Siding

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Most homeowners prefer low maintenance vinyl siding over any other exterior material. Vinyl won't rot, peel, dent, or show scratches, and it never needs expensive, time consuming painting. Today's vinyl siding offers exceptional durability against the elements, and come in a surprising variety of attractive styles, textures, and colors.

The three most popular vinyl siding styles are clapboard (conveys the look of colonial architecture), shiplap (beveled-edge style panel), and shingles (recreates the rustic colonial look). Each has its own unique look and architectural reference. Different styles are also available in a variety of panel exposures or "board widths". For example: double 4" clapboard has two 4" wide panels, and creates a narrow clapboard appearance; single 8" clapboard and 6 1/2" beaded panels give the impression of wide clapboard. The thickness of the siding panel contributes to its strength and wind resistance.

Although color can dramatically affect the overall look of a house, there really aren't any wrong choices. The most important rule to follow when selecting siding colors is to choose what you like.

Here are some other basic color guidelines that you might want to consider:

• Light colors enlarge the appearance of a house.
• Dark colors visually reduce the size of a house.
• Warm colors make special exterior features stand out.
• Cool colors make features recede.
• Monochromatic schemes will unify and simplify the exterior of a house.
• Contrasting shades will add interest.
• Vented soffits play an important role in proper attic ventilation. By drawing cool air into attics, they work with ridge vents to push hot air up and out of the attic. Solid soffits are often used for porch ceilings and vertical siding.