Homeowner's Guide to Siding in Edmonton

If a house in Edmonton was built in the past 30 years, there’s about a 70% chance it was built with vinyl. That’s because vinyl siding (aka PVC siding) has been the standard siding in Edmonton for new build homes since the early 1990s.

Here are the reasons that vinyl siding has been number one in Edmonton for so long:

Price

Vinyl siding is the least expensive siding option in Edmonton. Lightweight and inexpensive to manufacture, vinyl costs less to purchase and is easier to install  than most other siding options. Vinyl siding comes in two basic price bands:

(1) The lighter colors of vinyl siding (white, beige, and soft yellows, grays, and blues) are the least expensive.

(2) Dark or premium colours of vinyl siding come in at a higher price than the lighter colors - please see our cost of siding a house in Edmonton guide at the bottom of this page for more detailed info.

Maintenance

Vinyl is virtually maintenance-free. Routine maintenance for this product typically involves nothing more than washing it down with a garden hose to clean the dirt off every couple of years. No paint or staining needed!

Longevity

Barring things like hail, fire, or unusual UV exposure, vinyl siding lasts about 25 years on the wall in Edmonton without needing to be replaced. The first generation of vinyl siding products seems to reach the end of its lifespan between the 25 to 30 year mark.

Despite being the go-to siding product for the Edmonton market for so long, vinyl is not without its limitations. Here are a few things to think about before choosing to re-side with vinyl in Edmonton:

Curb Appeal

Having been popular in the Edmonton area for so long, it can be tough to create a truly unique exterior with vinyl siding. If it’s important for you that your home’s new exterior stands out from your neighbour’s, your contractor will have to come to the table with some options to help with material selections and design.

Combustibility

Vinyl siding provides no protection against fire, and melts almost immediately when exposed to direct flame.

Heat / UV Exposure

Vinyl siding can have issues when placed near areas of high heat, such as barbecues. There are many cases of vinyl siding melting due to reflections from their neighbours’ high-performance windows.

So You’ve Decided On Vinyl Siding… Now What?

If you've settled on vinyl siding as the product of choice for your renovation, the next thing to figure out is which manufacturer’s products you prefer. Blue Jay Exterior Renovations install vinyl siding from 3 manufacturers:

●      Royal Building Products

●      Mitten Siding

●      Gentek Building Products

There are other manufacturers and product lines available in the Edmonton area, but we stick with these three. Other manufacturers don’t offer the same product availability and support, warranty reputation, or customer service as our main three.

Most homeowners don't have a strong preference between vinyl manufacturers, so they will leave it up to the contractor to select the manufacturer and then the homeowner will pick colors and type from there.

If you do have a preference among the manufacturers, let your contractor know right away. Pricing will vary slightly from supplier to supplier, so the choice of product line will have an impact on the bottom line.

Want to learn more about vinyl siding in Edmonton? You can check out our vinyl siding page for more information by clicking here

James Hardie Fiber Cement Siding (Hardie Board)

Fiber cement siding has once again been ranked as one of the top projects by return on investment for home improvement projects (ratings compiled by Remodelling Magazine in the 2023 Cost vs. Value report). House hunters, home builders, and realtors all see value in a fiber cement exterior.

Fibre cement was invented in 1899 by an Austrian named Ludwig Hatschek. The original formulation of “fibrocement” used asbestos to add flexibility and workability to the durability of Portland cement.

But then James Hardie Building Products changed the original formula in the 1980s when they invented the first asbestos-free fiber cement. –Today, James Hardie’s fiber cement is a durable composition of cement, sand, cellulose fibers (aka wood pulp) and water.

Also referred to as Hardie board or Hardie siding, James Hardie Building Products is the largest fiber cement siding manufacturer in the world. The popularity and use of Hardie siding in Edmonton has exploded over the past 10 years. All of Hardie’s siding products are made from their proprietary fiber cement formula.

As a company, James Hardie has been around for over 125 years and has built a very strong brand. So much so that somewhere between 80% and 90% of all the fiber cement siding installed in North America in a given year is manufactured by James Hardie. Here’s how they manage to stay ahead of their competitors, year in and year out:

Curb Appeal

With standard 7"-wide plank reveals and a natural wood-look, HardiePlank lap siding has a classic visual appeal. This is why you’ll often find it in estate and higher-priced neighborhoods. Re-siding with Hardie in Edmonton allows your home to stand out.

Durability

James Hardie manufactures a siding product line that’s designed specifically for the Alberta climate. They use a weather chamber in their in-house research lab to determine the best composition for the base material, and they’re constantly making adjustments to improve their products. James Hardie produces house siding that can withstand hail, rapid freeze & thaw cycles, and high UV exposure during our long summer days.

Non-Combustibility

Fiber cement is rated non-combustible, meaning that it will not smoke or burn when exposed to heat or flame. Simply put, it can help to protect your home in case of a fire outside of your home. There have been several local examples where a James Hardie home stood strong beside a vinyl home that was destroyed due to fire.

Longevity

With a 30-year non-prorated warranty, Hardie stands behind their product. No other siding in Edmonton can offer the same lifespan as James Hardie.

Engineered Wood Siding

Canexel Siding

Canexel is a wood composite product manufactured by Maibec, with a similar look to James Hardie. Canexel has been used in the Edmonton market for decades and carries with it a strong brand name and a good track record of performance.

The product has a number of advantages that has led to its enduring popularity in the Edmonton market.

Curb Appeal – Featuring a deep, authentic wood grain, Canexel mimics the look of cedar siding better than fiber cement.

Proven Performance – Canexel has been used in the Edmonton market for over 15 years, and has proven its ability to stand up to our rapid freeze/thaw cycles and long summer days.

Weight – Relative to fiber cement, Canexel siding is lighter and thus easier to carry. If you are planning to install yourself, this could be a consideration.

Other Engineered Wood Siding

There are two other engineered wood siding product lines available in Edmonton – KWP Eco Side and Nature Tech. Both are wood-based siding products that have only been available in Alberta for just a few years.

The products are manufactured in Quebec, and have a decent track record in that climate, but given how much tougher the Alberta climate is, we recommend waiting a few more years to see how it performs here.

Louisiana Pacific also manufactures the Smart Side line of engineered wood siding. Smart Side is made from wood chips glued together, much like OSB plywood panels. Smart Side has been performing well for decades in Minnesota and other colder US climates, so we have no doubt that it can be a good solution in Edmonton as well.

The only downside is that Smart Side has only just recently become available in Alberta, and it’s almost exclusively a special order product – this increases cost and lead-times.

Wood Look Siding Products

Authentic cedar siding and shakes have fallen out of fashion recently in Edmonton. It’s not because people don’t like the look; in fact, the look of stained wood is as on trend today as it’s ever been. It’s the constant maintenance that drives homeowners in a different direction.

That’s why the last 5 years and counting has seen massive growth in the use of “wood look” accent siding in the Edmonton siding market. These products offer a very compelling feature - the look of stained wood without the maintenance. If you love the natural look of cedar shakes or stained wood highlights on a house but don't want to be up on a ladder re-staining every other summer, doesn’t the idea of maintenance-free wood sound perfect?

As the “wood look” trend caught on, the number of wood siding alternatives in Edmonton grew significantly. Here’s a breakdown of the most popular “wood look” siding products in Edmonton, and a comparison to the cost of siding with a stained-look accent product.

Longboard

Longboard was the first wood siding alternative that really caught on in the Edmonton area. Made from super thick extruded aluminum, Longboard features a beautiful wood veneer protected by a clear powder-coated finish. The product first came to the Edmonton siding market in about 2012, and its popularity has grown every year. So far, we haven’t heard of a single example of a Longboard installation in Edmonton that hasn’t performed to the owner’s expectations.

Longboard is manufactured in 24-foot long planks, which can be installed horizontally or vertically. While Longboard is most popular for its woodgrain finishes, it’s also available in solid colours if those are a better fit for your design.

So, Longboard is a siding option that’s been tested in the Edmonton market, has a beautiful finish, and carries a great reputation - what isn't there to like about Longboard siding? As you might have guessed, the answer is pretty simple: the price.

Longboard is easily one of the most expensive siding products for residential use in Edmonton. The material itself is quite expensive (high-grade aluminum), but installation and shipping both contribute as well. Longboard needs all kinds of accessory trims. Longboard has corners, starters, base trims, top-of-wall trims, window and door surrounds, and a few other miscellaneous pieces. And each of these accessory pieces are ALSO super expensive.

Shipping and ordering rules are another huge problem with Longboard. Since local distributors don’t keep any stock on the product line, every order needs to be shipped from their manufacturing facility in British Columbia. Factor in the 24-foot long pieces and a sizeable minimum order quantity, and shipping costs can be quite substantial for smaller projects. 

LUX Architectural Panels

Given the popularity of Longboard despite its high cost, it's no surprise that builders and homeowners in Edmonton started looking for alternatives for their designs. Lux Panel by Wayne Building Products is the closest comparable product, and it’s manufactured right here in Edmonton.

Wayne Building Products uses roll-formed steel to make Lux Panel, which is quite a bit less expensive than the aluminum stock that goes into Longboard. This allows Lux Panel to bring a similar wood look at a lower price point. Lux Panel looks a lot like Longboard, but will usually come in at about 33% to 50% of the overall cost of Longboard siding for a single-family residential project.

Shipping and ordering are other areas where Lux has an advantage. Because their manufacturing is all done in Edmonton, we don’t have to worry about minimum quantities, and lead times are easily manageable (3 weeks for most orders). As an added bonus, the Lux Panel product is available in custom lengths, so you aren’t stuck with 24-foot long pieces. For example, if you want to install Lux Panels as a 6-foot accent, you can order the siding cut to 6-foot lengths. This helps to reduce waste and boost efficiency on the job.

Lux Panel comes standard in a 4" wide and 6" wide reveal, with a classic V-Groove profile. Given its similar look and significant cost savings, Lux has been a growing Longboard alternative in Edmonton and is starting to make significant gains all over North America.

Sagiper

Sagiwall is another product that has popped up in Edmonton since Longboard took off a few years ago. And of course, the value proposition is simple and familiar - get the look of wood siding without the cost and maintenance!

Sagiper’s material differs from Longboard (aluminum) or Lux (steel). Sagiper is not made of metal but instead a corrugated PVC (vinyl). The material difference does give Sagiper its unique characteristics, but it's still similar to Longboard or Lux in its overall aesthetic.

Sagiper comes in two product lines - Sagiwall, its exterior siding product, and Sagirev, its soffit and interior siding product. Both products are now commonly used for siding Edmonton homes, and with a passing glance, it would be tough to notice the difference from Sagiper to Lux.

In terms of cost, Sagiper is very similar to Lux Panel. While Sagiper does bring significant savings over Longboard, it's still an expensive accent product relative to regular vinyl and fibre cement siding options.