There is no single best siding for Salem. The climate asks every material for the same things: shed a lot of winter rain, dry out between storms, and ride out the occasional heat wave or ice storm. NOAA’s 1991-2020 normals give Salem about 40 inches of rain a year, roughly half of it in November, December and January, and less than a tenth from June through September. Fiber cement, vinyl, engineered wood and cedar can all handle that when the wall behind them is built to Oregon’s code. Where they differ is maintenance, how they cope with heat and impact, and cost.
What does Salem’s weather ask of siding?
- Winter rain. November, December and January each average roughly six to seven inches of rain. Some water gets behind any siding, so the wall needs a water-resistive barrier, flashing and a way for water to drain out.
- Dry summers. June through September bring about 3.35 inches combined. That is the easiest window for painting and caulking, which have temperature and dew-point limits set by each product.
- Heat. Salem reached 117°F on June 28, 2021, its hottest day on record.
- Ice storms. After the February 2021 ice storm, about 1,200 city trees were down and more than 5,000 damaged, and the January 2024 ice storm brought trees down onto homes. Falling limbs crack and hole siding.
- Mild winter lows. Average winter lows sit around 35 to 36°F and hard freezes are uncommon, so water, more than frost, is what siding here has to manage.
- Wildfire. The 2020 Beachie Creek fire burned through the Santiam Canyon east of Salem. In 2025, Senate Bill 83 repealed Oregon’s statewide wildfire hazard map and the building rules tied to it, so there is no state rule requiring a particular siding material.
Fiber cement
Fiber cement is cement, sand and cellulose fiber, pressed into lap boards, panels and shingles by makers such as James Hardie and Allura.
- Weather: handles rain when its clearances and the wall behind it are right, and does not soften in heat. James Hardie lists its siding as noncombustible under ASTM E136.
- Installation: heavy, and cutting it makes silica dust that OSHA’s construction silica standard addresses. James Hardie calls for at least 6 inches of clearance to finished grade and 1 to 2 inches above roofing.
- Upkeep: primed boards are painted on site and repainted over time; prefinished boards arrive painted.
- Cost: published Pacific region and Albany, Oregon figures are on the siding cost page.
More on the fiber cement siding page.
Vinyl
Vinyl siding is PVC formed into lap, Dutch lap, board-and-batten and shake-style panels.
- Weather: sheds rain like any cladding, over a water-resistive barrier. It has to hang loosely so it can move with temperature, and strong reflected sunlight can distort it.
- Installation: light. The Vinyl Siding Institute’s manual calls for about 1/32 inch between nail head and panel, and a 1/4-inch gap at corner posts and channels, 3/8 inch below 40°F.
- Upkeep: color runs through the material, so there is no routine painting; faded or cracked panels can be swapped, though new ones may not match.
- Cost: below fiber cement in the Pacific region averages, above it in the Albany, Oregon figures.
More on the vinyl siding page.
Engineered wood
Engineered wood lap siding is made from wood strands or fibers with resins and treatments; LP SmartSide is one such product, and LP says its SmartSide products are treated with a zinc borate-based process. It is a different product line from the LP Inner-Seal OSB siding of the 1980s and 1990s, whose class-action settlement has closed.
- Weather: like any wood-based product, it depends on sealed edges, sound paint and the maker’s clearances.
- Installation: lighter than fiber cement, and installed to the maker’s own instructions.
- Upkeep: primed or prefinished, with painting over time.
- Cost: this site publishes no engineered wood figures.
Cedar
Cedar comes as lap siding, sawn shingles and split shakes, and it is the traditional choice on many older houses.
- Weather: holds up when it can shed water and dry, and rots where water sits: board ends near soil and roofs, sills, failed caulk joints.
- Installation: light and easy to repair a piece at a time, which suits older and historic houses.
- Upkeep: paint or stain needs renewing, or the wood is left to weather. Woodpecker holes need patching.
- Cost: no dependable published source was found, so none is given here.
More on the cedar and wood siding page.
What matters more than the material?
The details behind and around the siding decide how any of them performs in a wet climate:
- A continuous water-resistive barrier over the wall (section R703.2 of the 2023 Oregon Residential Specialty Code).
- A drainage gap of at least 1/8 inch behind the siding by default, or an approved exception such as a drainage-enhanced barrier (R703.1.1).
- Kickout flashing where a lower roof edge meets a wall (R703.4), and flashing at every window and door.
- Clearances from soil, decks and roofs, as each maker specifies.
- Paint and caulk applied within product limits. Sherwin-Williams lists a minimum of 35°F and a surface at least 5°F above the dew point for its Duration exterior paint.
A 2026 edition of the Oregon code is scheduled to take effect on October 1, 2026, so ask which edition a job is built to.
When is the best time to install siding in Salem?
June through September, when rain is lightest and painting conditions are easiest to meet. Siding can go on in the wet months with the wall protected as work goes, but finishing may have to wait for suitable weather. If you are replacing siding in spring, getting quotes early leaves room for any permit, or for historic design review on a historic Salem property, before the dry season starts.
Whatever you lean toward, a contractor who has seen the house can tell you what suits it. Request a siding quote and we connect you with an independent siding contractor who covers your ZIP code.
This page is general information, not professional advice about your specific situation. Have it assessed by a qualified professional before making decisions.