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IN DEPTH: Siding

Vinyl siding continues to dominate the market. “Low maintenance for vinyl siding is still key,” says Jerome Zenoby, brand manager for Heartland Siding and Heritage Stone at ProVia. “It’s not just a pitch, it’s a legitimate benefit that vinyl siding offers over other home-exterior cladding products.”

But low maintenance isn’t enough to make the sale in all cases. “Keeping maintenance low doesn’t seem to be the driving factor that it once was,” Holmes’ Kandel says. “The emotional decision at times outweighs the possible drawbacks.”

 

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Aesthetics Rule

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Manufacturers are hoping to sway that emotional decision with more variety in both colors and textures. “Color is a huge factor in the sales decision,” Allura’s Feldt says. “Prefinishing is of growing importance for fiber-cement siding. Painters aren’t part of the process, especially in the Midwest or Northeast.”

Prefinished options tend to focus on earthtones, he notes. “Earthtones are strong now, especially as neutrals that can be accented with brighter colors. There’s a growing trend in which homeowners want vivid colors that make their homes stand out more. They’re trying to show that they’re not using vinyl siding by using colors that vinyl siding doesn’t offer. They want a unique color.”

“Color is the first factor for homeowners,” Style Crest’s Nowotarski states. “Its choice impacts everything else around the outside of the house.”

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Style Crest expanded the colors in one of its lines last year and added to two other lines this year. “We see a lot of earthtones being used,” adds Deborah Meek, product manager at Style Crest. “But they’re darker and richer than in the past. They’re not washed-out or neutral colors any more.”

Adds Tapco’s Wierengo, “Color options are growing, but they’re very regional. We look at them frequently—probably too often. We review our options every quarter to ensure we have the right mix.” Style Crest’s Meek agrees that keeping current is critical. “We take out our bottom-selling colors each year as well as those that have a dated look to make room for new ones. Some customers are disappointed to see a color disappear, but over the long term they’re happy with the updated replacement.”

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