If you’re lucky enough to live in a historic house in Indianapolis, you probably love the beautiful, classic charm of your home.
However, if you recently noticed your siding is due for replacement, you might be wondering which option is best to maintain the aesthetic of your Colonial style home.
HardiePlank lap siding is the perfect option to mimic the warm, comforting look of your Colonial home with multiple styles and hundreds of gorgeous colors to choose from. Plus, it’s easy to care for and offers long-lasting durability for years to come.
But first, what is a Colonial home—and what makes HardiePlank siding such a perfect fit for this popular historic style?
Common Features of Colonial Style Homes
The American Colonial style home dates back to the 1700s during colonial rule in America.
Although there were multiple Colonial architecture styles in America, including Spanish, Dutch, French, and German Colonial homes, British Colonial homes were the most popular style. One common variation of the British Colonial style was the Georgian style house—influenced by the Italian Renaissance.
All Colonial homes have relatively similar features. You can recognize a Colonial style home in Indiana by the following attributes:
Symmetrical
Perhaps the most distinctive feature of Colonial homes is that they are perfectly symmetrical. Most Colonial homes are rectangular or square-shaped with a centrally-located front door and evenly spaced windows on the first and second stories of the home.
Colonial homes also have a symmetrical interior—the center of the house is almost always divided by a staircase. You’ll also find a central fireplace or two fireplaces on each end of the home.
Materials
Traditionally, the colonists built their homes with wood, stone, or brick. However, many modern Colonial homes feature lap siding or shingle siding for added durability.
Moulding
Colonial homes feature a few decorative elements, like crown moulding over the windows, dentil moulding along the rooflines, and decorative window sills.
Dormers
Often, Colonial homes include two types of dormers—pedimented dormers and gable dormers. Gable dormers are built into the area between the gutters and the roof peak, whereas pedimented dormers are supported from the ground by posts or pillars.
Columns or Chimneys
Many Colonial homes feature columns on either side of their front door. They also include a chimney directly above the front door or two on either side of the house. This placement depends on the location of the fireplaces inside.
What’s the Best Siding Choice for My Colonial Home?
Traditionally, many Colonial style homes are made from wood. Although wood is an attractive siding option, it also poses other threats—it’s highly flammable, prone to moisture and rot, and appealing to pests.
Instead, consider HardiePlank lap siding by James Hardie for a beautiful, durable option for your Indianapolis Colonial style home. Here are six benefits that HardiePlank offers to enhance your Colonial home.
6 Benefits of HardiePlank Lap Siding for Colonial Style Homes
1. Moisture Resistance
HardiePlank fiber cement siding is made from a combination of water, sand, and cellulose fibers. Unlike wood siding, which tends to swell, crack, or rot when exposed to water, HardiePlank siding is strong and durable and can stand up to the effects of snow, rain, sleet, and hail.
2. Durable and Low Maintenance
Wood siding will expand and peel over time when it’s exposed to harsh weather conditions.
HardiePlank siding will look great for years, and it’s low maintenance, so you won’t have to worry about expensive upkeep year after year.
3. Attractive Styles
HardiePlank lap siding is the most popular siding brand in North America—largely because of how great it looks on Colonial style homes.
HardiePlank comes in two styles—Select Cedarmill and Smooth. Select Cedarmill looks great on Colonial homes because it mimics wood with a soft cedar look. Smooth is a great choice to transform your Colonial house with a clean, modern look.
HardiePlank lap siding also offers two options in the Dream Collection, with two perfect choices for Colonial homes—Colonial Roughsawn and Colonial Smooth. They imitate traditional wood lap siding in historic communities, like many neighborhoods in Indiana, to offer a perfect match for your Colonial home.
4. Color Selection
You’ll be impressed by the hundreds of colors you have to choose from with HardiePlank siding. Whether you’re looking for greys and neutrals, earth tones, or pastels, there’s no doubt you’ll be able to mix and match to create your dream color palette for your beautiful historic home.
Plus, you can invest in ColorPlus Technology, so your bright, beautiful HardiePlank siding will last for longer than a regular paint job. ColorPlus Technology is baked-on color that resists fading, peeling, or chipping. It comes with a 15-year warranty, so you can be confident your gorgeous color will last for years to come.
5. Fire Protection
Wood siding is highly flammable, which puts the future of your home at risk.
Thankfully, HardiePlank siding is a non-combustible, fire-resistant option that offers the same gorgeous wood appearance for your Colonial home without jeopardizing your family’s safety.
6. Pest Resistance
Woodpeckers, termites, insects, and other pests are attracted to wood siding, and they create holes that make your Colonial home susceptible to further damage.
HardiePlank siding is pest-resistant—critters are unable to cause damage to fiber cement siding, and they aren’t even attracted to the material in the first place!
Learn more about James Hardie siding with our “James Hardie Siding Guide”
Transform Your Colonial Style Home with the Most Dependable Siding Contractor in Indianapolis
As you consider upgrading your Colonial home with HardiePlank lap siding, it’s equally as important to consider your options for installation.
As a James Hardie Elite Preferred Contractor, we pride ourselves in maintaining the high standards set by the James Hardie brand for customer service, installation, and reliability. You can trust your siding installation will be done right the first time and last for years to come. Visit our James Hardie page to learn how we can update your historic home with beautiful, enduring HardiePlank siding.
