When it comes to exterior home siding, Foundry and CertainTeed are two of the most popular and well-known brands. Both offer a wide range of vinyl, composite, and polymer sidings designed to be durable, low-maintenance, and aesthetically appealing.
But there are some key differences between these two brands that homeowners should consider when deciding which is better for their home.
A Brief Comparison Table
| Comparison Factor | Foundry Siding | CertainTeed Siding |
| Major Siding Lines | Foundry Shake & Shingle (vinyl), Foundry Horizon (vinyl), Foundry Craftsman Collection (composite) | Cedar Impressions (polymer), Monogram (vinyl), Restoration Classic (fiber cement) |
| Realistic Wood Look | Foundry Shake & Shingle provides realistic simulated cedar shake/shingle aesthetic | Cedar Impressions is extremely realistic due to variegated colors and textured polymer material |
| Durability | Durable and impact-resistant but not quite as thick as CertainTeed’s vinyl | Extremely durable thick vinyl (Monogram) and rigid fiber cement options |
| Ease of Installation | Easy installation with interlocking horizontal panels | Fairly easy installation but Cedar Impressions requires more precision |
| Price Range | $6-11 per sq.ft. installed depending on product line | $7-12 per sq.ft. installed depending on product line |
| Warranties | Lifetime limited warranties covering manufacturing, fade protection, and hail damage | Lifetime limited warranties with manufacturing, fade, and hail coverage |
| Color/Finish Options | Many colors and wood grain finishes across product lines | Widest color selection with over 20 base colors across its siding products |
Overview of Foundry Siding
Foundry siding is manufactured by Royal Building Products, a company with over 40 years of experience making exterior cladding products. Their Foundry brand includes a few different siding product lines:
- Foundry Shake and Shingle: These vinyl siding panels are designed to mimic the look of real wood shake and shingle but without the maintenance hassles. Foundry uses a patented process to mold the vinyl and give it a realistic, textured finish.
- Foundry Columns: This line provides vinyl siding designed to look like stacked stone or brick columns for decorative accents on a home’s exterior.
- Foundry Horizon: Horizon consists of traditional clapboard-style vinyl siding panels that are thicker and heavier than standard vinyl. Foundry claims this makes Horizon more impact-resistant and durable.
- Foundry Craftsman Collection: For a composite wood-like look, the Craftsman Collection has siding made from a proprietary fiber cement coating over foam insulation.
Some key advantages of Foundry siding highlighted by the manufacturer include durability, natural wood aesthetics, and resistance to moisture, dents, and impact damage.
Overview of CertainTeed Siding
CertainTeed is another major manufacturer of exterior building materials including vinyl, polymer, and fiber cement sidings. Their siding product lines include:
- Cedar Impressions: This line mimics the look of real wood with variegated colors and deeply grained texture. It’s made from polymer, which is more flexible than vinyl.
- Monogram: Featuring a double-thick .044″ vinyl, Monogram siding aims to be extra rugged and able to withstand impact.
- Restoration Classic: Restoration Classic uses fiber cement panels to provide the look of painted or natural cedar shakes. Fiber cement is more durable but less flexible than vinyl.
- Mainstreet: As a classic clapboard-style siding, Mainstreet comes in vinyl, polymer, or fiber cement.
CertainTeed emphasizes qualities like durability, low-maintenance, and aesthetics with their siding products.
Foundry And CertainTeed Siding: Comparison of Key Factors
Now that we’ve provided an overview of the Foundry and CertainTeed siding brands, let’s directly compare some of the most important factors homeowners should consider when deciding between the two:
- Appearance
Both Foundry and CertainTeed offer siding lines designed to mimic traditional wood sidings like clapboard, shingles, and shakes.
CertainTeed’s Cedar Impressions line, in particular, is known for its extremely realistic wood look.
However, Foundry also offers strong aesthetics from their Foundry Shake & Shingle line.
If you want composite sidings with painted or stained cedar-like aesthetics, the fiber cement lines from both brands are good options.
CertainTeed may have a slight edge in terms of the ultra-realistic natural wood look. But Foundry still produces attractive, quality siding. It comes down to personal preferences on color, texture, and specific style.
- Durability
Vinyl, polymer, and fiber cement are all very durable and impact-resistant materials when used for siding. Foundry and CertainTeed products utilize advanced engineering and manufacturing to ensure their sidings stand up to weather, dents, hail, and more.
However, there are some differences. For example, Foundry Horizon is made of extra thick .046” vinyl while CertainTeed Monogram uses an even thicker .044” vinyl. Fiber cement will resist warping compared to flexible vinyl and polymer. Overall, both Foundry and CertainTeed produce premium, durable siding, but slight differences come down to the specific product line.
- Ease of Installation
Both Foundry and CertainTeed utilize a horizontal panel system with interlocking edges for straightforward installation. Their products are engineered to go up smoothly and quickly.
Most homeowners can tackle installation themselves or get it done affordably by siding contractors.
CertainTeed’s Cedar Impressions line is slightly more tricky to work with given the tight, overlapping panel design. But overall, ease of installation is comparable between Foundry and CertainTeed sidings. The products are designed for simple DIY or pro installation.
- Price
As premium-grade siding brands, Foundry and CertainTeed products do fall on the pricier end of the spectrum. However, they provide excellent durability and aesthetics to justify the investment. Exact pricing depends on your specific product choices, but here are some averages:
- Foundry vinyl shake/shingle siding: $8-10 per sq. ft. installed
- Foundry Horizon vinyl siding: $6-8 per sq. ft. installed
- CertainTeed Monogram vinyl siding: $7-9 per sq. ft. installed
- CertainTeed Cedar Impressions: $8-11 per sq. ft. installed
The fiber cement sidings from both tend to be the most expensive options. Overall though, Foundry and CertainTeed are very competitively priced with each other in their product categories.
The cost comes down more to vinyl, polymer, or fiber cement when choosing between the brands.
- Warranties
When comparing siding warranties, it’s important to check coverage for fade protection, hail damage, wind damage, and other benefits beyond just basic manufacturing defects.
Here are some of the notable warranties offered by Foundry and CertainTeed:
- Foundry vinyl siding: Lifetime limited warranty covering fade protection, hail, and manufacturing defects.
- CertainTeed Monogram vinyl siding: Lifetime limited warranty with fade and manufacturing defect coverage.
- CertainTeed Cedar Impressions polymer siding: Lifetime limited warranty covering manufacturing, hail, and fade protection.
The warranties are strong and comparable between the brands. Both Foundry and CertainTeed stand behind their products when you register and qualify for the warranty coverage.
- Colors/Finishes
Foundry and CertainTeed offer their siding products in a wide range of color palettes and finishes. This allows homeowners to get very customized, unique looks matching their exterior color schemes.
CertainTeed may have a slight advantage in terms of offering the most diverse color selection, with many lines available in 20+ base colors that can be further customized. But Foundry also provides plenty of attractive color options across their products, including natural wood grains and painted-like finishes.
When it comes to colors and aesthetics, both of these siding brands give homeowners ample choices. It’s more about choosing colors that coordinate with your home’s style and surroundings.
Which Siding Is Better?
With all of these factors compared between Foundry and CertainTeed siding, is one brand the clear winner?
The truth is that both Foundry and CertainTeed make exceptional siding products and are leaders in the exterior cladding market.
There are some slight differences between the brands when it comes to specific product lines.
But overall, either of these manufacturers will provide you with a durable, attractive, and value-adding siding solution.
It’s hard to declare one as the definitively “better” brand overall. The most important considerations are:
- Aesthetics: Pick the style and colors you love from shake/shingle, clapboard, or cedar-look.
- Exterior Home Style: Match the siding to your existing architecture and surroundings.
- Budget: Foundry and CertainTeed are cost competitive; fiber cement is most expensive.
- Ease of Installation: Both brands offer easy DIY-friendly siding.
- Durability: All Foundry and CertainTeed sidings provide extreme impact and weather resistance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Yes, CertainTeed is known for manufacturing top quality vinyl, polymer, and fiber cement sidings. Their products are engineered to be durable and attractive for all types of homes. Many contractors and homeowners prefer CertainTeed for siding replacement projects.
Foundry offers vinyl, polymer, and fiber cement siding options. Their vinyl sidings like Foundry Horizon are made from durable PVC with layers of acrylic alloys. Foundry Craftsman Collection uses a fiber cement coating over high-density foam for a composite wood look.
For a shingle siding look, both CertainTeed’s Cedar Impressions line and Foundry’s Shake & Shingle line are excellent options. The textured polymer construction of Cedar Impressions provides an ultra-realistic natural wood grain, but Foundry’s vinyl Shake & Shingle also provides attractive, durable simulated cedar shingles.
CertainTeed Cedar Impressions is likely the most realistic-looking vinyl cedar shake siding. It uses thick polymer construction with variegated colors and hand-split wood textures to mimic real cedar shake. But Foundry vinyl siding also provides a convincing wood shake look that is more affordable.
Final Thoughts
Do your research between product lines, warranties, and visual appeal. For the highest quality siding that adds value and curb appeal to your home, either Foundry or CertainTeed are excellent brands to choose.
You can’t go wrong with either for protecting and beautifying your exterior cladding.
