Vinyl Siding Trim – Use Different Colors

Vinyl Siding Trim - The Devil is in the Detail

Wide variety of trim types and styles
Door surrounds are remarkable
Lots of attic ventilation louvers
Spend hours looking at online house photos

QUESTION #1: The house I grew up in had vinyl siding and the trim around the windows was some thin distasteful vinyl that had an end profile like the letter J. I thought it looked abominable. How can you make the vinyl siding look more like a traditional home that has wider trim pieces? What else can be done to make the vinyl siding look more attractive? Beverly T., Ft. Wayne, IN

Can I Mix Colors of Siding and Trim?

Yes, you can and should use different colors of vinyl siding and trim. The look can be stunning, even if it's just white trim with a different color siding.

Holy tomato! It’s impossible to list all the vinyl siding accessories and options you have available to you. For starters, don’t think that you have to use just one color and one siding style on your home. Quite a few homes I see are incorporating white trim with two complementary colors and siding profiles.

How Can I Get Inspired and Select the Right Colors?

If you want real inspiration, go online and look at photos of the paint schemes of some of the grand Victorian Ladies. Some houses incorporate three, or more, colors. I had horizontal lap siding at the last Queen Anne Victorian home I built for my family, but up in the gables I used traditional cedar shakes as was found on many homes built in the late 1800s.

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Can You Mix Different Textures of Siding?

You can achieve this same look with vinyl siding and the vinyl shakes can be a different color! But it gets even better. J-channel is still available, but the better choice would be a flat trim board that surrounds windows and doors. These flat boards come with a rabbited edge that creates a hidden recess for the siding to slide behind. It works the same way the older J-channel works but it’s so much better looking.

Is Flat Window and Door Trim Available in Different Widths?

The flat trim boards come in various widths. The wider boards work better at the outside corners of the house as it’s important to maintain scale when trimming out a house. The narrow trim boards used around windows and doors would look like pinstripes at the corners.

Are Vinyl or Urethane Door Surrounds a Good Idea?

Don’t forget to look at the striking door surrounds that will really make your doors the focal point of the front and rear of your home. Some are simply breath-taking. You can now get gorgeous mounting blocks for exterior lights and electrical outlets that also have built-in channels on the edges. These really dress up the look of a vinyl-sided home.

Do Attic Vents Come in Different Colors?

Attic ventilation comes into play here too. Older homes always had square, rectangular, or triangular louver attic vents in the gable end. Those same vents are all available for vinyl siding and once again, don’t be afraid to make them a complementary color. Color experts might agree that these should match the trim color around windows and doors. Study the vinyl siding brochures and you’ll see what I mean about using a different color.

Here's a forest green attic vent. You can get all sorts of shapes and colors. CLICK or TAP HERE to see for yourself.

Where Can I get Vinyl Siding Color Ideas?

I would spend lots of time looking at the photo galleries at all the vinyl siding manufacturers’ websites. When you see a particular photo that puts your head on a swivel, study it and take notes as to exactly what you like about the photo. There’s no need to hope your new siding will look great. You can guarantee it by just finding a look you know looks superb.

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