The color choices for house siding can vary depending on the material you use to side your home. If you choose vinyl or aluminum siding, you will be able to choose from the manufacturer's color palette, and the siding material will be delivered in that color. However, when it comes to fiber cement siding, stucco, and in some cases, even wood, you can select a factory finished product or paint it to suit.

<h2>Material selection and house siding colors</h2>

There are pros and cons to painting different siding options:

1. Vinyl Siding used to only be available in lighter shades. Luckily, this has changed and vinyl siding colors come in a variety of both light and dark colors.
   


2. Fiber cement has a wide variety of pre-finished colors available. However, if your chosen color is not among them you can purchase unpainted fiber cement siding panels and paint them. While the finish on a factory primed and top coated panel may last 25 years, an unfinished one must be repainted more frequently. If you paint, use an alkaline-resistant primer and acrylic topcoat.


3. Stucco traditionally was applied in layers on-site. Today you can purchase stucco board siding. While stucco board siding may be warranted for up to 50 years, factory-finished stucco board siding will still need repainting in 10 to 15 years. It can also be ordered unpainted if you want a color not available from the manufacturer.


4. Wood is not normally considered a factory-painted product, but there are manufacturers who provide pre-painted wood siding. While moisture-resistant woods such as cedar and redwood are better stained, less expensive woods readily absorb factory coatings. Depending on the finish treatment, pre-painted wood siding finishes have up to 30 year warranties.

<h2>Factors that can influence your house colors:
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You should consider these factors when choosing a siding color for your home:

1. Colors look different in different lights: Make sure to grab color samples and see how they appear outdoors, and appear next to the color of your roof.


2. Proximity effect of light and dark colors: Lighter colors aid in the illusion that your home is closer to the front of your property, and can make your house look larger. Meanwhile, darker colors create an illusion that your home is farther back on your property, and can often make your home look smaller.


3. Trim as an accent: Choose trim colors in places like entrances and porches that will compliment the color of your siding.


4. The power of simplicity: Make sure you do not use more than a couple different colors on your home so as not to create a busy looking house with too many colors.

Bottom line: if there is a factory-finish color you like, buy it. You will likely save yourself from the painstaking task and expenses of repainting your house in the future.