Vinyl Products for Outdoor Applications – Common Uses and Advantages
Vinyl products are widely used in a variety of outdoor applications because of their durability, versatility, low maintenance requirements, and cost-effectiveness. Since outdoor spaces are the most prone to damage resulting from moisture and sunlight, you need to invest in the right materials to enhance your home exterior.
Outdoor vinyl products and design elements not only offer protection to your home, but they also help increase your home value, making them quite appealing to prospective home buyers. In this blog, we’ll go over some common styles, uses, and benefits of exterior vinyl products. So, without further ado, let’s get started:
Outdoor Vinyl Design Articles And Their Uses
It’s no secret that siding can help add much-needed color and depth to your home exterior. Since there are a variety of products available in the market today, you need to choose wisely. Even though visual appearance is always important, you also need to think about the material’s properties and performance before you can opt for it.
Vinyl products are relatively low cost, durable, water-resistant, and incredibly easy to install. Not only that, they are also surprisingly versatile. Before we can delve into the styles of vinyl siding and what makes them different, you need to know that there are three kinds of vinyl siding that are available today –traditional, decorative, and insulated.
You need to consider features like thickness, width, profile and texture, color, and price before you can determine the right type of vinyl for your home. Make sure you discuss your preferences and requirements with your siding contractor so they can help you find the siding option that best reflects your decorative aesthetic.
Let’s take a look at some common styles of vinyl exterior design elements that exist out there and how they can be used to add definition to your beautiful home exterior.
Vinyl Arbors
One of the easiest and most effective ways you can add comfort, style, and dimension to your backyard is by installing one or more arbors to your landscaping design. Arbors are basically tunnel-like structures that you can install to separate one area of your backyard from another. They are extremely versatile and come with endless styles and options that work well in all kinds of settings.
If you wish to invest in durable arbors, consider opting for high quality vinyl arbors. They provide all the benefits of arbor design as well as the benefit of easy installation. You can use vinyl arbors with gates and entryways to create a welcoming feel in your backyard or you can incorporate them as way to break your yard up into separate sections.
Installing an arbor between the patio and the grass will add a greater dimension to your outdoor space and give each area its own purpose and appearance.
Vinyl Pergolas
A pergola is basically is a shade structure that’s quite similar to an arbor, but more versatile and larger. It’s a popular yard and garden structure that’s mostly used to create seating or entertaining areas and it’s available in a variety of materials, such as aluminum, wood, and vinyl.
If you want the stylish appearance and benefit of shade that comes with a pergola without having to deal with the hassles of maintain real wood, you should opt for vinyl pergolas. That’s because only vinyl provides the benefit of durability and strength without compromising on looks.
These kinds of patio coverings not only look visually appealing, but they also withstand wear and tear throughout the year, regardless of the seasons.
There are many benefits of choosing vinyl pergolas instead of conventional wooden styles. Vinyl pergolas are particularly ideal for areas with extreme temperatures and weather conditions. Wood tends to be susceptible to mold and mildew and may even warp or crack in the heat. Vinyl products, on the other hand, can even resist pest infestations in your backyard.
If you don’t have a large backyard, you can easily find custom vinyl pergolas for your porches and decks that will fit into small spaces that require shade but aren’t able to accommodate the standard shape of a traditional pergola.
Vinyl Siding
From energy efficiency to durability, vinyl siding happens to be one of the most popular form of exterior cladding for homes. It’s available in available in a wide variety of styles, like board and batten and beaded seam siding.
Vertical siding, or ‘board and batten’ as it’s known the world over, is made of wider boards with a thinner strip, known as the batten, that’s used to seal the cracks between the two wide boards. This makes the siding weather-tight, perfect for winters when you’re looking to keep harsh winds out of your home.
With beaded seam siding, on the other hand, you can add a more interesting depth and dimension to your home walls. In this style of siding, each plank comes with a rounded notch in the bottom edge. Back when siding planks were made by hand, this used to be quite expensive and was only installed in upscale homes.
Beaded seam has a smooth and clean look and feel and it’s ideal for homeowners who want a more traditional home exterior, whereas ‘board and batten’ siding is great for a range of home styles, from traditional cottages to modern and minimalistic living spaces.
Advantages of Choosing Vinyl for Outdoor Use
Today’s vinyl materials are a high-tech and high-performing choice for siding, as opposed to the earliest vinyl that was built with inferior materials and had a tendency to crack easily. With modern manufacturing and design techniques, vinyl siding has become an excellent budget-friendly option for most homeowners.
Let’s take a look a look some of the many benefits you can enjoy when you opt for vinyl materials to improve and add depth to your home exterior:
1. Recyclability
Other exterior materials like fiber-cement siding, wooden clapboard, and cement tiles are known to be difficult when it comes to recycling, but fortunately, that isn’t the case with vinyl products. Since it’s a thermoplastic material, it can be shaped and formed into a variety of styles under the application of heat.
2. Versatility
Vinyl products can be installed vertically or horizontally in a huge variety of patterns like fish scales, shingles, and scallops, which makes them incredibly versatile. They’re widely used in a great number of exterior applications – from the traditional lap with overlapping panels that look a lot like wood siding, to a Dutch lap that comes with a decorative groove on the top.
Vinyl can be manufactured in an overwhelming range of designs, colors, and styles to fit all your home exterior requirements. With hot foil treatment, you can get your vinyl materials to look exactly like freshly painted wood.
If you live in a historic home, you can also take advantage of vinyl because of its remarkable ability to replicate real wood paneling. It’s also available in a host of different textures, from smooth to wood grain and marble. Moreover, it’s quite elastic and flexible so you can easily achieve the vision that you’re trying to create.
3. Durability and Easy Maintenance
Another great benefit of outdoor vinyl materials is that they don’t require paint and need very little effort on maintenance and cleaning. All you need to do is hose your vinyl siding down and use a damp cloth to wipe off any stains and markets to maintain its visual appearance.
It’s also worth mentioning that it’s very durable and can withstand moisture, heat, and harsh weather conditions. Moreover, it’s pest-resistant, which means it will retain its original features and quality for a long time and you’ll get your money’s worth. Unlike other options, you won’t have to go out of your budget to take care of unexpected repair costs.
4. Improved Home Value
There’s no denying that the quality and variety of vinyl materials have improved over the years. More and more homeowners are starting to add a vinyl finish to their modern homes to give them a clean and unique look and hide any cracks or holes in the walls.
Moreover, vinyl products also happen to hold a decent resale value. So, if you own a home that’s in great need of improvement, you should definitely consider investing in exterior vinyl products, especially if you’re looking to increase the value of your property.
Final Words
When it comes to maintenance, vinyl products are about as easy as it gets. Regardless of the size, style, and texture of vinyl siding you got, you can feel confident that the finished look of your home exterior will look just like you had envisioned.
Whether you prefer a more traditional or modern design, there’s a variety of exterior vinyl design elements out there that can help you add depth and dimension to the structure of your home.
Looking for affordable yet high-quality interior and exterior design articles? Visit our website now to find a diverse collection of home improvement design elements that are sure to transform your living space.