Siding trends

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 a wide range of materials that go well together in all climates.

The new trend in American home building is that the actual size of todays home is 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 — This isn’t really that new  and it depends on the geographical location of your home.  Homes in warmer climate have much larger outdoor living spaces then home built in colder climates.  Keeping this in mind 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 and wood is a great choice for siding the farther north you go. But with the blending of materials and homeowners who move across the country bringing their backgrounds and favorite items with them.  But in all honesty vinyl siding works just about everywhere.

What transcends regional design tastes today is value.  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.  Vinyl 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.

Siding accessories of all materials are also getting more attention from buyers as another way to personalize their home. A popular choice is to choose a different color  for the vertical corner pieces  Low maintenance is still the most popular reason the home owner chooses vinyl, 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.

Going Green with siding

The green movement is now firmly entrenched in every aspect of the building market, and siding is no different. (Even roofing has joined the ranks of the green movement.)  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.