Certainteed Weatherboards | Norandex Vinyl Siding | |
Winner:Certainteed Weatherboards | ||
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Summary of the Product Comparison
New England homeowners interested in comparing Certainteed Weatherboards with Norandex Vinyl Siding ought to be aware of a few crucial differences in quality, mainly moisture resistance and durability. Based upon Siding Magazine’s real-world experience scale of 0 to 100, these two products earned disparate scores. Certainteed trumped Norandex by an experience score of 86 points to 80 points.
Certainteed’s Superior Moisture Resistance
Exposure to moisture is arguably the number one cause of warped, buckled siding. Planning for inclement winter weather is a fact of life in New England. The region’s annual freeze-and-thaw cycle places a large amount of environmental stress on any siding product, particularly older vinyl sidings.
Norandex Vinyl Siding, despite the manufacturer’s claim of superior moisture-resistance, is not waterproof. As a matter of fact, no vinyl siding is waterproof due to the nature of the overlapping profile of the material. This fact contributes to the Norandex’s lowered real-world rating.
On the other hand, Certainteed Weatherboards’ general composition, which consists primarily of fiber cement, proves superior in a head-to-head comparison. The moisture resistance of Certainteed fared so well that the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency approved the product’s inclusion among other Class V flood-resistant materials in 2000.
Certainteed’s Superior Durability
Without a doubt, Norandex Vinyl Siding is one of the sturdiest vinyl siding products on the market today. Still, vinyl products, of which Norandex is an example, expand and contract when exposed to temperature swings. Buckling and warping occurs inevitably, often sooner than homeowners anticipate.
Homeowners in New England who want superior durability would do well to install Certainteed Weatherboards because the product is much sturdier. Certainteed will not buckle over time the same way that vinyl warps.
When comparing moisture resistance and durability, Certainteed proves the better product in the two crucial categories mentioned above. The sturdy, durable composition of Certainteed fiber cement siding is without a doubt the main reason why Norandex proved inferior.