Robert11 said:


Would like to ask:

a. Is there any concensous as to which brand is the "best" ?
If not, which are generally considered as the top quality brands ?

Well, I have my own opinion (see below).

b. Is 0.048 the thickest that anyone offers for residential use ?

I don't think I remember seeing anything thicker, back when I was researching.

c. Is there a very rough price per sq ft that is generally acepted as a
norm for the total of material and labor cost to install ?

This could vary greatly by location...


When I had my house resided I finally decided on a (relatively) new product,
a solid core vinyl siding by Crane. I chose a contractor who had been certified
by the manufacturer.

http://www.vinyl-siding.com/solidcor...rdoverview.asp

I am very pleased with the appearance and workmanship. The product was only
moderately more expensive than premium grade vinyl with foam backer but is
*hugely* superior in looks. We had the windows replaced at the same time, so I'm
not sure how much of the energy savings is due to the siding, but we have seen
big savings (summer and winter) and the house is much quieter. (Craneboard
is Energy Star qualified.)

What finally helped make the decision to go with this product was seeing it
installed as replacement siding in an upscale subdivision which had originally
forbidden vinyl siding. Many of the homes had defective hardboard siding which
needed replacement. Craneboard was the only vinyl product permitted for
residing. Doesn't have the wavering/cupping/chintzy look typical of vinyl.
(I looked at a *lot* of vinyl siding installations when I was making my decision.)

--
Pat K. ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)