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Is vinyl siding waterproof?

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Vinyl siding is not designed to be waterproof. According to the Vinyl Siding Institute, a national trade organization, “vinyl siding, insulated siding, and polypropylene siding are exterior claddings, not water-resistive barriers, and are designed to allow the material underneath to breathe. This factor provides a supplemental rainscreen that reduces the amount of water that reaches an underlying water-resistive barrier.” The water-resistive barrier is typically housewrap. But sloppy siding installation means that more than a little water will get behind the “supplemental rainscreen” and, if the house wrap is also poorly installed, eventually cause a problem. 

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Here’s links to some of our other blog posts about HOUSE SIDING:

• Can vinyl lap siding be installed diagonally? 

• What are the pros and cons of vinyl siding? 

What causes warped, buckled vinyl siding?

What is the average life expectancy of vinyl siding? 

 How can I tell if vinyl siding is installed correctly?

Can vinyl siding be painted? 

• Can termites eat through siding?

What do you look for when inspecting vinyl siding?

What causes vertical cracks in fiber cement siding planks?

What are the vertical butt joint requirements for fiber-cement (Hardiplank) lap siding? 

What is the difference between Acrocrete and EIFS? 

Do stucco walls mean a house is concrete block?

How long does exterior house siding last? 

What is board and batten siding?

Why is my stucco cracking?

The house has asbestos siding. What should I do?   

What are the pros and cons of aluminum siding?

Should I be suspicious about a concrete block house covered with siding? 

What is engineered wood siding?

What is the average life expectancy of wood siding?

What is the average life expectancy of plywood siding?

What is the average life expectancy of stucco? 

Should I buy a house with asbestos siding?   

What is the difference between "composite" and regular wood siding?

• What are the code requirements for installing manufactured stone on the exterior of the wood stud wall of a house? 

How can I tell if a crack in a stucco wall is a structural problem and what is causing it?

How long does exterior siding last?  

        Visit our EXTERIOR WALLS AND STRUCTURE page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.

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