Compare siding materials for Joliet homes. Vinyl, James Hardie fiber cement, and LP SmartSide reviewed for Will County weather performance.
Siding in Joliet 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.
Joliet homes at a glance
Joliet is the Will County seat and one of the oldest cities in the area, so one job can be a limestone-trimmed foursquare near the Cathedral Area and the next a 2004 two-story off Caton Farm Road. Few towns we work in have that much range in a single zip code.
A lot of Joliet's older frame houses are wearing a second or third layer: aluminum or vinyl over the original wood clapboard. We look under a corner before we price so the tear-off is not a surprise.
Which siding suits which Joliet home
Near downtown, the Cathedral Area and St. Pat's, 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.
On the west side, in the ranches and Cape Cods built in the 1950s and 1960s, insulated vinyl is often the best value. The houses are modest in size, the walls have little insulation, and the foam-backed panel adds stiffness and some warmth. If the budget allows, Hardie on the front wall with vinyl on the other three is a sensible split.
In the far west subdivisions off Caton Farm Road, the common job is replacing builder vinyl on three sides while the brick front stays. Hardie in a color chosen to sit well with the brick makes the house look custom. A heavier insulated vinyl is the right choice if you liked the low upkeep of vinyl and only want it to look and hold up better.
A typical siding job in Joliet
On an older Joliet house, plan for what is under the top layer. We regularly take off vinyl, then aluminum, then find the original clapboard. All three come off, the sheathing gets repaired, and the house gets a weather barrier for the first time. On the far west side the job is simpler: builder vinyl off, Hardie or insulated vinyl on, usually inside two weeks.
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 Joliet
Permit rules are set by the City of Joliet. We check what your project needs and pull the permit when one is required. See our Joliet page for this service, or the same guide for Plainfield, or the same guide for Lockport.
Common questions
Call (331) 250-3726 or request a free consultation in Joliet.