Try Maintenance-Free Vinyl Cedar Shakes for Nantucket Style Curb Appeal
Q: I’m upgrading the exterior of my home and I’m wondering about the popular vinyl shingle siding here in New England. I happen to love the look of weathered wood siding don’t want to lose the charm. How can I play off New England’s quaint and historic architecture while creating modern curb appeal?
A: Believe it or not, you’re not the only one who loves the charm of weathered shake siding. However, the old wood siding on your cozy New England home isn’t doing you any favors in terms of aesthetics or energy savings but you can achieve this aged shingle look and keep it looking that way for a lifetime—maintenance-free with vinyl cedar shakes.
Read on to learn how.
Why Are Homeowners Switching from Wood to Vinyl Shingle Siding?
Wood is one of the most prominent home siding materials you’ll find in New England. Even if the old siding appears OK from the outside, Boston Building Resources explains that there might be ominous issues lurking beneath the surface. When removing old siding from the home, you can expect to find:
- Damage behind the panels
- Chipping
- Mold and mildew growth—a costly consequence of moisture damage. According to Improvement, this is a sample of how much toxic mold removal may cost if discovered under wood siding:
- Vegetation growth on or behind the siding, such as vines or ivy. This pulls more moisture into the exterior and further damages the panels.
- According to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, there may also be water damage to items such as wall attachments, light fixtures, window frames, and door frames. This is yet another example of water getting behind the panels and deteriorating the exterior.
You Never Own a Paint Job
Roughly 60% of old wood siding is salvageable with historic homes. If you manage to save the siding, you’ll then need to worry about sanding, staining, and painting. How much will it cost you to paint over your wood exterior?
Initially, it might seem cheaper to just replace the bad siding panels and paint the rest. However, you can see that this is a significant expense that requires upkeep to maintain its style.
Most New England homeowners paint their homes every 7 years, depending on when you buy the home. Instead of doing this over and over again, you can get the best of both worlds of weathered wood and maintenance-free siding.
Get the “Good” Cedar Shake Siding Look with Vinyl Cedar Shakes
Weathered wood siding is charming, but it opens the door to energy loss, moisture damage and a lot of upkeep. In other words, it’s very expensive to maintain. It might look good on your home but it certainly won’t look good on your monthly bank statement.
Homeowners can get the “good” weathered wood siding look with vinyl cedar shakes. Traditionally, vinyl shakes were designed to look sleek and modern, but now homeowners have the option to select vinyl cedar shakes that appear aged over time.
How to Maintain the Charm of Wood with Weathered Vinyl Cedar Shakes
Vinyl cedar shakes are an ideal option for homeowners who want to stay true to a home’s weathered wood exterior. These vinyl cedar shakes showcase the following qualities that are sure to maintain the charm of your home:
- Choose vinyl cedar shakes with textures that capture the look of freshly sawn wood. Stick with vinyl cedar shakes that have historically accurate sawmill textures.
- Use patterns of randomly-sized shakes make the panels appeal truly handmade. This provides a staggered appearance that is becoming very popular in New England.
- Select cedar wood to give the appearance of real cedar in various stages of life, which is one of the keys to vinyl siding that looks like real wood.
- According to Yankee, New England’s Magazine, these are some of the historic paint colors in New England homes ranging from the 1740s to the 1880s. Consider choosing hues that are close to these colors for historical accuracy from our inventory:
Remember that aged vinyl cedar shakes come with all the benefits of modern vinyl siding, including:
- High resistance to variable weather, heat, and bitter cold during the winter.
- Aged vinyl cedar shakes are an environmentally-friendly choice to replacing old wood siding.
- High quality vinyl cedar shakes will not fade from exposure from the sun.
- Vinyl cedar shakes are maintenance-free and will leave you with a lifetime of everlasting beauty and performance.
Get the Look of Wood Shingle Siding in Just Two Weeks
When you’re ready to replace your siding, you’re likely excited to get started now. But then you learn that your siding contractor is booked. The good news is that you can get vinyl shingle siding installed much faster with Grayne! In fact, our line of in-stock siding is installed in just 2 weeks. Imagine the possibilities!
What is Grayne Vinyl Siding?
Grayne shingles by Foundry siding are as real as it gets, without installing real wood on your home. With virtually zero maintenance requirements and little waste, there is much to love about Foundry. It comes in a stunning color palette, complete with the wood shingle siding colors that are trending in New England right now. Some of the shake siding colors include:
Install Shake Shingle Siding with Coastal Windows & Exteriors
Get the weathered look of wood with virtually no maintenance. As an exterior product that lasts for life, homeowners can enjoy the look of weathered wood that defends against the elements and lowers utility bills. Contact us for a quote at svanderbilt@mycoastalwindows.com and subscribe to our blog for more tips on selecting your home’s exterior upgrades.
