When it comes to curb appeal, the first thing that commonly comes to mind is the siding on your house.
With the countless options that you can choose from such as style and color, it’s important to have a solid understanding of your options to make a decision. Choosing the wrong combination can do exactly the opposite of your goal and believe it or not – decrease your house value.
While there are unlimited possibilities of choices, picking the right styles and colors doesn’t need to be rocket science and as an industry leader in home improvement, we created this informative article on choosing your fiber cement and vinyl siding.
Through this article, we’ll walk you through the siding styles, the 10 photo worthy siding colors for any environment, things you absolutely need to factor in when picking a color, how to mix and match your colors and most importantly – how to maintain the look throughout the year.
Siding Styles
Creating the dream look for your house doesn’t have to solely depend on the colors that you pick. Homeowners can add their own personalized touch by adding siding styles such as accents on the upper floor of their home. One key question to ask your siding contractor is if they have a home design app to help visualize the final product on your house.
Having a handful of different possible styles, we’ve grouped them into three easy to understand siding style categories for you below:
Horizontal Panels: Panels that overlap each other to provide a classic timeless look that you’ll find throughout your neighborhood.
Benefits: More installers are readily available because of how commonly it’s found on homes.
Disadvantage: With the panels overlapping, it can be more difficult to clean.
Vertical Panels: A simple and modern siding style that originated from farms and business to provide a unique rustic look.
Benefits: Since the water/rain flows completely downwards, it can be easier to clean.
Disadvantage: Requires more steps to install as it needs an additional layer underneath the panel to assure a level and smooth surface.
Accents: An elegant method to add a subtle touch that enhances the curb appeal.
Benefits: If chosen correctly, accent pieces can dramatically improve the look and feel of your house.
Disadvantage: Can cost more due to the high attention to detail needed during installation.
Top 10 Colors for Any Environment
Regardless if you live off the beautiful coast or in the middle of a suburb, the color you decide to have on your house is a critical factor in it’s curb appeal. Picking the right color that compliments the style of your house can drastically change the mood of those around it.
Here are 10 fail-proof color options for any homeowner:
- Beige/Tan: A true neutral color that blends well with anything around it.
- Chestnut Brown: A shade of brown with just enough darkness that has the look of ruggedness within the suburbs but not enough to steer away potential buyers.
- Cypress: One word can simply describe this color: welcoming. This muted green can be described as neutral enough to work extremely well with other colors.
- Light Blue: An option that has grown in popularity over time because of its ability to provide the feeling of serenity and peace.
- Light Gray: Homeowners are quickly falling in love with gray as it’s another neutral option for those that don’t want a beige or white color.
- Olive: For those that want a little more personalization but don’t exactly want to want the gray that every other house has.
- Pewter: A very light shade of gray that can make any house seem larger and pairs perfectly with most color options.
- Snow White: A classic option that works in all regions and can be paired with many other subtle contracts such as a red door to add that little bit of elegance.
- Suede: A color-rich option made to pair well to give a welcoming vibe.
- Taupe: One of the most popular options that provide an extreme neutral look.
What Criteria to Use When Picking a Color
Now that we’ve covered the different siding styles and possible colors that will represent your personality, lets cover the things you need to consider when making the decision of what color to pick.
- Your Neighborhood: There’s no doubt about it, deciding the style and color of your siding is overwhelming but nonetheless, an important decision to make. There is no better way to take a quick breather and still do your homework than taking a scroll through your neighborhood. Take note of what you find – what works well and doesn’t and what are the common themes.
- Your House: Consider things like your landscape and roof when making the decision because the vibrant red roses or gray gravel walkway leading up to the doorway can make a huge impact on the color and/or style that you pick for your siding. All these colors, including on your roof, should complement each other and enhance the feel and vibe of your house.
- Restrictions: Before picking any color, make sure to speak to your HOA to learn about any color and/or style restrictions that you need to keep in mind. Certain locations may prohibit you from using certain materials and/or colors.
- Budget: It’s no secret that any sort of home renovation project can add up in cost and that’s why budgeting is a critical to use when picking the color. Price out colors that are very similar, just in case any unexpected cost comes up there won’t be any delay in the project.
Fiber Cement and Vinyl Siding Colors Combinations
It’s always a good idea to use a combination of colors to elevate your home’s aesthetics from the average house on the block to the show home that your neighbors rave about. Make sure to use a visual tool of the exterior of your house to determine what colors fit best.
Here are two concepts to help while combining colors
- Analogous Colors: Often found side by side to each other, these are color options that are very similar to each other such as light and dark brown.
- Complementary Colors: A primary and secondary colors that are on the opposite side of the spectrum such as white and black. Typically the secondary color (also known as the complementary color) are dramatic and bold creating this balance of colors because of it’s smaller ratio compared to the primary color.
Maintenance – Keeping the Color Fresh
With the siding color and style selected, it’s equally as important to maintaining the look and feel that you’ve dedicated your time to reinvent your curb appeal. Completing this task can be as easy as counting to three.
- Washing it yearly: Regardless of your siding type, it can be very easy to gather up dirt, grime or any other stain. We’ve found it effective to rinse your siding with a garden hose. For that hard-to-remove dirt wipe the siding down with a solution recommended by your siding manufacturer.
- Be mindful of it: Just like anything else, siding can crack or break from high impact. If this occurs, make sure to have a siding specialist assess the situation as soon as possible to minimize the damage.
- Routine inspection: Dedicate a few minutes every year by simple inspecting the siding to make sure there aren’t any damages. This can be easily done while you are washing it.
The siding on your house can be a work of art and a representation of your personality. Make sure to speak to your local siding contractor to utilize their experience and tools to make a sound decision that you’ll love for years to come.