Vinyl or plastic siding has grown in popularity due to the generally low maintenance and low cost appeal it offers.
Since vinyl siding is a manufactured product, it may come in limited color choices. Historically vinyl sidings would fade, crack and buckle over time, requiring the siding to be replaced. However, newer vinyl options have improved and resist damage and wear better. Vinyl siding is sensitive to direct heat from grills, barbecues or other sources. Unlike wood siding, vinyl siding does not provide additional insulation for the building, unless an insulation material (foam) has been added to the product.

An environmental benefit of vinyl siding is that its production does not require the consumption of certain natural resources that other types of siding would require, such as trees, aluminum, or stone, however, it requires petroleum. An environmental cost of vinyl siding is that it is difficult to dispose of responsibly. It cannot be burned (due to toxic dioxin gases that would be released) and currently it is not recycled.

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