Staggered shingle siding is one of the many options available for exterior cladding for the home. While some homeowners prefer to use real wood such as a cedar wood siding, many have transitioned to vinyl or even a fiber cement material that holds it’s fibrant look and color much better than the wood option. Vinyl staggered shingles continue to look more and more similar to a real wood grain shingle, but without the need for staining or painting.
Staggered Shingle Basics
Staggered shingles have an alternating pattern so that the bottom of one shingle ends at one level and the one next to ends 1 to 2 inches below. The effect is a staggered look that is often gives a home a more rustic feel. Some homeowners choose the staggered look for a section of their home, while others use it on the entire exterior.
Staggered Shingle Costs
Real wood shingles such as cedar siding costs anywhere from $3.50 to $6.50 per square foot fully installed. Vinyl shingles run anywhere from $4 to $8.50 per square foot fully installed. There are quite a few factors that will determine the project cost and these include type of material you use (vinyl is going to last longer, but is also more expensive), the contractor or company you select, the requirements of the job and whether the existing cladding must be removed before the staggered shingles can be installed.
— Price Range: $3.50 to $8.50 —
Materials & Options
Vinyl staggered shingles are more expensive than cedar or pine shingles, perhaps 20% to 30% more for the product itself. Installation should be no more for one shingle over the other and, in general, shingles are relatively easy to install over heavier cladding options. Vinyl shingles hold their original color much better than cedar, which fades over time (most homeowners who go with real cedar understand and even like how the cedar looks as it fades). This fact becomes much more evident with each passing year.
Maintenance Requirements
The one other advantage of vinyl or synthetic shingles over a painted wood for instance is that vinyl requires little to no maintenance. Painted wood shingles should be repainted every ten to fifteen years, which can be an expensive process. Cedar shingles sometimes require a stain every 10 years or so, although some homeowners simply let them age, which means they have to be replaced on average every 20 to 25 years. Over the long term, vinyl staggered shingles are probably the cheaper options, as long as you like the way they look.
