The Vinyl Siding We Actually Install (And Why We Won’t Hang Builder-Grade)

Every so often a homeowner shows me another vinyl siding installation quote and asks if I can match the price.

More often than not, I can.

But before I do, I want to know what we’re actually comparing.

A quote that says “vinyl siding” doesn’t tell me much. What manufacturer? What product line? What thickness? What nail hem? What warranty?

If my quote says exactly what I’m putting on your house and another quote just says “vinyl siding,” we’re not necessarily comparing the same thing.

And that matters.

I’ve been doing exterior work in Minnesota since 2001. I’ve seen plenty of vinyl siding perform very well for decades, and I’ve also seen cheap vinyl that looked like a bargain until the sun, wind, hail and Minnesota winters started working on it.

So here’s what Northern Exteriors actually installs when a project calls for a vinyl siding installation—and why we don’t chase the cheapest panel available just to win a bid.

The Vinyl Siding Installation We Put Our Name On

One of the vinyl siding products we regularly install is Norandex Cedar Knolls.

There are plenty of siding manufacturers out there, so I’m not going to pretend Norandex is the only company capable of making good vinyl siding.

We use it because Cedar Knolls gives us the things I want in a vinyl panel we’re putting our name behind.

Cedar Knolls is a .044-inch panel with a natural cedar woodgrain pattern and a 5/8-inch projection that gives the panel added rigidity and better shadow lines.

It also uses Norandex’s XLok system, which combines its TitanBar reinforced nail hem with the NailRIGHT installation system. In plain English, the fastening area is built to help the siding stay securely attached and properly installed instead of relying on the thinnest possible strip of vinyl around the nails.

That’s important in Minnesota, where siding has to deal with plenty of wind along with our temperature swings.

And when homeowners choose darker colors, the color technology matters too.

Norandex uses ColorHold, a capstock designed to resist fading and discoloration, and Cedar Knolls carries a limited lifetime transferable warranty with ColorHold fade protection.

That’s the kind of stuff I want to know before we put a product on somebody’s house.

Not just what it looks like in the sample book.

If you want the deeper, completely neutral breakdown of what separates better vinyl siding from cheaper vinyl—panel thickness, nail hems, capstock, warranties and the specifications most homeowners never see—I already put that homework together here:

Not All Vinyl Siding Is Created Equal

The difference with a Northern Exteriors quote is that those specifications aren’t hidden.

We tell you what we’re installing before you sign anything.

Why We Won’t Install Builder-Grade Vinyl

There’s nothing inherently wrong with a vinyl siding installation.

Good vinyl is actually a very solid choice for a Minnesota home.

It’s affordable compared with many other siding products, requires very little maintenance, comes in a huge range of colors and, when it’s a good panel installed correctly, can hold up extremely well.

My problem is with the bottom end of the market.

Builder-grade vinyl exists largely because somebody needs to hit a price.

Make the panel a little thinner. Make the fastening system simpler. Put enough information on the quote to say “vinyl siding” and move on.

It makes the bid look good.

The homeowner usually doesn’t know the difference because, on installation day, a cheap new panel and a good new panel can both look pretty nice.

The difference shows up later.

I’ve stood in front of too many houses over the years where the siding went wavy, became brittle, cracked, faded badly or took a beating from weather that a better product would have handled differently.

At that point, nobody remembers that their siding bid was a few dollars cheaper.

They remember who installed it.

My name is on the quote. So we don’t hang it. That’s the whole policy.

Can We Match a Cheaper Siding Quote?

A lot of the time, yes.

But let’s make sure we’re matching apples to apples first.

If another contractor has a better price on the same quality of product, comparable installation and comparable scope, I’ll take a hard look at it.

I’m competitive.

I want the job.

What I’m not going to do is take a quote for an unspecified builder-grade panel, substitute a lower-quality product into my proposal and call that “matching the price.”

Those aren’t the same bids.

Here’s a simple example.

One bid says:

Vinyl siding

Another says:

Norandex Cedar Knolls · .044-inch panel · reinforced nail hem system · manufacturer warranty

Even if the square footage is identical, you don’t yet know that those are comparable proposals.

Ask a few more questions before deciding which one is cheaper.

Our Quote Names the Product. Ask Your Other Bidders to Do the Same.

Here’s the standard we hold ourselves to—and the same standard I’d tell you to use with anybody bidding your vinyl siding installation.

• Our vinyl siding quote identifies the manufacturer and product line. Not just “premium vinyl siding.” The actual product we’re planning to install.
• Want the specifications? Ask us. We’ll show you the manufacturer’s information so you can see the panel thickness, fastening system, profiles and other product details yourself.
• Want to see the warranty? Absolutely. You should know what the manufacturer actually covers before siding goes on your house.

The siding panel is only part of the order. Specify the window receivers and surrounds too; our guide to exterior window trim with new siding explains the choices that belong in the scope before work starts.

Then take that information to the other companies bidding the project and ask them for the same things.

What manufacturer?

What product line?

What thickness?

What warranty?

If they have a good product, there shouldn’t be anything to hide.

And if somebody can’t—or won’t—tell you exactly what they’re planning to put on your house, I’d want to know why before I signed the contract.

That’s not a sales trick.

It’s simply the only fair way to compare siding quotes.

And frankly, it’s a comparison we’re pretty comfortable with.

A Recent Cedar Knolls Project in Cottage Grove

This Cottage Grove vinyl siding installation is a great example.

The homeowner chose Carbon Brown, one of the darker Cedar Knolls designer colors.

Darker vinyl colors look fantastic on the right house, but they’re also one of the places where I care even more about the siding we’re using. Color stability, panel construction and proper installation aren’t things I want to gamble with just because the color looked great on a sample.

The finished house has a deep, updated look without giving up the low-maintenance advantages that make vinyl attractive in the first place.

That’s really the point.

You don’t have to jump all the way to fiber cement, engineered wood or another premium siding category just because you want a good exterior.

Good vinyl is good siding. Cheap vinyl is cheap siding. There’s a difference.

Thinking About a Vinyl Siding Installation?

Get multiple quotes.

I encourage it.

Then make every contractor tell you exactly what they’re planning to install.

Manufacturer.

Product line.

Specifications.

Warranty.

We’ll go first.

If you’re considering a vinyl siding installation in Cottage Grove, Woodbury, Hastings, Oakdale, Inver Grove Heights or the surrounding Twin Cities area, give Northern Exteriors a call or text.

651-230-5103

We’ll give you a free siding estimate, tell you exactly what we’re proposing for your vinyl siding installation, and give you enough information to make an honest comparison with anybody else’s bid.

Family-owned since 2001 · 4.9★ on Google · A+ BBB · Minnesota License #BC297099