How to pick siding

[polexican23]

Going to choose vinyl siding for the new garage build today.
24x30 10ft walls is the building specs.

Shopping at Menards with the 11% off and it is close to both my work and home.

I know nothing about siding and wont be doing the install, but need to pick it out.

Could anyone give me insight on what to look for, what is standard if there is any on size and keeping it low budget friendly.

 

[BillK]

I know nothing about siding and wont be doing the install

I would ask the installer if he has any preference.

 

[NUTTSGT]

There are more than a few types, double 4, dutch lap, triple three and more. You need to figure out what color you want, what style you want and try to buy a better brand of siding rather than the cheapest they carry.

Stop by Menard's and go out into the barn. Pick up a piece of their cheaper siding, get a feel for it and it's weight, then do the same thing with a better brand they carry.

 

[mikeyr]

I let the wife pick out the siding, quickest and easiest way to avoid a war since she is the one that has to look at it. I can't see the siding from inside the garage and I really didn't care what it looked like as long as the inside was well insulated, heated and most important big enough.

Although unlike the OP I did have to install it

 

[Graham08]

It can be tough to source the good stuff with vinyl siding. A lot of places that sell the higher quality lines only want to sell to contractors.

You want to get the heaviest thickness siding you can find without breaking the bank. I did my shop in Crane Market Square, which if I remember correctly is 0.044" thick. The thicker siding is more resistant to damage and looks smoother. The thin, cheap stuff has a tendency to be wavy.

I second the recommendation to talk to your installer to see what they would prefer. They might be able to purchase the stuff for you, which would get you higher quality product than you might be able to get at Menard's.

Don't forget about soffit, J-channel, F-channel, corners, etc. IMO, it's the details that make or break the job.

 

[matt_i]

Great points above. Thicker = better, longer lasting, more damage resistant, more fade resistant... There are different looking profiles out there, you might want to try to match your house.

Also you might need punched soffit if you are doing a ridge vent. Not sure if that is on sale but its part of the system as well. Inside and outside corners, utility channel for the top cut edge...and a punch tool for same. The hook tool (zip tool) is also indispensable in certain situations.

I recommend getting some peel & stick to flash windows as well as some aluminum trim coil that matches for drip caps and flashings.

Most people use electrogalvanized roofing nails to hold the siding, a box of those would also be helpful.

 

[polexican23]

Well i have decided i dont like the Double Dutch look.

As far as matching the house, i think we are doing the garage in something we like and will match the house to the garage down the road. Our house is a white aluminum siding now and is towards the end of its life.

 

[jives]

Get vertical vinyl, and do the gables with vinyl "shingle" panels.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Well i have decided i dont like the Double Dutch look.

As far as matching the house, i think we are doing the garage in something we like and will match the house to the garage down the road. Our house is a white aluminum siding now and is towards the end of its life.

Well, it looks like you can make the garage a trial run if you change the house in the future. Maybe do some "lick & stick" stone veneer on the lower front or some vertical siding ?


FWIW, the wife wanted a triple three on the house being an older home she thought it might look nice, it does but was also more expensive. When I bought the siding for my garage, I found a sweet deal at Menard's on several open boxes, 100 loose pieces plus more full boxes (in the same color/manufacturer as the house siding) but it was a double 4 siding. The wife was afraid that it might be noticeable but nobody has ever caught it unless I pointed it out.

My point being, you can do something different but in the same color and it wil still look ok.

 

[unclejunk]

Ask your contractor where they get their siding and go look at it in the show room. At my local supplier, contractors are encouraged to send in customers (or bring them in) so they can see all of the products and get a look/feel for them. The supplier will not tell you (a non-contractor) what the cost of the products are, though. They also have color and product line samples/brochures that contractors can give to their customers that explain the features of each line. There are lots of options, it can be overwhelming.

 

[barks]

They don't sell Hardie planks in your neighborhood?

 

[polexican23]

Vertical wasnt appealing to me, and the shingle look wasnt appealing to the wife on the gable.

Our home is a 1 story ranch and she also doesnt like brick especially lick and stick brick.

i knew this would be the biggest hurrdle, cause it is about appearance, not function

 

[polexican23]

My home