If you searched for vinyl siding while looking at your home in Forest Hills, you're probably staring at a strip that's bowing off the wall near the eaves, a color that's chalked out from years of Florida sun, or a seam that's pulled loose after the last round of afternoon storms rolled through north Tampa. A lot of the ranch-style homes built here in the 1950s and 1960s picked up a vinyl re-side at some point over the decades, and that vinyl is now aging out. Alpine Exteriors gets calls from this neighborhood specifically because that material is reaching the end of its useful life, and homeowners are trying to figure out what to do next.
Here's where we're upfront with you: we don't install vinyl siding, and we don't install it as a replacement for vinyl either. Alpine Exteriors installs James Hardie fiber cement siding exclusively, on every home we side in the Tampa Bay area, including here in Forest Hills. This page explains why, using the specific conditions your neighborhood deals with, so you can make an informed call instead of just swapping one problem material for a new version of the same problem.
Forest Hills sits inland, tucked along the Hillsborough River corridor near Lowry Park and north of the Nebraska Avenue corridor, which puts it in a different exposure category than the beach communities on Pinellas County's barrier islands. You're not fighting direct salt spray the way a Clearwater Beach home does. But "inland" doesn't mean "easy" — it brings its own set of pressures on exterior siding:
Vinyl siding has a place in the market — it's inexpensive and quick to install, which is exactly why it went up on so many Tampa homes during past remodel waves. But as a company that stands behind our work with a Florida-specific climate in mind, we don't recommend it for the conditions Forest Hills homes actually face, for a few honest reasons:
Vinyl is a plastic product, and plastic responds to heat. On a west- or south-facing wall in a Tampa summer, surface temperatures on dark or mid-toned vinyl can climb well past the ambient air temperature. Over enough heat/cool cycles, panels can bow, buckle, or pull away from their nailing hem — which is often exactly the complaint that brings Forest Hills homeowners to search for a vinyl siding fix in the first place.
Vinyl is a thin, flexible material. It handles minor debris reasonably well, but in a wind event with branches or debris moving — a real consideration under mature oak canopy — it cracks and shatters rather than absorbing the impact. Replacement panels also fade differently than older, sun-exposed panels, so patch repairs rarely match.
Vinyl siding is installed as a loose-fitting rain screen, not a sealed barrier — water is expected to get behind it and drain out. That design assumes the house wrap and flashing behind it are in good shape. On a 60-year-old home that's been re-sided once or twice already, we frequently find that assumption doesn't hold, and moisture has been sitting against original sheathing for years without anyone knowing.
Vinyl is priced to be a lower-cost option, and it performs like one over a 15-20 year window — fading, chalking, and needing full replacement rather than repair. Fiber cement carries a materially longer service life and holds resale value differently on a home built in the 1950s-60s character era that defines this neighborhood.
Alpine Exteriors is licensed (FL RB29003900) and installs James Hardie fiber cement siding exclusively — no vinyl, no LP SmartSide, no engineered wood. Fiber cement is a blend of cement, sand, and cellulose fiber, engineered and tested specifically for hot, humid, storm-prone climates like ours. For a Forest Hills home, the practical differences show up in a few specific ways:
| Factor | Vinyl Siding | James Hardie Fiber Cement |
|---|---|---|
| Heat/sun response | Softens and can warp or bow in direct summer heat | Dimensionally stable; engineered for hot climates (HZ5 zone) |
| Moisture behavior | Relies on drainage gap; substrate issues go undetected | Resists moisture intrusion and won't rot; better long-term wall assembly |
| Impact resistance | Cracks/shatters under branch or debris impact | Substantially more impact resistant; holds up to yard debris |
| Fade resistance | Chalks and fades within 10-15 years | ColorPlus finish baked-on, resists fading for decades |
| Fire behavior | Combustible plastic material | Non-combustible, does not contribute fuel to fire |
| Typical lifespan before major work | 15-25 years | 30-50+ years with proper maintenance |
Every siding job we quote in Forest Hills starts with removing the existing material and actually looking at the wall behind it — we don't side over problems. Given the age of housing stock in this neighborhood, here's what we're watching for:
If we find damage, we tell you before we cover it up — not after. That's part of doing this job right on a home that's been standing for six decades.
Central Florida's hurricane season runs June through November, and Forest Hills, like the rest of Hillsborough County, plans around it. A few practical points that affect timing and material choice for your project:
Afternoon thunderstorms are a near-daily occurrence in Tampa's summer months. We sequence siding work to minimize the number of days a wall is open to weather, and fiber cement's job-site handling holds up better to the humidity swings that come with a Florida install schedule than vinyl does.
James Hardie siding products carry engineered wind ratings appropriate for Florida's high-velocity hurricane zone requirements, which matters for both storm performance and, in many cases, insurance considerations for your home.
After a named storm passes through the Tampa Bay area, homes with fiber cement siding are typically dealing with cosmetic cleanup — pressure washing, gutter debris — rather than replacing shattered or blown-off panels, which is a common post-storm call we get from homes still wearing vinyl.
A full re-side is a bigger decision than a quick vinyl swap, and homeowners deserve to know what that actually involves before committing:
We're not going to hand you a fake price on a page like this — every home is different, and the honest range depends on real factors specific to your house. What we can tell you is what drives that range up or down:
| Factor | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Home size and wall complexity | More square footage and more corners, gables, and dormers mean more material and labor |
| Substrate condition | Rot or moisture damage found during tear-off adds repair scope before new siding goes on |
| Siding profile chosen | Lap plank, shingle-style, and panel James Hardie products carry different material costs |
| Trim and detail work | Corner boards, window trim, and architectural detailing add labor time |
| Accessibility | Mature landscaping and tree canopy common in Forest Hills can affect staging and cleanup |
The only way to get a real number is a walk-through of your specific home — which is exactly what a free estimate is for.
Whatever siding material you land on, the installation quality matters as much as the product itself. A poorly installed premium product will underperform a well-installed budget one. When you're vetting any exterior contractor in the Tampa area — us included — it's fair to ask about license status, insurance, manufacturer certification, and how they handle unexpected damage found during tear-off. We're glad to answer those questions directly, in person, before you sign anything.
If your current siding is showing its age, or you're planning ahead of storm season, we're happy to take a look and give you a straight, no-pressure assessment of what your Forest Hills home actually needs — request a free estimate using the form below.
We don't install or repair with vinyl siding under any circumstances; we only work in James Hardie fiber cement. If only a section is damaged, we can discuss a full re-side plan, but we won't patch vinyl with vinyl.
Yes — older homes often benefit the most, since a full re-side is a chance to properly address decades-old wall sheathing, flashing, and moisture issues that have likely gone unaddressed since the home's original construction.
Every legitimate contractor should have a Florida license number you can verify directly through the DBPR's license lookup; ours is RB29003900, and any reputable company will provide theirs without hesitation.
HardiePlank is the classic horizontal lap board look most common on Tampa ranch homes, while HardieShingle mimics a traditional shingle-style appearance; both use the same engineered fiber cement, just different profiles for different architectural styles.
It can — shaded walls dry out slower after rain and stay humid longer, which is harder on moisture-sensitive materials like vinyl; it's one more reason we design and install with materials built to handle sustained humidity exposure.