shape of your home.” However, if you need to remove any previous cement siding, it may cost an additional $3000.
Vinyl
According to an article by Endeavor Exteriors, “The cost for vinyl siding can vary drastically by contractor and is on average, $7.50 per square foot including installation. Costs can be as low as $4 per square foot ranging up to $12 per square foot.”
Diamond Kote
The average cost for Diamond Kote siding is an additional $1.75-$3.15 per square foot on top of fiber cement and vinyl’s $7 to $14.50 per square foot. While this price is initially higher than other siding options, it doesn’t fade and require repainting, so you can save a lot of money in the long run. If you shop at Warehouse ’71, you can get Diamond Kote siding for the low price of $2.90 per square foot.
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Durability
Fiber Cement
Fiber cement is a heavy material that resists water, insect damage, and rot. It also has a Class (A) 1 fire rating. However, it is a lot more fragile and prone to breakage.
Vinyl
Vinyl has been known to be durable and weather resistant but compared to other siding products, it is not as weather-resistant as you might think. It is susceptible to breakage and scratching. If it’s not properly installed, it can be vulnerable to mold and rot.
Diamond Kote
Diamond Kote Siding is made to last. It can withstand everything, from freezing conditions to heavy humidity due to superior finish and non-porous surface. LP® SmartSide® products resist everyday impacts, withstand harsh weather, and resist hail damage better than fiber cement and vinyl. NASA testing of LP® SmartSide® siding has proven that it is way better at resisting impacts from baseballs, golf balls, river rocks, and marbles traveling at high speeds than other siding materials.
Check out the results of the NASA test here:
https://lpcorp.com/resources/product-literature/brochures-sales-sheets/lp-smartside-nasa-impact-resistance-flyer
Appearance
Fiber Cement
Fiber cement comes in various colors including brown, blue, green, and white. There are also different siding styles to choose from including Lap Siding, Shingle Siding, and Vertical Siding. This siding tends to come in 12-foot lengths. Whereas Diamond Kote siding comes in 16-foot lengths which creates 33% fewer seams. The fewer seams the cleaner the house looks overall.
Vinyl
Vinyl is a man-made material with a broad color choice. They also have different styles such as Lap Siding, Shake & Shingle Siding, and Vertical Siding.
Diamond Kote
You can choose from 30 different colors or even create a custom color. Diamond Kote’s finish guarantees no peeling, chalking or fading, and includes a DuoBlend Premium Collection that mimics natural and distressed wood. The Diamond Kote finish is made up of minerals derived from natural occurring elements. For example, Clay is derived from actual clay and Onyx is made from the onyx stone, which gives it its natural black color. These natural, raw pigments keep your siding vibrant and protect it from destructive ultraviolet rays that cause synthetic tints to fade. It comes in Horizontal Siding, Vertical Siding, and Shake & Shingle Siding.
Results
After comparing these three different siding materials, it is clear that Diamond Kote is a higher quality product than fiber cement and vinyl. It is more durable, lasts longer, and requires less maintenance.
How We Can Help
Diamond Kote’s average price is slightly higher than the others, but at Warehouse ’71, Diamond Kote ranges from $2.12/SF to $2.90/SF. Get the quality and durability of engineered wood siding for the price of vinyl.
Check out the siding section on Warehouse ’71’s online store to order your siding today!
