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IN DEPTH: Siding

Colors Keep Expanding, With Darker Shades Emerging
The darker, richer colors that have entered the market in recent years have become even more popular, leading to more expanded palette offerings. “People have always liked darker colors, but now advancements in technology are making sure those colors can perform better,” says Tapco’s Wierengo. “They weather better and reflect heat for better home efficiency.”

They also don’t look like the neighbors’ colors. “Homeowners are staying in their homes longer and want to have an appearance that stands out, to make it look different from their neighbors,” says Royal’s Booz. Adds Style Crest’s Meek, “Millenials are beginning to influence the market. They’re buying smaller homes, and they want a look that’s different from what their parents’ homes had.”

That trend has led to larger color offerings. “Greens and blues are trendy now,” says CertainTeed’s Kirn. “The neutral colors used to be much more popular, because homeowners were cautious and stuck to gray, tan and clay as the main color. Now, they’re much more into using vivid colors.” No one shade within these families is dominant, he adds. “Greens especially are all over the place. Blues are a little darker, going to a gray tone. These represent a break from the norm, but they’re still ‘safe’ colors. Those are favorite colors for many people, so they are attractive as a larger siding color.”

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Variegated color options are becoming popular, as homeowners try to replicate the look of wood. “The trend we see is toward more natural products,” says Novik’s Bruno. “Variegated color styles are popular,” Ply Gem’s Blais agrees. “They have more complexity and create a unique look. Our lines offer unique variegated colors that mimic the real look of wood.” Adds LP’s Maddern, “In two-tone colors, cedar and woodtone looks are gaining. Solid colors are steady sellers, but the two-tones are growing in popularity.”

Wood siding is seeing more interest in prefinished options, Maddern adds. “Prefinishers are trying to outdo each other to offer the most natural-looking two-tone colors in a factory prefinish.” Adds WRCLA’s Mackie, “Factory finishing is popular, and more distributors are finishing the products in-house to offer a service. That continues to grow, especially the primed and top-coated version that may be available with a coating warranty of up to 25 years. That appeals to contractors and homeowners alike.” He also notes growth in knotty-cedar options. “Architects are finding more applications for it to contrast with other materials they’re using.”

Preferences are definitely regional. “Darker colors are popular, but choices are very geographic,” says Allura’s Frazeur. “We work with PPG, and they have dozens of people looking at trends on a daily basis for all types of color choices. In April, they told us that our pallete is relevant to consumer’s desires.” That palette, he notes, contains 28 colors. “In the Northeast, they want lighter colors, while in the Southeast, they use even lighter, brighter colors, almost like a rainbow, whereas in Texas and the Midwest, they’re still using variations on browns and earth tones.”
browns and earth tones.

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