Metal Siding For Houses: Best Panels And Design Ideas

Siding is one of the key design elements of a home’s exterior. When it comes to new siding options, there are plenty of different types of materials to choose from, from vinyl siding to fiber cement. If you're looking for a siding that is durable, attractive, low maintenance, and will last for over 40 years, you will want to heavily consider using metal siding.

At Western States Metal Roofing, we manufacture metal roofing and siding panels that are used on residential properties as well as commercial. We work directly with homeowners, contractors and architects and see the trends of which type of steel siding panels are being used most often on houses.

PBR siding in Copper Penny

In this article, we go over the best metal panels and colors for your exterior siding.

What’s The Best Metal Siding For Houses?

• ⅞” Corrugated
• R-Panel
• 7.2 Panel
• Flush Wall Panel
• Wave Panel

The appearance, performance and installation of metal siding comes down to the panel’s profile, or the shape of the metal panel. We compare each of the panel’s in the chart below.

Metal Siding Panel Cost

Metal siding panels range anywhere from $2.50- $5.00 per sq ft. The price of the panel not only depends on the panel profile you choose, but also the gauge and paint system.

Metal Siding Panel Fastening System

Metal panels come in either an exposed fastener system or a concealed fastener system. The fastening system affects how the installation is done, the cost of installation, and also the durability of the panel. Concealed fastener systems are more weathertight as they do not have screw penetrations on their surface where water can seep through.

To learn all about the differences between the fastening systems, we recommend watching the video below:

Standing Seam Metal Roof Vs Corrugated Metal Roofing [Cost + Pros & Cons + Installation]

DIY Friendly Metal Siding

Panels with an exposed fastener system have a less complex installation compared to concealed fastening systems. Having an easier installation makes corrugated metal panels (⅞” corrugated, 7.2 Panel, R Panel) more do-it-yourself friendly. If you are installing your own siding, check out our installation videos.

Metal Siding Paint Systems

Metal panels come in either SMP or PVDF paint systems. While PVDF has greater fade resistance and a larger variety of colors in PVDF, it is up to 30% more expensive than SMP paint.

Metal Siding Appearance

One of the benefits of metal siding is the variety in design amongst the panels. Each profile has a unique look that will enhance any home’s exterior.

Vertical Siding vs. Horizontal Siding For Houses

Metal siding can be installed vertically or horizontally. Horizontal installations are generally preferred because they have an aesthetic that is generally preferred over vertical. However, vertical installations are preferred by homeowners that want easier maintenance as they are more simple to clean compared to horizontal. 

For more about the pros and cons of each installation method, we recommend reading:

Vertical vs. Horizontal Metal Siding: Which Is Better?

Metal Accent Siding For Houses

There’s no rule that says you can only use one type of siding on your home. An interesting architectural trend is to incorporate an accent siding, or using a siding material on only key parts of your home instead of the entire structure, along with a different type of siding material. 

7.2 Panel in Polar White

If there is concern that the appearance of metal is too bold or drastic for your entire house, you can just use metal as an accent to create curb appeal without the look being too overwhelming. Using accent siding can also bring pops of color or focus to certain architectural elements such as roof peaks.

Metal Siding Colors For Houses

Once you choose your panel profile, the next big decision is what metal siding color you are going to choose. Siding color is an important decision as it sets the whole color scheme of your property. For this reason, most metal siding is installed in neutral tones that go with everything such as gray, black, or beige. However, metal siding comes in over 100 standard and specialty colors so you have plenty of options to choose from.

Metal roofing siding choices include:

• Matte Colors
• Standard Colors (SMP paint system)
• Standard Colors (PVDF paint system)
• Designer Colors (PVDF paint system) 
• Vari-Cool Color Changing Paint System

For residential siding, we recommend taking the following factors into consideration when choosing your metal siding color:

• The Geographical Location Of Your Home
• Surrounding Features On Your Property
• The Overall Aesthetic Of Your Home
• Neighborhood Trends
• HOA Restrictions (if applicable)

We go over all of this and more in our "How To Choose A Metal Siding Color" guide. Click below to download your free copy.

Use A Color Visualizer To Pick Out Your Metal Siding

If you like the way a metal siding looks but aren’t sure how it would look on your house, there's now a way to try it out before installing your siding. 

A roof and siding  color visualizer is a free software program that Western States Metal Roofing offers where you can upload a photo of your home and digitally try out different metal panels and colors on your home to get the best idea of how each siding panel profile and color will look.

What’s The Best Residential Siding For You?

Metal is a unique siding material that has an enormous amount of benefits compared to its competitors. Unlike wood siding, metal is low maintenance. Unlike stone veneer siding, metal is lightweight. Unlike vinyl siding, metal is durable and long lasting. Compared to brick siding or fiber cement siding, metal has a much easier installation. The list goes on and on. However, metal siding also has its own drawbacks. 

When deciding if metal siding is right for your home, we encourage you to look into the pros and cons of metal siding as well as our siding comparison chart.

If you have already decided on metal siding, you have to choose the right panel. All of the metal siding panels provide lasting value for homeowners. However, each panel provides value in a different way. The best metal siding panel for your project depending on what is most important to you for your siding.

For the most affordable siding, we recommend choosing:

• 7/8” Corrugated
• R Panel
• 7.2 Panel

For the most DIY friendly installation, we recommend choosing:

• 7/8” Corrugated
• R Panel
• 7.2 Panel

For the most contemporary looking siding, we recommend choosing:

• Flush Wall Panel
• Western Wave

If you already know the panel you want, then it’s time to decide on color. Western States Metal Roofing is proud to offer over one hundred color options including custom colors that you won’t find anywhere else. Look at our color charts and then request a free sample of your favorite colors today.