3 Siding options for your tiny house exterior

by Susan Hu 08/27/2023

When planning the design for a tiny house exterior, you’ll need to select the type of siding material to use. The choice can depend on numerous factors, including the architectural style, size and location of the home. However, knowing the basic options will help you make the best choice for your situation.

To help you make an informed decision, here is a short guide to the three most common building materials for tiny home exteriors:

Real wood siding

Siding made from real wood is a popular choice for tiny houses across the globe. Generally made from cedar or pine, wood siding comes with many benefits including affordability, durability and availability. It’s excellent for DIY enthusiasts, since it’s simple to transport and is relatively lightweight to work with.

However, like with wood decking and other exterior applications, real wood does have some downsides. Cedar and pine are both naturally resistant to pest damage, but can warp with temperature fluctuations and moisture.

Metal siding

Metal siding is made from either aluminum or corrugated steel, and has some similar advantages to real wood. Metal is similarly durable and widely available brand-new from retailers or through recycling resources.

Both aluminum and steel are resistant to rot, rust and warping. If installed correctly, metal siding can also increase the energy efficiency of your tiny home by a significant margin.

Some notable disadvantages of metal siding are the chance of dents and scratches. While resistant to most climate conditions, it can easily sustain cosmetic surface damage.

Vinyl siding

Vinyl siding is another affordable and lightweight option for tiny house exteriors. Modern vinyl options can mimic the appearance and texture of natural stone or wood, and are also easy to customize to your aesthetic preferences.

However, vinyl siding varies dramatically both in price and quality from one manufacturer to the next. If you're considering vinyl siding for your home, research your options carefully to get the best deal and the best product.

Modern tiny living comes with many excellent perks. Whether you’re searching for tiny home builders for a custom-built design or wish to take the DIY approach to your tiny house, keep these material options in mind. With the right siding, you can have the cost and energy-efficient living space of your dreams.

About the Author
Author

Susan Hu

Susan Shuxian Hu has been a dedicated realtor serving in Silicon Valley since 2010. With great passion, outstanding negotiation skills and due diligence, she has helped many buyers and sellers in their real estate needs. Living in West San Jose for more than 14 years, she has broad knowledge in Cupertino, West San Jose, Los Altos and Saratoga. She has enormous patience working with buyers and never tired of showing all possible properties that may fit client’s needs. Clients appreciate her best service to their satisfaction. She specialized in luxurious real estate purchase in Los Altos, Cupertino, Saratoga and Palo Alto. She also helped friend and past client’s referral working in San Francisco, Foster City and far reached Bay Area.

Susan Shuxian Hu was graduated in East China Normal University in Shanghai with bachelor and master degrees in Bio science. She came to US in 1989 and earned her Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics in Texas A&M University in 1996. After one year of postdoc in Southern Florida University in Tampa, she moved back to Orlando with her family and started working in Lucent Technologies. In 2002, Susan moved to California, Silicon Valley joined a start-up company. Since then she worked in high tech Corporation till 2009. Driven by her dream job pursuing, she found her passion working in sales by helping people in real estate after one year of education in De Anza business and real estate law study. Since then, she has been serving many people in Bay Area for their real estate needs.

With bilingual advantage, she has been actively working with Chinese immigrants as well as local engineers and residents. With rich high tech background and connection with Chinese community, Susan has served in luxurious real estate in last a couple of years.