Why consider Pura® NFC HPL Cladding over Vinyl Siding? There are plenty of good reasons. See the pros and cons of each siding option and learn what your true return on your investment will be. Compare traditional Vinyl siding to Pura® NFC by Trespa and decide which you can afford to live with.
Pura® NFC cladding in Romantic Walnut on a new construction home keeps the architectural details front and center.
Compare the Quality of Vinyl Siding
to Pura® NFC Siding
Overall Quality
Vinyl Siding Quality: Touted as lasting 20 to 30 years, vinyl siding keeps its looks for that long only under the best of conditions. 10-15 years on average is more likely before it starts to “ugly out” meaning a loss of color, finish, and obvious wear and tear from everyday conditions. This is especially a concern with darker colored vinyl siding.
Pura® NFC Siding Quality: Pura® NFC is a High-Pressure Laminate (HPL) siding, a high-quality product that stays as beautiful as the day it is installed. Pura® performs well even in extreme weather conditions. Pura® panels are expected to last 20 years without loss of looks, finish, or stability. The HPL cladding used by Pura ®NFC has been lab tested for quality and surpasses industry standards.
Consider curb appeal: Vinyl siding flattens the look of your exterior. Pura® NFC, shown here in Ebony Slate and Romantic Walnut accents, offers a realistic stained wood look.
Differences in Material Thickness:
Vinyl Siding vs. Pura® NFC Siding
Vinyl siding comes in a variety of thickness options. When considering what you want to spend, know that “budget” vinyl siding is as thin as 1/32” of an inch! (Think cardboard.) Anything in this thickness range will have to be carried flat and handled with care on site to avoid bending, which doesn’t save you labor. Thinner vinyl siding will be less durable overall. You can go up in thickness but the price will go up, too. Your cost will have to be balanced with the quality.
If you are paying more upfront anyway, consider that Pura® NFC siding starts at over ¼” thickness. It is more durable and has a higher bending strength so is easier to handle on site. The quality and longevity surpass vinyl siding by a huge margin. Pura® siding provides a higher return on your investment as well. Let’s break down some of the differences, they might surprise you!
This FREE Portfolio provides real world examples of Pura® NFC by Trespa in action. Download now.
Impact Resistance of Vinyl Siding Compared to Pura® NFC Siding
When vinyl siding is scratched, dented, or pierced, the overlapping installation method of vinyl will require replacement of a whole section, not one plank. A neighborhood fastball or whipping tree limb can wreak havoc on vinyl siding in the blink of an eye. (Replacement sections also runs the risk of the newer material being a brighter, obvious patch, too, but we will get to colorfastness shortly.)
Pura® NFC can put up with all that abuse without damage. However, Pura® can be replaced in individual planks or sections as needed. The Pura® NFC panels have been extensively tested in Trespa’s Quality R&D lab for impact and scratch resistance plus appearance and pass with flying colors. If there was extreme damage to your exterior, like a fallen tree, repair is unavoidable but can be done in individual planks. Replacement of siding material won’t be likely, but it's good to know that it's easier and will match if needed.
Pura NFC siding is designed to take a beating
Trespa Test for Impact Resistance by Large Diameter Ball Test: This test mimics how well Trespa panels withstand damage from hail, sleet and branches.
Because of its proven durability in extreme weather, a Pura® NFC rainscreen is a perfect choice for lakefront homes like this.
Heat Expansion and Contraction of
Vinyl Siding vs Pura® NFC Siding
It’s a fact that heat and high humidity will cause expansion and contraction in PVC and engineered siding. How the material handles expansion is key. No one wants to look at their home and see warped siding panels.
Vinyl siding is more likely to expand and contract than HPL cladding. Vinyl is made with PVC, meaning it will soften and move with high heat and it isn’t able to move back to the original shape. Over time, (how quickly depends on the thickness of your siding and your climate), each vinyl plank can change shape along the width and length and possibly warp along the edges. When installed improperly, vinyl siding can warp significantly in hot weather.
When vinyl siding gets hot, it expands. A lot. This can cause warping
HPL Cladding is proven to not significantly move in either direction (length or width) with exposure to heat. Pura® NFC keeps its shape and is as resistant to changes from heat and humidity as it is to high pressure.
Trespa Test for Dimensional Stability at Elevated Temperatures: Trespa panels are subjected to a range of high humidity levels at very high temperatures to mimic various climates to test its dimensional stability.
Want real world projects showcasing Trespa? Grab your FREE portfolio. Download today.
Warping of Vinyl Siding vs. Pura® NFC Siding
Vinyl siding can lift and bend at the ends and edges in strong winds. It can't spring back, which means replacement. Siding panel strength is important since a bent panel is going to look awful and cost money to replace. No one wants broken or damaged siding on their home or building.
Pura NFC is proven to withstand even hurricane force winds. The HPL cladding will perform extremely well and stay in place as installed. Knowing your exterior can handle the battering of storms means less worry for you.
Vinyl siding can lift and warp with high winds and humidity, requiring replacement of entire sections.
Trespa Test for Mechanical Strength: This test measures the tensile strength and flexibility of Trespa panels.
RELATED: PURA® NFC BY TRESPA CASE STUDIES
Splitting of Vinyl Siding vs
Pura® NFC Siding
A very important consideration is the ability of your Vinyl siding to resist splitting and cracking. A big culprit of split siding is at the stress point of the fasteners during high winds. In one big storm, your siding can be subjected to a strong, relentless pull away from the exterior, putting all the work to keep it attached on your fastener. Vinyl siding is much more likely to split at the fastener in a storm since it has a low resistance to bending and splitting.
Vinyl siding may have the tendency to split and crack over, even without extreme weather conditions
Pura NFC quality tests show that it will hold up to very high pressure at the fastener. This means the siding will not split or crack when subjected to high winds, avoiding storm damage repairs. No bending, no split, no replacement needed.
Trespa Test for Resistance to Fixing: This test measures Trespa's resistance to splitting and fastening.
Heat Expansion and Contraction of
Vinyl Siding vs Pura® NFC Siding
It’s a fact that heat and high humidity will cause expansion and contraction in all PVC and engineered siding. How the material handles that expansion is key. The last thing you want to see when you drive up to your home is warped siding panels.
Vinyl siding is more likely to expand and contract than HPL cladding. Vinyl is made with PVC meaning it will soften and move with high heat and it isn’t able to move back to the original shape. Over time, (how long depends on the thickness of your siding and your climate), each vinyl plank can change shape along the width and length, warping along the edges and joints.
Pura® NFC has tested for this scenario and has proven that their HPL Cladding will not significantly move in either direction (length or width) with exposure to heat. Pura® NFC keeps its shape and is as resistant to changes from heat and humidity as it is to high pressure.
Trespa Test for Dimensional Stability at Elevated Temperatures: Trespa panels are subjected to a range of high humidity levels at very high temperatures to mimic various climates to test its dimensional stability.
Color Fading of Vinyl Siding
vs Pura® NFC Siding
In sunny locations your vinyl siding (especially darker colors) can fade on all or just part of your building exterior. If you are located where there is bright northern exposure, for instance, you could end up with uneven fading over time. This is what we mean when we say “ugly out” long before the lifecycle promised by vinyl siding makers.
The eight Pura wood décor colors and the Lumen light-diffusing colors are tested for lightfastness with a Xenon ARC bulb. (That means it mimics years of exposure to the Florida sun). Pura® NFC panels are extremely fade resistant and keep their color and gloss for the lifetime of the siding, even when exposed to extreme UV exposure.
Trespa Test for Lightfastness Xenon ARC: Measures the color fastness of Trespa panels with extreme UV equivalent to 10 years exposure to the Florida sun.
With Trespa quality you can rest assured that even the dark, light diffusing panels of Pura Lumen colors won't fade and dull.
Replacement Materials:
Vinyl Siding vs Pura® NFC Siding
Here’s a “fun” fact: When damaged in small and large ways vinyl siding may have to frequently be replaced in entire sections, depending on the installation type. And if it’s been up a while the color of the new materials may not match the planks already exposed to the sun. Replacement sections will stick out like a sore thumb.
Real Wood Look
Vinyl siding is promoted as a wood-look alternative, and there are some out there that do a pretty good job of mimicking the grain of painted wood siding. Vinyl siding, however, cannot mimic the color of real wood, or stained wood siding.
Pura® NFC Siding wood decors look exactly like real wood, maybe even better. And there is no maintenance required. No painting, no re-painting and no refinishing is needed. Pura siding wood decors are very popular with homeowners and designers because they have a realistic graining design, offer a consistent overall color, and keeps its finish. Your home exterior will look as good as the day it was installed for years to come.
Pura NFC siding wood decor collection looks like real wood. Sometimes even better.
Trespa Test for Artificial Weathering: This test subjects Trespa panels to extreme UV exposure, and other punishing weather conditions.
Compare Installation of
Vinyl Siding vs. Pura® NFC
Installation Ease
Any siding is only as reliable as its installation. Vinyl siding is relatively inexpensive to install. However, if vinyl siding is installed improperly you could be looking at very costly issues in the long-term. If your vinyl siding is nailed too tightly, or improperly, it will expand, crack, bulge, or warp.
Pura Siding is very straightforward to install. Pura siding installs as a rainscreen that will protect your home and offers passive energy savings as well. Pura siding may be installed over furring strips, or without furring strips. The Climate-Shield rainscreen system for Pura NFC siding has many advantages, including ease of installation and high performance.
Caulking Joints
Vinyl siding needs to be caulked at the joints and trim areas and inspected annually for missing or damaged caulking. Caulk allows vinyl siding to move independently of the wall surface, but the water-resistant wrap underneath is nailed to the underlying structure. If water gets behind the vinyl siding, these nail holes can allow the water to seep into the wood structure itself and be trapped there.
Trespa Pura® NFC siding needs no caulking. Ever. It is designed for an open-joint rainscreen installation. A Pura NFC rainscreen installation allows the siding to move and shift above the wall surface. Exterior walls are designed to allow water to pass through and escape, so no caulking is needed and water does not get trapped against the waterproof house wrap.
RELATED: WHY DESIGN PURA NFC SIDING WITH A RAINSCREEN SYSTEM?
Likelihood of Callbacks
Vinyl siding has a higher potential for callbacks, just based on the risks associated with weather and environmental exposures we have detailed so far.
Pura® NFC siding has a low callback risk and happier customers since Pura® NFC siding, once properly installed, has the proven higher resistance to all of the same weather and environmental risks.
Painting Needs
With both Vinyl and Pura® NFC siding, there is no paint to peel, you will never have to scrape, patch, prime, and paint your house's exterior surface.
Vinyl siding is made to be low maintenance when it comes to surface color. But, as mentioned, that color may not stay as bright and consistent as new for the lifetime of the siding.
Pura® NFC was also created to be low maintenance in both color and gloss finish. The Wood Décors and Lumen colors all keep their quality finish. If fade resistance has you worried you can be at ease with your choice of Trespa since it exceeds the required industry standards.
This Washington home features Pura® NFC siding in Siberian larch wood decor, which will stay this beautiful gray for years to come without fading.
Sulfur Dioxide (Acid Rain) Exposure
You can't protect your building exterior from the harmful effects of chemical pollutants in the rain and atmosphere. After UV exposure, resistance to chemicals is the next most punishing effect that your home siding will be exposed to.
Vinyl does not have built-in protection from these pollutants. Vinyl siding can fade, the UV coating can wear off, and the siding material may start to pit over time from chemical exposure.
Pura® NFC has the winning formula designed built directly into their panels. So you can relax and not worry about dull, faded, or pitted siding. Trespa panels are even used in laboratories so you can be sure they are made to withstand harsh chemicals.
Trespa Test for Resistance to Sulphur Dioxide: Measures the effects of harsh pollutants and acid rain on Trespa panels.
Cost of Vinyl Siding vs. Pura® NFC Siding
Upfront Cost vs Life Cycle Cost
Vinyl siding can be inexpensive. It may also be flimsy and cheap. When considering your vinyl siding budget, compare the upfront cost against the lifetime return on your investment. When you add in maintenance, repairs and value, can vinyl siding promise you a good return over the years?
Pura® NFC has shown, through their quality testing, that the lifetime cost of their siding material is much lower in time, cost of repairs, and maintenance. When you add it all up, the upfront cost of Pura® NFC is balanced by a longevity and lower lifetime cost that vinyl siding simply can’t match.
Ready to price out your project with Pura® NFC by Trespa? Click below, we can help.
Property Resale Value
This may surprise you! While it may seem to make sense in the short term to replace or cover old, low quality siding with bright, new, and inexpensive vinyl siding, the ‘makeover joy’ may be short lived. Did you know that vinyl siding can lower your home’s resale value? Talk to a real estate professional. It may ‘cheapen’ the look of your home’s façade. Here’s why:
Vinyl siding tends to flatten the exterior of a home and give it a 2-dimensional look by covering details like molding and window trim. Often taking away the visual interest of your exterior. And since home buyers perceive vinyl siding as less attractive and lower quality, it can result in lower offers for your home when it comes time to sell.
Pura siding, with its natural look and appearance, immediately improves your home’s curb appeal. Dramatically and instantly! Pura® NFC rainscreen installation allows you to leave the window and door trims visible. It also allows you to design a vertical or horizontal installation, giving you even more architectural detail and interest.
Home buyers see vinyl siding as less attractive, bringing down the property value. Pura® NFC is seen as a quality, real-wood-look siding that's worth a higher offer.
Possibility of Water Damage
The main purpose of cladding (siding), like roofing, is to keep water out of your home and outside the “building envelope”, the water-resistant wrap around the structure of your home that protects all the insulated areas of your home.
Storms, severe weather, and pressure washers can all allow water through cracks and separations in caulking around the Vinyl plank joints and corners. So, any water that gets behind vinyl siding is something you want very much to avoid since it will get trapped there and create opportunities for rot and mold.
Pura® siding is installed as an open joint rainscreen, which is designed to allow water to get behind the siding – and then quickly escape. This allows the wall to breathe; water can evaporate through the wall, and outside the wall, in all climates, foggy, sunny, rainy, and even cold weather.
Nobody wants to find this behind their siding! With vinyl siding, every joint, corner, and crack has to be addressed immediately or you risk water damage and mold creeping into your home.
A FREE Trespa commercial project portfolio is ready for you to download here:
Cleaning Requirements
Vinyl siding can be cleaned with a pressure washer (with extreme care and caulking inspection.) It is not recommended that you use a pressure washer anywhere there are cracks, joints or damaged siding that may allow water behind the siding. Pressure washing your vinyl siding can also remove the UV protection layer. It may also remove the actual color layer of your siding! With vinyl siding the color is only ‘skin deep’.
Pura® NFC siding can be cleaned easily with soap and water. Really. No harsh chemicals are needed. No pressure washer is needed, and no joint caulking or inspections. Quick and easy!
Did you find this article helpful? Are you feeling more confident in your siding choices? We hope it helped. Feel free to contact us with more questions on Pura® NFC siding options and rainscreen installation. We are here to help make your siding project be the best it can be.
Are you ready to check out the quality of Pura NFC siding yourself? Request a FREE Trespa sample now.
Want to price your project with the quality of Pura NFC by Trespa? Request a quote, we are here to help!
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