3 Siding Replacement Options Almost Nobody Knows About
- Staff
- Jul 14
- 7 min read
Most homeowners think getting new siding comes down to choosing a color. Maybe a profile too, if they're feeling adventurous.
But after replacing siding for more than 20 years, I've learned there are several options that most homeowners never even hear about—not because they're bad ideas, but because they're more specialized, more expensive, or simply not stocked by most suppliers.
Here are three siding replacement options that almost nobody knows about, but are absolutely worth considering.
CertainTeed Monogram XL Siding
Standard vinyl siding comes in 12'6" lengths. That length, the lengths of the sides of your house between openings and corners, and seam-staggering requirements determine how many siding seams your house will have. It likely goes without saying that the less seams your siding has, the better. But almost no one knows about CertainTeed Monogram XL. It comes in 16'6" lengths. This 4-foot difference can make a drastic affect on how many seams a given house of siding will have.
Some areas that had seams or would have had seams with standard-length siding replacement now have no seams at all. It is absolutely something to think about when you are getting your siding replaced. While siding color, profile and thickness are important as well, the length of the panel matters more than people understand. That's mainly because people don't know longer lengths exist.
One of the main reasons people don't know about CertainTeed Monogram XL siding is are because it's only available in certain colors. So, that's on CertainTeed. Beyond that, it's also more expensive, as you likely could have guessed, and it's generally not stocked anywhere, meaning it must be special-ordered. That means longer wait times. It also means if the order gets shorted, the contractor (and therefore the customer) will need to wait for more material in the middle of the job.
There's also the fact that getting 16'6" pieces of siding may help limit or eliminate seams in some places, but make no difference in others, yet the customer would presumably be paying for the longer lengths everywhere. And what contractor is capable of figuring out the optimal amount of XL pieces on a given house, breaking down the correct pricing, and ordering the job correctly?
Well, we are! If you live within our service area, we're happy to help you figure out the best siding options for you and your home. CertainTeed XL might come into play. We've ordered and installed partial Monogram XL jobs before. We can limit or remove seams without you paying for XL siding everywhere.
Low-E Insulation
Story time. When I was competing against another hail damage contractor in a neighborhood back in 2015 or so, I decided to offer a free exterior insulation upgrade (with Low-E insulation), included in all my customers' insurance siding replacement jobs. It was indeed an added expenditure on my part, but I thought that it was worth it, if it meant that I got that many more jobs.
In the end, it turned out well. I definitely got the lion's share of jobs in that area, and I noticed that at least a couple of the other guy's jobs involved installing the same Low-E insulation, so I knew that my marketing was affecting his jobs as well.
The thing is, I truly believed in the Low-E product. I still do. That's because it offers a 4.1 R-value, as compared to the 1.0 - 1.5 R-value range you get from the standard fan-fold type of exterior insulation. Plus, it comes on a roll. That's how thin it is. So, it doesn't cause the same issues that all the other exterior insulation products can cause in terms of pushing the siding out more than what looks normal.
I do think that offering this upgrade helped me get some jobs I may have not gotten otherwise, but my overall feeling of the situation was that most of the homeowners I dealt with truly did not appreciate what they were getting. I explained to the best of my ability what a tremendous upgrade it was that I was offering, but either they looked bored, or relatively unimpressed.
To be fair, when you know you are already getting something for free, it's not as exciting hearing about it for the second time. But I think the main thing was that, since all these jobs were insurance-related, when presented with the information about the Low-E insulation, the customers could only focus so much of their mental energy on it. They were still wondering if their insurance company would approve them, they were learning about how the whole insurance process works, how I was going to assist with that process, what they needed to do, etc.
Plus, when it comes to getting new siding, it's only normal to think more about your new siding color versus what goes underneath it. That's boring construction talk. A new color is real right away. "Better home efficiency" is a vague promise only potentially realized at points in the future.
Don't get me wrong. Plenty of customers were very excited about being able to save money on their energy bills by getting Low-E insulation, and to have this included within their insurance replacement project, but I learned that I generally couldn't expect people to really get it. Let's be honest: the laws of thermodynamics are no match for the excitement of getting a new siding color.
Long story short, I eventually stopped pushing the Low-E insulation for my insurance jobs. Aside from using it as a strategic competitive advantage in certain situations, it's too costly to give away for free. Beyond that, most suppliers do not stock it, and many have no clue what you are talking about if you ask them about it.
However, I still can't help but bring it up as an option for customers to whom I am giving a siding quote (for a non-insurance job). Of course, I always want the customer to understand all of their options. But again, based on my experience, most people are unwilling to part ways with that extra money upfront for potential savings later.
Personally, knowing what I know, I would absolutely get Low-E insulation installed on my home if I were getting my siding replaced. Maybe people's positions on this have changed with recent energy pricing hikes. Regardless, Low-E insulation is a great product, and almost no one has ever heard of it. It is worth it? For $2k - $3k more on the average siding replacement job, if your energy bills are anything like mine, yo might say yes!
Black Trim Capping and Black Gutters
Ok, maybe you knew these existed, but you've likely never seriously considered them. I was the same way. Most people are brainwashed that gutters nd trim should be white. Some people don't even know that other gutter colors exist without painting them. I used to generally believe that gutters should be white or match the component (typically trim or siding) upon which they rest. If a customer wanted to get fancy, they'd get white gutters to match their white-trimmed gutter boards, then a different color for their spouts to match their siding color. Some colors are easier to match than others.
I actually walked by a house the other day that had black gutters and downspouts, a dark blue siding color, but white trim. It looked good. Black and white really do seem to go with everything, including each other. But I do think it would look better, if not more striking, if the trim was black as well.
Most people opt for traditional colors. They don't have the vision or nerve to standout. But part of the issue is simply a lack of awareness of all the different color possibilities. Contractors don't want to confuse customers. They also don't want to come off as trying to upsell everything. Darker colors are almost always more expensive. Going dark in one part of a home's exterior can also mean going dark in other parts as well, in order for things to match. Whereas if you stick with white, you don't necessarily need to replace as so much else.
If colors are your thing, and you're not afraid to go dark, be sure to ask your contractor to see all of the trim and gutter color options.
Final Thoughts
The biggest takeaway is this: Most homeowners think siding replacement is all about choosing a color. It isn't. There are energy-efficiency upgrades that almost nobody talks about. There are longer siding panels that can dramatically reduce the number of visible seams on a house. There are trim and gutter color combinations that can completely change a home's appearance.
Will every one of these options make sense for every homeowner? No. Some people won't care enough about fewer siding seams to pay for XL siding. Others won't think the energy savings from Low-E insulation justify the upfront cost. And plenty of people will still prefer traditional white trim and gutters.
That's perfectly fine. The important thing is that you know these options exist before making your decision—not after your siding has already been installed.
If you're investing in new siding, you deserve to know all of your options. Then you can decide which ones are worth it for your home, your budget, and your priorities.
If you live within our service area and want to make sure you are aware of all of your siding replacement options, call us today to schedule your free siding replacement consulation. Call (877) 846-9566 or schedule online.
