Vinyl siding is one of the most durable exterior finishing options for your home. Yet, many homeowners are looking for a more modern finish to add curb appeal to their homes.

You can have the best of both worlds. Vinyl siding comes in many more textures and profiles than the classic clapboard, traditional lap, smooth or Dutch lap styles that likely come to mind when you think about vinyl siding.

Give your home the classic farmhouse look with vertical vinyl siding. Or imitate wood with shingle, shake or log styles. These are all looks you can accomplish while taking advantage of the low-maintenance benefits vinyl offers.

Here are the modern vinyl siding styles that will make your home the envy of your neighbors.

Wood Grain

From the road, wood grain vinyl siding will look just like wood. You can install it vertical or horizontal. But you won’t have the laborious maintenance of wood or the rotting risk.

Beaded Seam

Each siding plank has a rounded notch at the bottom of beaded seam vinyl siding. This adds intrigue to your home’s exterior by adding a shadow line. Before modern manufacturing techniques, this siding style was generally only on upscale homes because it cost so much to make. Today, it’s an affordable siding option.

Board and Batten

Accomplish a barn house look using this wide plank siding. Install board and batten siding horizontally or vertically. Homes with this siding tend to have a lot of character but also a very comforting feel to them.

Cedar Shake

Before designers created lookalike vinyl options, cedar shake siding was laborious to create. It involved chopping cedar logs lengthwise to create wedge-shaped sections. Then, skilled craftsmen would attach them one by one to a home. 

Homeowners went through this lengthy process because the wood had lots of texture and a unique look. But within just a few years, the shakes would dry out and lose their color, requiring staining every few years. Vinyl siding cedar shingles look much like the original design, but without the upkeep and lengthy installation process.

Straight Edge or Hand-split Shakes

Straight-edge shakes provide a look that is very clean because all edges are straight. While the shakes themselves have tons of texture and different sizes, the shadow lines and edges are all perfectly straight and even.

In contrast to traditional straight edge shakes, staggered-edge shakes are uneven and look a bit more natural. The manufacturer designs this siding style to look more like hand-split shingles. You’ll have more complex shadow lines but still a simple installation process because vinyl siding shakes come in panels.

Half-round Shingles

Imagine a fish scale and you can probably guess what half-round shingles look like. This siding style offers an almost historic look. You’ll often see half-round shingles with a low-gloss finish to provide authenticity to the vinyl siding style. 

Log

Accomplish a log home look without the complicated building process or maintenance of one. Choose your wood grain and enjoy the peace of mind knowing that the color and vibrancy will last for many years, unlike wood, which fades over time. Plus, you won’t have to worry about insects destroying your home.

Finding Modern Vinyl Siding Styles

Not all manufacturers provide all modern vinyl siding styles. You might have to shop around a little bit to find exactly what you’re looking for. But ultimately, you’ll have a low-maintenance home exterior that’s charming, inviting and long-lasting.