3 Color Combinations for Your Home’s Exterior

Picking the color palette for your home’s exterior seems like a simple task at first. Until the contractor comes in with his color chips containing more shades of white and beige that you knew existed. It doesn’t just end with the siding either, you need to make sure your roof, trims, and door match as well (and we won’t even get into the fascia, shutters, gutters and soffit!). Luckily for you, we’ve done all the homework and broken it down real simple. So when you have that visit with your contractor you could be the one to tell him what colors look nice.

We’re going to start off with 3 basic color palettes for your siding, trim and accent (with more to come in a later post). These combinations will suit any style home for your convenience.

1. Modern…with a linen twist. 

Not quite ready to make a statement with your home, but still want to add a little modern flair? This combination gives you a soft primary color for your siding with a dark contrast accent brought together by a trim that falls somewhere in between.

1. Siding: Almond

2. Trim: Khaki

3. Accent: Black

2. Bright as the sun

A rather outgoing combination that’s sure to draw attention from passers by. Use this killer color combo to one-up your neighbour any day of the week.

1. Siding: Maize

2. Trim: White

3. Accent: Black

3. Cool Vision

This palette speaks for itself. It’s just…cool. It will look great all year round, but really stand out in the colder months. This color combination will never be phased out and add curb appeal to your home for years to come.

1. Siding: Midnight Blue

2. Trim: Almond

3. Accent: Sandalwood

If you’re looking for more color combinations click here to download our KWP Color Guide. Sound off in the comments below to let us know what your favourite combination is, and vote for it in our poll below! We’re curious to know what you think!

What is Engineered Wood Siding?

We have noticed over the past few years that Engineered Wood Siding has been sorely misunderstood. Next time you just happen to be talking to someone about building materials (which will hopefully be sooner rather than later), bring up the term and ask the person what they think it means. You will likely get answers such as “cork board”, “melamine”, or simply “it’s not real wood”. Well I’m here to set the record straight on what “Engineered Wood Siding” really is.

What is Engineered Wood?

First and foremost, engineered wood siding is real wood all right. It’s just made a little differently, which is where the “engineered” part comes in, but it most certainly is real wood. Engineered wood is made up of 100% recycled wood from various sources mixed with a high quality resin that holds it together. It is baked in extremely high temperatures in order to harden the panel which will provide the strength and rigidity to ensure the panel does not break or chip. The panel is then cooled, trimmed and sanded. Once the panel is formed it then gets embossed with a wood grain and painted for the look.

As you can see, engineered wood truly is wood, it’s just made for the 21st century. Read on for the advantages of using engineered wood over real wood…

Advantages of Engineered Wood.

Now that we’re all on the same page about engineered wood, let’s discuss some of the advantages of using engineered wood over real wood. Engineered wood is pre-finished and pre-painted, so the only thing that needs to be done on-site is the installation. Engineered wood is also much lighter than hardboard siding, fibre cement or brick. This reduces transport costs and makes the material easier to handle during installation. Engineered wood is also resistant to termite damage and will not rot, crack or split. Thoughtful of the environment, engineered wood is made from 100% recycled material and comes from [in the case of our product] responsibly managed forests. So if you’re looking to grab LEED points towards your home, or simply looking to gain a little peace of mind, engineered wood is a great option for your home.

Look & Feel of Engineered Wood. 

Let’s discuss, for a moment, the look and feel of engineered wood. It’s not 1980 where you take a piece of melamine and slap on a shiny photograph of a wood finish that repeats itself over and over again. Engineered wood features a natural looking wood grain that’s embossed directly into the panels, and it is done completely randomly, so no two pieces look the same. The color availability is wide and varied, whether you want a natural look or something ultra-modern. The panels are available in a variety of widths and styles suitable for any look you wish to achieve.

Wrap-up.

Engineered wood siding is a great, cost-effective alternative to hardwood siding or brick, and will give you a more realistic look than other alternatives such as fibre cement. With key features including no rotting, cracking or splitting, environmental advantages and no on-site finishing, engineered wood siding is a great option for your home. So next time you’re having that conversation about building materials, see what the other person thinks of engineered wood, and set the record straight.

Naturetech Engineered Wood Siding

Naturetech Engineered Wood Siding, a brand by KWP Products, is the first cladding material to be manufactured with 100% recycled wood material. With over four decades in the building products industry, our engineers at KWP have taken their expertise into the next generation. Bringing together nature and technology in a revolutionary new process, Naturetech Engineered Wood Siding offers a variety of benefits that are simply unmatched by existing options.

That’s the official corporate message we use to “properly” introduce the brand. Now let’s do away with the formalities and get into a real dialogue about our products and why we truly believe we have something special to offer.  We will break this down into two main streams. We will discuss what Naturetech does for professionals, and then move on to what Naturetech does for the homeowner.

Professionals

Architects

Naturetech siding aims to truly simplify the lives of professionals from architects, to builders, to installers. We’ve teamed up with various home designers and architects to develop some truly stunning profiles. And we’ve done it in 16 different colours, too. The home’s exterior can now be seen as a blank canvas for you to add style and colour with expertly manufactured siding. And we didn’t just stop with the siding. We’ve got the matching trims and accessories to go along with it. All Naturetech Siding and Accessories are available in all 16 Naturetech colours, no exceptions.

Builders

For builders, we’ve made our siding 1/2″ thick, 30% thicker than what’s currently out there. What does this mean? Let’s just say independent testing shows our products score higher than competing brands in wind resistance and durability. As a builder you know you’re offering the best in class material when using Naturetech, giving you that peace of mind you’ve been looking for. Naturetech products also contribute to LEED points and have FSC Certification (Forest Stewardship Council) for Green Builders to add yet another viable green building material to their projects.

Installers

Putting up siding has never been so easy. We’ve come up with a new interlock system that has truly changed the game. We call it Tru-Align. The Tru-Align system ensures each panel perfectly aligns with the next and locks the panels together while still allowing for horizontal movement. We’ve also got a fantastic hidden nail-hem system to make sure they don’t show through, eliminating the need to colour-coordinate them with the siding.

Homeowners

For the homeowners out there we believe we truly have a better option for your home’s exterior than what has been offered in the past. We’ve got a durable product that’s thicker than competing brands. We’ve got 8 styles and 16 colours. We’ve got deeper woodgrains. And we’ve got the most environmentally friendly product on the market backed by leading green organizations. Naturetech Engineered Wood panels are made to prevent rotting, cracking and splitting, allowing you to enjoy the look of your home without worrying about the maintenance.

So there you have it. Naturetech Engineered Wood Siding and Accessories. Questions? Comments? Sound off in the comments below.