Vinyl siding VS brick home

[speeeeee]

Hi all,

I always said to myself that I would never buy a vinyl siding home, so a month back i bought a nice solid brick house. I could of saved 10-15 grand in a comparible home but i thought the benefits of a brick home outweighed the cost.

+++
Resale value
less upkeep
better looking


Would you buy a vinyl siding home? Why? thoughts...

[teoconca]

You already bought the home and you know the answer. Anyway brick homes are always cost more and value more than the ones with siding. Owners don't have to replace siding every 10-15 years. Bricks give you better insulation and look better. Hence brick homes cost more than siding homes. Enjoy your new home.

[sockboy]

Only if I was planning on removing it to replace it with something else. . . .

I really couldn't be more against vinyl. I hate plastic houses.

[MisterJ]

I love the look of an all brick house. They just look so much more attractive and sturdy, but yes, they are more expensive to build.

If I was only planning on staying in a house for 5 years I'd probably go with a vinyl sided one as the initial purchase cost (and subsequent sale) would be less than an all brick. i.e. the amount of money you put in, or, "risk", would be proportionately less. As there is a natural ebb & flow to the price of housing, a strict sale date makes you more susceptible to losing or gaining money.

If it was my long term plan to live in this house for 20+ years, I'd pay the price for an all brick because I'd be happier with it.

It's my opinion that too many people look at their house as an investment rather than a home. By this I mean you shouldn't be solely basing your purchase decision on how much money you'll make from it. I'd rather put my money down on a house I love....love the layout, the location, etc..

J

[stealth]

Owners don't have to replace siding every 10-15 years. Bricks give you better insulation and look better. Hence brick homes cost more than siding homes.
Vinyl siding has to be replaced every 10-15 yrs?:confused:

Not sure about the insulation part (I doubt either has much r-value, its prob mostly determined by insulation used and air tightness), and of course what looks better is in the eye of the beholder. There's lots of ugly brick homes that dont look as nice as some cape cod style siding ones.
Some brick homes can be more susceptible to mould issues as the mortar can block the weeping holes in the brick.
The main downside I found with vinyl is it can crack/break, as a neighbor found when he hit the bottom boards with his powerful weed trimmer. And because the siding is hung somewhat loosely, in extremely windy areas there can be some noise.

I personally think brick homes cost more simply because bricks and brick laying costs more, not necessarily due to any significant benefits provided by the bricks themselves, which are more of a facade than anything else.

Our current home has brick on the main level and alum siding on the 2nd level. So did 2 of our previous 3 houses...the 3rd was vinyl siding. if I fell into some money I think I'd go with a combination of stone and stucco. Or hardie board siding.
Brick usually looks a little dated to me, and one of the things I dont like about it is, its the look you're stuck with. Its very hard to change its appearance (please dont say painting, as painted bricks look cheap and become a maintenance nightmare).

[coolspot]

Hi all,

I always said to myself that I would never buy a vinyl siding home, so a month back i bought a nice solid brick house. I could of saved 10-15 grand in a comparible home but i thought the benefits of a brick home outweighed the cost.

Brick - but buy what you can afford.

[drb789]

Owners don't have to replace siding every 10-15 years. Bricks give you better insulation and look better. Hence brick homes cost more than siding homes. Enjoy your new home.

The aluminum siding on the house we sold a couple years back was 24 years old. Fully functional and still looked good (well, as good as aluminum siding can look)
Next house was all brick ... simply because it looked better.

[creamsoda]

Since we're "sort of" on the topic ... any experience with painting vinyl siding? I thought it was a no-no, but now recently I'm finding some info that suggests it might be OK?

Given vinyl's sensitivity to climate changes, is it wise to even attempt this in the great white north?

[Scotian Lotion]

Go to the Maritimes... and have fun finding a brick house. They are hard to come by. Most homes out there are aluminum, vinyl or wood siding.

Homes out there take more punishment than they do here (Ontario) and they hold up just fine. I can go back there and find my childhood home from the early 80's and it still has the same siding.

There's nothing wrong with it. Unless you're one of the 3 Little Pigs, then perhaps brick is the only option.

[umlowcn]

Brick!

[CaptSmethwick]

I have to say that I'm a fan of brick - with a touch of wood siding, depending on the house style. Stucco can be tasteful as well. Why I am not crazy about vinyl is more due to the limited colour range and the overall monolothic appearance of one solid colour. Whereas, a good brick job has some variety that tends to break up the appearance. Still, I've seen tastefully designed vinyl-sided homes but rarely in large developments. If vinyl siding floats yer boat, though, I say go for it - it's your house.

[pkguy]

You'll barely find a brick sided house west of Winnipeg either where they're all either siding or stucco

[sockboy]

I have no problem with siding, it is vinyl specifically that I can't stand. I would be happy with a house with Wood or hardie board siding.

[abstract808]

What can also dictate the type of siding in a geographic area is the availability of brick. No brick foundry nearby = lots of houses with wood, vinyl or aluminum siding.

Also remember that brick is a veneer, it doesn't support the weight of the house so it doesn't add any structural value.

That said, I like the look of brick over siding. But the type of brick makes a big difference.

[Mr Nobody]

Go to the Maritimes... and have fun finding a brick house. They are hard to come by. Most homes out there are aluminum, vinyl or wood siding.

Homes out there take more punishment than they do here (Ontario) and they hold up just fine. I can go back there and find my childhood home from the early 80's and it still has the same siding.

There's nothing wrong with it. Unless you're one of the 3 Little Pigs, then perhaps brick is the only option.

Maritime houses look beautiful. Can't say the same for most siding houses here in the big smoke for some reason.

Since we're on similar discussions, what does anybody think about stucco'ing a brick house? I never liked stucco in the past, but its growing on me. We have "rough" brick not smooth. Costs? Pros/cons?

[creamsoda]

Since we're on similar discussions, what does anybody think about stucco'ing a brick house? I never liked stucco in the past, but its growing on me. We have "rough" brick not smooth. Costs? Pros/cons?

Anyone know a rough cost - per square foot - to stucco brick? I"m just curious.