"Mike L." writes:
I am getting ready to put up vinyl siding.

Any recommendations on the better brands? thickness?

I have talked to a number of vendors and they all seem to have comparable
products but the range of quotes is exceedingly great.

Any suggestions on what to look for?

If you know of material I could read, that would be appreciated as well.

Any word on the quality of Alcoa?

Hi Mike,

Vinyl siding can look very snappy. It can also look like cheap crap.
My place was dark brown 70's cedar and I recently had it sided and
holy crap what a difference. It looks like a brand new home and
woodpeckers don't wake me up anymore.

Now, I don't know brands, but I have Alside Charter Oak series and
have been very happy with its look and weight. Alcoa I know is a very
popular manufacturer.

Things that differentiate good looking and cheap siding (to me) seem
to be: 1) corner post thickness. I got some really thick ones and
they make the place look very sturdy vs the cheaper stuff. I think I
have the Charter Oak Trimworks beaded posts he
http://www.alside.com/siding/trimacc.htm

The second thing that catches my eye is siding profile. I greatly
prefer Dutch Lap versus the standard style. The Dutch lap gives an
additional bend in the siding (sloping out then bending to be parallel
to the wall) versus the standard clapboard profile, and gives the
siding much more texture. Take a drive around and pick out houses
you like the look of and get up close and look at the siding. You'll
soon be able to pick out dutch lap vs clapboard from a distance,
especially in late afternoon sunlight.

Third is the texture of the vinyl itself. The Charter Oak that I have
has a grain effect in it that makes it look richer than flatter
cheaper siding I see in so much new construction.

Consider specifying board insulation going up behind your siding.
Make sure they use J channel around the windows--this keeps you out of
water infiltration trouble. Some companies cheap out and side right
up to the windows and try to caulk, without using j channel. Doesn't
look all that great, and if the caulk isn't maintained, there can be
infiltration problems.

Finally, window wrapping makes a huge difference.

Don't choose a blue color as it supposedly take longer to sell blue
houses, and darker sidings tend to fade in the sun. Neutrals are
good. Consider 2 or 3 colors and get some contrast in there. I
really like my Monterey Sand siding, J channel, and corner posts then
using white soffit, gutter, fascia, and white alumimum wrapping the
white vinyl windows. As a trim color, I used an Autumn Red for the
shutters on the front windows.

Have fun! I think you'll love seeing your house with new siding.

Best Regards,
--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/