Every year brings new trends and must-have styles that we can’t wait to update our homes with. As you plan your future renovations, keep the following design trends in mind. Knowing building trends for 2018 will help you set your projects apart from others on the street. Read on to learn about popular siding styles to make your homes warm and welcoming. Nowadays, for many homeowners, low-maintenance features are no longer a luxury – they are expected. Few have the time or desire to scrape, paint and maintain siding, making the trend toward low-maintenance products a lasting one but that’s one of many noticeable trends.

Mixing Siding Materials Makes a Big Impact

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.

 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.

What are some of the most popular siding colors this year?

According to a Sears expert we’re starting to see trends around the color palette, including darker, richer colors: autumn reds, sages, soft shades of blue. Moss is a popular color, too. Part of that is driven by home remodeling TV shows that everyone is watching now. In the past, vinyl siding manufacturers didn’t provide such colors. The siding would buckle and peel because of the darker colors. But now the technology is so much more advanced, and darker, richer colors can be implemented without performance problems.

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.

Here it’s worth mentioning the engineered wood siding. That’s an eco-friendly alternative to wood that does not sacrifice looks for affordability. It offers the appearance of wood without the same demand for upkeep, and is resistant to moisture, fungal decay and impact damage. Engineered wood siding is easier and less costly to install than real wood siding. It is lighter in weight than wood and features advances that make installation easier. Engineered wood siding can be purchased pre-primed, ready to paint, or pre-finished in any number of finish options, which reduces the field and labor time once installed.

If you find out that it’s time to replace your home’s siding, be sure to call us. 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 AWM Construction.