Alternatives to stucco and wood
Gone are the days when vinyl siding was the only alternative beside stucco and wood. There are many other options available now. All options will give your home curb appeal while keeping a low maintenance exterior. Vinyl is still a very popular material though, and does come in some alternative looks as well, so it is still worth considering it.
Before diving in: Millennium Contracting can install and apply all types of siding, including wood and stucco. If you don’t know what siding would work best for your home and budget, we love to drop by to help with the selection. We can give you a quote on a few options even. Just contact us and we will get right back to you.
Vinyl siding
Vinyl siding definitely still is a classic and economical way to modernize your home. Think about it: Your bright blue home from the 1980s or 1990s can get an instant update by using a neutral colour siding. Depending on your budget and the time you are planning on staying in your home, this may be the best choice for you.
In the home below we combined vinyl siding with a black faux stone around the front door and under the siding to break things up. We come back to the faux stone a bit further in this blog.
Horizontal vinyl siding can be broken up in other ways as well. You can even achieve the more traditional vertical Board and Batten look while using a vinyl product. That link brings you to the Gentek website, one of our trusted suppliers.
We would like to suggest some other options as well so you can make a well-informed decision. If you have lived in a home with vinyl siding long enough, you may know that vinyl siding is not as durable as some other options. It becomes more brittle as it gets older and some discolouration may happen as well. You may also notice some holes here and there! It is hard to avoid to shoot a rock at your home when mowing the grass or snowplowing. You try to avoid it, but hey, it happens. Older brittle vinyl will often break it that situation.
Fiber Cement siding
If you are looking for a more durable material, we often suggest fibre cement siding. It comes in numerous styles, colours and types. It offers the traditional wood look, but is low maintenance. Another term for fiber cement siding you may have heard is “Hardie Boards”, but that refers to the brand name of the siding Gentek offers: JamesHardie. You can get some more information here.
Keep in mind though that fibre cement fiber may require periodic recaulking or repainting in some cases.
FAUX STONES
We briefly mentioned faux stones already. Before explaining what that means, let’s at least mention that real stone is still being used on the sides of homes as well. Home owners often like to use stone as a finishing touch or to create some interesting focal points. However, these days there are many alternatives that may help reduce the cost but look like a natural, stacked stone.
Faux stone can be a pvc / polymer product or a cultured stone, basically a cement that has been coloured and shaped like a stone.
It is not typically used on a whole house.
Metal siding
If you are looking for another option, metal siding is available as well. It is often used on custom, ultra modern homes. It can be made from aluminum or steel and offers some qualities that can make it an interesting choice for home owners. See for example this option that looks very much like wood. The biggest advantage of this option is that in most cases a simple rinse is all is needed when it comes to upkeep.
polypropylene
You like the look of shakes and scallops for a more traditional look? There are some really nice options available in Polypropylene, which is virtually maintenance free.
And more
We will stop here, as we don’t want to overwhelm you with options, but contact us to see what option would be best for you! We truly like to help.
