Choosing exterior materials

Siding sets the tone of the whole building. Vertical board-and-batten reads traditional and hides seams well; smooth panel siding in a dark matte finish gives the modern, architectural look in our Modern-style plans; painted lap siding suits a cottage feel. Whatever you choose, match it — or intentionally contrast it — with your house.

For roofing, a standing-seam metal roof is durable, sheds snow well and suits shed and flat rooflines; architectural asphalt shingles are less expensive and easier to source locally, and work well on gable roofs. Both are specified with underlayment and flashing details in every plan set.

Trim and color do more work than people expect. A black or dark bronze window trim reads modern against almost any siding color; a painted wood trim reads more traditional. Keep your palette to two or three colors — body, trim, and one accent (a door color, for example) — for a result that looks designed rather than assembled.

Finally, think about your climate. Coastal and high-humidity sites favor fiber-cement or metal over raw wood siding; high-UV climates benefit from a quality exterior paint or stain with UV inhibitors, reapplied every few years.