Compare siding materials for Frankfort homes. Vinyl, James Hardie fiber cement, and LP SmartSide reviewed for Will County weather performance.
Siding in Frankfort has to handle freeze and thaw, summer humidity, hail and strong sun on the south and west walls. Three materials do that well: insulated vinyl, James Hardie fiber cement and LP SmartSide engineered wood. Which one suits your house depends mostly on the house itself, so this guide starts there.
Frankfort homes at a glance
Frankfort has a historic downtown beside the Old Plank Road Trail, the established Prestwick neighborhood, and a large number of custom homes built since the 1990s. Homes here tend to be bigger and more detailed than the area average.
A typical Frankfort custom home mixes brick or stone on the front with siding on gables, dormers and the back. Those accent areas are where James Hardie shingle and board-and-batten panels get used most.
Which siding suits which Frankfort home
In and around the historic downtown, we recommend James Hardie lap siding in a narrow exposure, with real corner boards and window casings. It reads as painted wood from the street, which is what these houses were built with, and it will not need scraping and repainting every few years. Vinyl tends to flatten the trim details that give an older house its character.
In Prestwick and the other established neighborhoods, the cedar or hardboard that is on the house now is the problem, so anything that ends the paint cycle is an upgrade. Hardie is the closest match to the original wood look. Insulated vinyl in a wide plank or a board-and-batten profile is the lower-cost route.
In the custom-home subdivisions built since the 1990s, siding is usually an accent beside brick or stone, so mixed profiles earn their keep: lap on the walls, shingle or board-and-batten in the gables. Hardie and LP SmartSide both offer those profiles. On a house this size the trim package matters as much as the siding.
A typical siding job in Frankfort
On a Frankfort custom home, siding is usually the accent and trim package: gables, dormers, bays and the rear wall. We often combine Hardie lap with shingle panels in the peaks and wide trim boards, in two tones that work with the stone. Near the historic downtown, narrow lap with traditional trim keeps the house in character.
The three materials compared
Insulated vinyl
The least expensive of the three and the easiest to live with. It never needs paint, it washes with a hose, and the foam backing makes it stiffer and quieter than the thin vinyl builders use. Its limits: it can crack in a hard hail storm, it can warp near a grill or strong reflected sunlight, and darker colors fade faster.
James Hardie fiber cement
Our most-installed siding. It is cement-based, so it does not melt, rot or attract woodpeckers and insects, and the HZ5 line is made for climates with freezing winters. ColorPlus factory finish arrives already painted. It costs more than vinyl and is heavier to install, and after many years the finish can be repainted like any painted surface.
LP SmartSide
Engineered wood strands treated against moisture and insects, with a deep wood grain. It is lighter than fiber cement and takes impact well. Cut edges must be sealed and it needs repainting on a longer cycle, so installation quality matters.
What matters more than the brand
Most siding failures we tear off were installation failures: no weather barrier, no flashing above windows, nails driven too tight, siding run into the roof or the ground. A mid-priced material installed properly will outlast a premium one installed badly. Ask any contractor what goes on the wall before the siding does.
Permits in Frankfort
Permit rules are set by the Village of Frankfort. We check what your project needs and pull the permit when one is required. Homes in a designated historic district may also need design review for exterior changes. See our Frankfort page for this service, or the same guide for New Lenox.
Common questions
Call (331) 250-3726 or request a free consultation in Frankfort.