Exterior Finishes On Custom Homes 2015

2015- Exteriors Finishes

As I price, construct and consult on people’s custom homes and their renovations I see trends emerging in the style and the design of the outside finishes of these homes. Some of these trends are new and have emerged this year and some of them are longer running trends that started in years previous and have continued on.

Exterior Finishes on Custom Homes

Here is a list of the trends that have stayed the same over the last several years;

• Decorative timber framing has become the norm in all gables placed at the peaks.

• Vertical butt-jointed corners are still the most popular with layering taking over giving them more depth and allowing a colour change to accent the homes corners.

• Wood facia and wood soffits that are painted to match the siding colour are still the most popular.

• Freeze boards through the siding at certain heights to help break up a high wall of siding is common.

• Natural stone is by far the most popular option when dressing up the outside of custom homes.

• Coloured eavethrough is common now to match the colour of the facia so that it helps it disappear.

• A 4 foot wall of stone whether it is natural or manmade is seen most often, this helps keep some of the costs down but still gives that stone look.

• Crown molding at the point where the soffit meets the siding has become the norm now, with the crown being painted the same as the siding and soffit.

• Pre-finished wood siding is still the most popular; this has been the case for decades.

• Horizontal pre-finished siding is still the most popular way to install it.

• Simple siding looks with no trims around the windows or corners are becoming popular. It’s a more modern look.

• Homes are being designed with more and more windows and doors; this is requiring less and less exterior wall covering. With that comes the need to simplify siding so that it accents the windows and doors instead of accenting the siding itself.

• Vertical siding is growing in popularity; the cost of the installation is keeping it from becoming the norm over horizontal, but the fact that there are more windows mean there is less siding and vertical has become very appealing.

• Natural wood like pine and cedar have become the norm in cottage country for their natural high end look and the availability of UV resistant paint that lasts longer.

Here a list of the new trends happening in Exterior finishes on custom homes;

• Metal siding or metal sheeting is becoming a popular material on modern houses that are looking for a simplified look.

• Eldorado Stones newer HD stone that looks remarkably like natural stone is becoming a more popular option as the cost savings compared to natural stone is immense.

• There are new vinyl siding products that are on the market that have a high definition look that is starting to steal some of the market share away from cement siding. The vinyl being a lot easier to install and cheaper to purchase overall.

• Thermally modified wood siding is becoming more popular as it requires no maintenance and weathers to look like cedar unless sealed to keep its original colour.

• With the resurgence of vinyl siding (higher end vinyl) so is the popularity of aluminum facia and soffit.

• White soffit and facia is starting to make a comeback because of the amount of people wanting a more modern look to their homes.

It seems that the trends for finishing exterior homes is changing and changing toward a more natural simpler look. That is the trend I see coming but with the amount of different styles out there it might not stay for long. With exterior finishes it is always better to pick something that will be maintenance free in the coming years and that fits your style and taste. I wouldn’t worry about what it does to the resale value because regardless of what you choose it will be out of date by the time you go to sell your home.

Pick something that will have the ability to last long enough so that it still will look good when you
go to sell it.

Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.

What will survive the high winds that come off the great lakes on the outside of my cottage?

Q:

I’m having a cottage built on the water of the great lakes and I’m worried about the high winds. Can you give me any advice on what type of siding or other products that I should put on my house so that it won’t get damaged?

A:

There are several types of material that I would recommend installing on the outside of your cottage and
there are materials that I would strongly recommend against installing on the outside of your cottage. Let’s start with the material that I would stay away from;

Vinyl Siding

There are many different types of vinyl siding, degrees of thickness, colour, shape, installation methods and availability. I would recommend against all of them, especially on a cottage that is going to have to deal with the extreme winds that are coming off the great lakes.

Vinyl siding must be installed loosely, that means that the nails that hold it on the building are not nailed tight. This allows the vinyl to shrink and expand in the summer sun, vinyl actually moves so much that if you don’t install the fasteners in this way it will buckle and come apart from the siding around it.

Because vinyl siding is installed loosely, it can catch the wind, if the wind catches the underside of it then it will be ripped off the house fairly easily.

Vinyl siding is installed with Vinyl trims around the windows and doors. There is no caulking used in the installation of vinyl siding. That means that with a driving rain there is a chance that water will penetrate around the window and get behind the siding.

Wood Siding

Wood siding has come a long way in the last three decades. It is painted in a factory and the finish is warranted for 15 years. That means that you shouldn’t have to repaint the house 15 yrs, as long as the paint is refreshed when it is needed the siding should last a life time.

Wood siding is installed with ring nail fasteners. This means that short of a tornado wood siding should never be pulled off a home even in constant high winds. There are wood siding applications that now tongue and groove all the joints so that there is even less chance for movement.

Caulking is required for wood siding, caulking around every joint, window, door and protrusion. This will ensure that nothing penetrates the siding even in a driving rain.

Steel/metal siding

Steel siding comes in many different shapes, styles and applications. It is becoming more popular to on custom homes. New steel siding is painted in a factory the same way that they paint cars, the siding comes with a long warranty and the finish will withstand almost anything.

Steel siding has the ability to withstand impact at a much higher degree than normal siding. Steel siding does not bend well and as such if the wind was to catch a corner of it there would be little damage to the siding as it resists the urge to fold and be pulled away.
Steel siding is more expensive then wood and looks a lot different but with steel comes one of the best warranties you could ever want.

Stone

Putting stone either natural or manufactured is a great way to protect your home. Either product is basically a forever product as long as it’s installed properly.

There’s a reason that castles are still standing after 1000’s of years, stone doesn’t move, bend, shrink or
expand. It stays in one place no matter what the weather is or the temperature.

Putting stone on the windward side of your cottage will guarantee that you wouldn’t have any wind damage no matter how high the wind blows. Flying debris will not damage stone or penetrate it.

There are so many different types of stone whether it is manufactured or natural, the choices are almost endless and it will have more to do with your budget and less to do with the availability of the product.

Stucco

Stucco should never be put on a cottage. Stucco has come a long way in the last couple of decades but it is still a product that was invented for warmer southern climates where they have to deal with more intense heat and sun and less wind and rain. Stucco will absorb moisture, flying debris or high winds will damage stucco overtime.

Stucco is a high maintenance material and should be avoided in cottage country.

Cement siding

Cement siding is strong and will stand up to high winds and flying debris. The paint warranties are the same as wood siding with you not having to worry about repainting for at least 15 years.

Cement siding will not tear, bend or be ripped off a home short of a tornado. It is highly durable and will last a long time.

Cement siding requires caulking at all joints, windows, doors and penetrations.

The only difference between cement siding and wood siding is that cement siding is a lot more expensive and requires more time to install.

Remember that when picking the exterior product that you want on your roof you should weigh durability, style, and price. Your budget will have the biggest impact on what you place as a finish on the outside of
your home.

Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.