For those building their next home, you may be trying to decide on siding options and which would work best. You can choose from options like brick, wood, vinyl, stone, stucco, fiber-cement and more for the exterior siding of your home.

At one time people had to choose from grass sod blocks and animal hides but today the list of options is long. The most common siding is vinyl but many prefer the universal look of brick. Here is a look at the various options and how each will differ.

Wood Siding

Most people want to replicate the look of real world and so they will choose engineered wood, vinyl or fiber-cement siding. Envoy aluminum siding is a great way to get the wooden look with realistic shadows lines in which the panels overlap.

Almost any wood pattern can be replicate with vinyl or fiber-cement by getting wood-like clapboard panels or half-round cedar-style shingles. If you prefer real wood, you can get Cedar siding in several textures, sizes and styles. Beveled siding is the most popular.

Color

Siding options are great because you can choose from so many colors. You’ll find over 350 different colors for siding. Many coastal areas choose bright colors while greens are found in the Midwest and earth tones found in the southwest. Newer trends are bold, rich tones like barn reds, sage greens and deep blues.

Mix and Match

You can mix and match siding through styles and colors including doors, windows, decking and roofing. You can contrast with trim pieces and siding accessories. You can mix and match your materials such as using lap siding on the exterior and polymer shakes or corbels on the gable ends.

Sustainability

Many people are now choosing siding that is energy-efficient and sustainable. Insulated vinyl siding is becoming really popular. You can also check out foam insulation systems for backing fiber cement-siding.

Finally, it’s important to consider what siding is going to be durable and last. For cold climates, you’ll want siding that can handle freezing and thawing conditions while lap siding is the way to go for material that can withstand temperature extremes.