Siding and Exterior Trim: Adding Character and Style to Your Home

Whether you have an existing home or are getting ready to move into a new home, one of the most important considerations to have is how you want the outside of your home to look. Finding the perfect siding is more than a consideration about color: you want to make sure your selection will hold up to the elements, look great, and will last for years to come. Siding can also add a certain level of character, whether you want a more traditional look or are interested in other options. Similarly, exterior trim enhances the fine details of your home, offering a finished look to a painted exterior. Read more about the options that Cardinal Home Center carries to add character and style to your home with siding and exterior trim.

Siding

James Hardie

Our Madison store has James Hardie Siding in stock, one of the most well-known names in the industry. They offer various options, including the more traditional-looking lap horizontal siding, Hardieshingle siding with the look of cedar shingle, vertical siding options, and more. Our store carries the primed products, some of which have a baked-on ColorPlus® Technology, designed to resist fading, chipping, and cracking.

Allura

Crozet stocks Allura siding, known for its fiber-cement siding. Their product comes with one of the best warranties within their industry, as well as making a reliable product that will last. They offer a variety of styles and materials, from siding that looks more like a woodgrain to more solid colors. Allura comes in lap horizontal siding, panels, and Allura Shake, and their material is easy to install.

Mastic

For homeowners looking for a low-maintenance option, Mastic from Ply Gem is a popular choice among homeowners, builders, and remodelers due to its resistance and environmentally friendly features. Their lap horizontal siding is their most popular option, which provides durable, low-maintenance options with many colors and finishes. They also offer vertical, and shake & shingle options and siding made from vinyl, aluminum, and steel.

Cedar

Cedar siding is stocked in Madison and Crozet and is produced by resawing lumber at an angle to produce two pieces thicker on one edge than the other. This manufacturing process results in pieces with one face saw textured, while the other is smooth or saw textured, depending on the grade and customer preference. Bevel siding is graded for the rough sawn side to be exposed, installed horizontally, and gives an attractive shadow line that varies with the thickness of the siding selected. Cedar siding provides a natural look, can be painted or stained, and will naturally weather over time.

Exterior Trim

TruExterior

TruExterior trim is sold at our Madison and Crozet locations and provides a poly-ash material that is a better-quality product than wood, PVC, fiber cement, and other options. This product is very workable, allowing you to easily cut and shape it into the piece you need for your home. It installs with standard woodworking tools, although carbide-tipped blades and bits are recommended for longer tool life. TruExterior resists damage from freezing rain, snow, and freeze-thaw conditions and is ideal for ground contact or contact with masonry. Additionally, due to its poly-ash material that offers no food source to carpenter ants, termites, wood-boring bees, and more, you will not have to worry about rot, buts, and decay. Because this product is pre-primed, it can be painted with any color, and it will stay on the trim longer than regular wood. TruExterior comes with a 20-year limited warranty.

MiraTEC

MiraTEC treated exterior composite trim, sold in our Crozet store, provides an authentic woodgrain appearance with the long-lasting performance of an engineered product. Their trim resists moisture, rot, and termites, and will not warp, splint, or check, unlike wood. There are also no finger joints or lamination, meaning it is one solid piece built for durability. Their product comes with a 50-year warranty and is available in a variety of dimensions. It is recommended to paint or prime this product well to ensure it lasts long.

WindsorOne

WindsorOne trim boards, sold in our Madison store, are reversible trim boards with a smooth surface on all four sides and edges. Protected S4SSE trim boards are treated with the Tru-Core process before priming. This Tru-Core preservative penetrates the entire board with five decay & termite actives (including Formosan). Water-based and safe for interior use, WindsorOne Protected excels when used on exterior surfaces. Protected Trim Boards are smooth-surfaced on four sides and carry a 30-year manufacturer warranty against rot, insects, and termites.

PVC Trim Boards

One other option available at both stores is regular PVC trim boards manufactured not to absorb moisture. They will not swell, rot, split, cup, or delaminate under harsh weather conditions and install just like wood. They tend to be lightweight and provides a clean finish that does not need to be painted if desired. One downside of PVC trim is that it can expand and contract over time.

Selecting the Right Brand

When filtering through the different options available for you, there are a few considerations to keep in mind before ordering. What type of style do you want your home to have? Are you looking for a more traditional horizontal siding, or do you want something that stands out? How long will you live in your house – is the durability of the exterior trim more important? How big of a surface area do you need to cover? Our sales team can also help walk you through similar questions to help you find the right brand.

Ready to get started? Stop by our Madison or Crozet stores to see samples of options available or talk to our sales staff about what we can special order for you!