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imacurvygrrl

Dark siding??

ImaCurvyGrrl
13 years ago

Hi all,

As I noted, we have building permits (finally) and will start digging the end of the month. We've made a lot of decisions on the house already, but are struggling with exterior colors. We have an elevation completed which is partial stone and partial siding on the front, siding the rest of the way around. The amount of siding on the front of the house is minimal, I would say about 30% siding, 70% stone (and windows). But the rest of the house will be all siding.

My husband wants dark gray siding to go with the stone we are considering, which is a mix of grays, blacks, coppers, reds, and some (but not a lot) brown. The siding is vinyl, chosen for it's price and maintenance. I'm not terribly concerned about the dark on the front of the house since there's not a lot of siding, but I'm really afraid to have that much dark siding all around the rest of the house.

I've read that siding does fade--and the darker the color the more the fading. I know siding has come a long way, but it still worries me to have that much expanse (two story house, 5000sf) with that much dark. Also, will the dark siding give us problems during the summer with heat transfer? We're doing 1-1 1/2" foam insulation with batting.

Any thoughts are very welcomed.

Thanks!

Comments (12)

  • xc60
    13 years ago

    We had beige siding on our last home it faded a ton on the south side of the home in less than 3 years. So I too, would be concerned with an even darker color due to the fading.

  • joyce_6333
    13 years ago

    When we were choosing siding, I utilized this tool on the Certainteed website. You can upload your own home, or choose one on their website. Then you can try different color siding, trim, roofing, etc. It helped me narrow our choices. I know most on this forum will probably gasp, but we chose a polymer shake in a cedar color for our siding. I really like it. Our builder said he has had trouble with the fiber cement, and had alot of trouble getting help from the manufacturer. He suggested Smart Siding, but I hated it.

    As far as fading, we put vinyl siding on a former home. It was a taupe color, not real dark, and faded badly on the south side that had no shade. It faded to almost white. Oracle, the manufacturer, replaced it for free. But of course it just faded again.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Certainteed Colorview

  • ImaCurvyGrrl
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thank you xc60 and joyce6333. I've been to Certainteed's website and also to Owens Corning, both of whom have good visualization options. It shows me the front of the house just fine, which is why I know the dark siding on my house won't make a big difference on the front. It's the rest of the house that worries me.

    We have a light silver/gray on our current house and it has not faded and the house was built in 1984. But DH is looking at a very dark gray...

  • ImaCurvyGrrl
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thank you for sharing pics bh401. In looking at the visualization website and thinking of our stone, we feel like the dark siding will make the house seem...warmer and more inviting, if that makes sense. Otherwise if we go with a lighter gray, to me the house will seem kind of cold and imposing, which is not what we are looking for.

    Your house looks warm and inviting (and very lovely!), which is what we want.

  • littleman77
    13 years ago

    With darker vinyl siding, you'll definitely want to be picky about your installers. Darker vinyls absorb more sunlight, creating heat that causes the panels to expand a significant amount (true of light-colored vinyls as well, but to a lesser degree). Poor installation can cause premature failure of the siding components.

    Depending on the orientation and the potential for reflection/concentration of sunlight (from neighbor's windows or a backyard pool, for example) the vinyl siding may actually generate enough heat to deform the panels.

    I love dark siding on homes, but you should be aware of these potential pitfalls when selecting vinyl.

  • ImaCurvyGrrl
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks, littleman77. Those are issues we need to know and appreciate you sharing. I'll definitely discuss them with my DH and builder.

  • marie_ndcal
    13 years ago

    We have steel siding due to hail damage and snow/ice freezing. It does come in different colors but does not fade.

  • ImaCurvyGrrl
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks, marie-ndcal. We don't have those issues here and steel has its own maintenance issues, I assume.

  • nikkidan
    12 years ago

    I know this is an old post from last March...but I have a question for BH401...

    What brand and color is your siding? Is it Certainteed Sable brown? And what brand/color is your shingles?

    We are considering Certainteed sable brown for our new home, but are having a hard time deciding on shingles that would look good. Your home is beautiful and the shingle color looks great with the dark siding. Just the look we are looking for.

  • ahoerschelman
    9 years ago

    Could you please post some pictures and updates as to how your dark siding is wearing?
    Thanks!

  • WaterlooStructures12
    9 years ago

    Nice suggestions these are...I wish you all the best for your house.

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