• Look at the color and material the siding is made of to gauge how much maintenance it requires.house siding 3 image by Psycience from Fotolia.com
  
  Outdoor siding colors not only affect the appearance of a home but also impact the siding's durability and maintenance requirements. Look at how color is applied to the siding before picking a brand to gauge how much maintenance it requires. For instance, painted siding will require repainting as the color peels off and fades to help protect the underlying material from weather damage.
  
  

Vinyl Siding

• Vinyl siding is available in many colors, but darker colors in deep greens and reds may not prove as durable as classic lighter colors in shades of beige and yellow. The sun's heat is absorbed by dark-colored vinyl, which causes the siding to expand. That expansion can create buckled and warped areas in vinyl siding, especially if there were flaws in the installation process. The color you choose will also impact the way your house looks in terms of its size. To the eye, dark-colored vinyl siding makes a house appear smaller, and light-colored vinyl makes it look bigger.
  
  

Engineered Wood Siding

• Engineered wood siding offers low maintenance and the look of real wood siding. Engineered wood is a compressed material made of wood strands and resin that are treated to prevent rot and insect damage. This siding is available in limited colors, including beige and light gray. However, companies such as LP Smart Side offer engineered wood siding that is coated in a primer, making it ready to paint in the color of your choice.
  
  

Stone Siding

• Stone siding is another option although it's pricier than vinyl and engineered wood siding. Nonetheless, the natural color variations in stone offer many ways to enhance a home's exterior. For instance, New England fieldstone siding has color variations from gray to brown in each stone, which creates a multicolored surface that's not overwhelming. Another advantage is that the color of stone doesn't fade.
  
  

Testing Colors

• Test the siding colors you're looking at before choosing any for your home because a color's appearance changes throughout the day. For example, a color may look washed out and less dramatic in bright sunlight. Ask a manufacturer or home improvement store for siding samples known as color chips in the colors you like. Place the samples outside, and look at them throughout the day. Take note of how they look in the sun, the shade and at night.