Thinking About Re-siding Your Home? Here’s the Latest in Siding Trends!

Mixing Siding Materials Makes a Big Impact

With more of today’s homeowners staying put in their homes longer, the general trend in the home construction market has moved away from building one’s dream house and toward renovating their current home to fit their dreams. And when it comes to siding, that trend has resulted in the emergence of siding materials in all types, sizes and colors.

Today’s homeowners have a greater tendency to mix materials. People are using sections of steel, aluminum, stone or brick along with vinyl or fiber cement siding to get just the right look. Most often this mixing and matching is most prevalent around the entryway of a home, where small amounts of a more expensive material like real or synthetic stone or brick can make a big impact and a strong design statement and provide consumers with a lot of bang for their bucks.

Also, with sprawling McMansions falling out of favor and the average size of an American home actually decreasing for the first time in about 30 years, people are looking to gain a little more living space through the use of outdoor rooms — and that has also increased the mix-and-match mentality of many of today’s homeowners. From a design standpoint, this means that siding serves as the ‘backdrop’ of outdoor rooms so it is important to coordinate colors, profiles and styles with other outdoor living products such as decking, railing and fencing.

Vinyl is still the most popular siding choice

Generally, material choices still follow regional trends that have been in place for several years; in the Midwest vinyl is still the most popular choice for siding. But with the blending of materials and homeowners who move across country bringing their backgrounds with them, those regional trend lines have gotten pretty blurry.

What transcends regional design tastes today is value – and that is largely driven by today’s economy. That means that vinyl, with its combination of lower cost and even lower maintenance, is expected to remain the strongest siding choice for the foreseeable future. According to 2009 U.S. Census data, it has been the number one cladding choice on new single-family homes for the last 15 years. But people are increasingly upgrading their vinyl to include thicker panels, darker colors and specialty accessories. Manufacturers now have the ability to infuse color during the extrusion process, resulting in lasting color performance even after years of exposure to sun and weather. Also, the look of shake is gaining in popularity. The combination of durability and authenticity with cedar-inspired vinyl products has proven very popular.

More focus on accessories

Siding accessories of all materials are also getting more attention from buyers as another way to personalize their home. Low maintenance is still the watchword, but thicker and more elaborate profiles, wood graining and an endless palette of colors have homeowners using trim and accent pieces with dramatic intentions – and effect. Homeowners are moving toward trim as the latest way to use dimension and contrasting colors to distinguish a home. Today’s use of trim gives homes a very noticeable upgrade in appeal.

Green growth and looking ahead

The green movement is now firmly entrenched in every aspect of the building market, and siding is no different. Manufacturers continue to develop new process and products to meet consumer demand for products that are sustainably manufactured, safe for the environment, and save on their energy bills. Homeowners are increasingly demanding energy efficient products that will help them reduce the overall carbon footprint of their home, and siding needs to fill the bill.

Within the vinyl segment of the siding market, the insulated vinyl category is expected to grow over the next few years. Insulated siding is specifically listed as eligible in the version of HomeStar legislation approved by the U.S. House of Representatives and the Vinyl Siding Institute is leading efforts to get the government to allow tax credits for insulated siding.

 If it’s time to replace your home’s siding, contact The Chuba Company to talk with one of our consultants. We have many products to choose from and we’d love to work with you to find one that fits your budget and style. No matter what siding product you choose, you know that you will be getting the best siding products and service in the area with The Chuba Company.