I just can't imagine trading cedar siding for vinyl. We have our original cedar clapboards and they still look great after over 100 years.
Diane

For us, keeping paint on our 100yo cedar siding has been a real headache. However, you're talking to old wood fanatics here (me included) who consider it worthwhile - on a historic house, having the original wood is worth it.

Your house is not historic (based on date and I think I remember other threads about it). So I don't know if you would have an authenticity issue with the wood.

For me, one issue would be ease of colour changing. I remember your brick, so colour will be tricky. You might like to change it (all) sometime, and vinyl does not invite painting.

If you did want to cover the wood, I'd go with metal rather than vinyl myself. Vinyl just seems like a very inferior material, whereas metal siding is getting quite cool these days - lots of new options out there. In fact, that may be a solution for your brick too. Whole house covered in metal? Or Hardiplank? That way if in 100 years a fanatic buys your house, the original brick is retrievable :-)

Karin L

O no not vinyl, especially if the vertical siding is part of the look. Is it a ranch style house (one might guess so with the vertical siding and the date)? Paint it or stain it depending on what color you like with the rest of it. Or even Hardiplank it. Vertically.

I don't know your house of course. But I know mid century houses usually do not look better when one takes away their mid centuriness.

In my '50s neighborhood, the cedar siding was usually painted. Gracious rustic ranch homes for modern living or something, according to the ad copy. There's a chance yours was always meant to be painted as well maybe?

@Fori I would love to hear why you say no vinyl especially if vertical siding is part of the look. We have a house w/ 60 year old painted cedar. I keep wondering what to do. I love the paint job (it's a garrison colonial which I do not love but I love the paint) but I keep seeing newer houses w/ vinyl and thinking how clean and carefree they seem (no woodpeckers etc). Thanks!

@old_house_j_i_m - I'm really intrigued by your statement about paint lasting 20 years on cedar - can you tell me where you live and what type of paint? Around here we are typically told 5-7, but maybe 10, but even that's long. I'm in Michigan. We did get good paint this time but I would LOVE to get more time out of it this time around. Keep wishing I hadn't bought a wood house....sigh.

I currently have the same issue, house was built in '47, do not cover that cedar, my house has aluminum over cedar, bough it that way, hate it, found water damage on an area under the aluminum, rotted 2x4s but the cedar held up, I find cedar to have more character than aluminum siding, the holes and dents do not go away without replacing the aluminum its very tacky, plus it requires pressure washing, vinyl is so generic looking, plus everyone does it, it's a cheaper route, take the time for the cedar you'll appreciate it more, exterior paint has come a long way and good caulk for all the joints

@HU-409979343 - thanks for taking the time to comment! It's a pain in the neck but so far we still have it. We just need to find someone to repair the siding. Lost of nincompoops/ crooks here. We might have to do it ourselves.

When you research cedar siding…the recommended treatment is stain..colored or not…as it helps the cedar to repel moisture…
but with your situation it is hard to say if stain is still an option..or if there is a way to return it to a natural finish..or if there are nail holes..rust..etc that really need covering?..
in your situation the area seems small enough to thoroughly sand and stain..but location is not the best/ safest for a task like that?..but that would theoretically be the last time it would need that much work
however…since it is high up….the defects in the wood finish may not show at all