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The top corner of a building with dark gray concrete style fiber cement siding surrounding a large window.
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The Best Exterior Siding Options for Metal Buildings

There are many steel building exterior options for today’s home builders and designers to consider. While rudimentary designs and restrictive trends have limited metal building exteriors in the past, there are plenty of fresh creative approaches that show the variety of possibilities with modern materials today.

Before settling on a standard choice, it’s a good idea to get familiar with some of the impressive design options for metal building exteriors.

Sizing Up Metal Building Exterior Siding Options

Not all steel building exterior options rely on metal alone to achieve an attractive appearance. In fact, there are many challenges that can pop up when metal is used as the outermost layer. In addition to a general lack of familiarity with metal building exterior options — most homeowners haven’t worked with steel siding before — many metal building exteriors require professional expertise in order to be installed correctly.

Modern materials like fiber cement are the preferred choice when it comes to crafting a metal building exterior option that provides long-lasting strength and beauty, and the design options are hardly limited. Fiber cement comes in all sorts of colors, styles and design types — including exterior options that look like natural wood, stucco, steel, concrete and more.

There are many advantages to using fiber cement for modern building exteriors. Let’s discuss some of the most popular selections that offer a premium combination of beauty and performance:

Latura V-Groove

A street-view of a multi-family building with white and dark gray fiber cement siding.

With prominent grooves that create noticeable shadow lines, Latura V-Groove is an easy pick for residential properties, but it can be used in creative ways for commercial buildings, too. Because it is available in a wide variety of fresh colors — including stylish neutrals and modern tones — the design options are endless.

Compared to other metal building exterior options, this siding style offers the advantage of a built-in rainscreen system that enhances moisture control and prevents deterioration, too. This is a huge benefit for property owners, as it can save time and money that might otherwise have been needed for repairs and maintenance.

Architectural Block

A two-story home with varying siding materials. The bottom right features Nichiha Architectural Block fiber cement siding in Mocha.

Tuscan, mocha, gray — whatever stylish neutral you prefer, Architectural Block can bring a sophisticated look to any building. With a classic style, architectural block siding looks great alongside a variety of materials, including glass, wood and stainless steel building exterior options, making it a versatile choice.

Pre-Finished Shake

A street view of Henderson Beach Inn with gray shake siding and white trim. The perimeter is landscaped with palm trees.

Though shake was traditionally crafted from cedar, modern materials like Pre-finished Sierra Premium Shake make it possible to choose this charming style without worrying about the age-old problems of wood like rotting, chipping and color fading. Fiber cement provides better durability, strength and overall protection from the elements — all while maintaining the familiar rustic feel of traditional shake.

Modern Corbosa

The top corner of a building with dark gray concrete style fiber cement siding surrounding a large window.

Designed to imitate the industrial look of wet concrete, this innovative siding option features a fantastic style that can take modern designs to the next level. Neutral tones bring an easy elegance that makes modern Corbosa a popular pick.

The advantage of installing fiber cement Corbosa is that it features an engineered design that eliminates the need for traditional masonry techniques, which means no mess, no extra labor expenses and no surprise delays — issues that can often occur with traditional techniques used for concrete and steel building exterior options.

Vintage Wood-Style Exterior

An office building with cedar fiber cement siding. The perimeter is landscaped with beautiful palm trees and other plants along the sidewalk.

Cedar, ash, redwood, spruce — imagine having all of these unique options without the worries associated with wood siding. Engineered for long-lasting, superior performance, the Vintagewood series harnesses the beauty of these classic wood species to bring warmth and character to metal building exterior options that would otherwise be lacking.

But there’s a big difference between the composition of Vintagewood and traditional cedar — fIber cement is actually built to last! The Vintagewood siding series provides stylish wood-style exterior options that are weather resistant, low-maintenance and engineered to resist the elements so they maintain their beauty year after year.

Stucco

The side of a commercial building with black fiber cement siding under a layer resembling wood.

With a noticeably textured surface, stucco is a classic finished look that can elevate the ambiance of any building exterior, whether residential or commercial. 

Unfortunately, traditional stucco exterior options are tedious in terms of the construction process and maintenance. Conditions have to be perfect to get this traditional siding style right. The easier option? Choosing a modern material that is capable of delivering a better performance overall.

Prefinished fiber cement panels take away the need for highly trained stucco laborers and tedious stucco installation costs. Designed to look just like authentic stucco but perform with the durability of a modern material, fiber cement stucco provides the convenience, time savings and longevity that property owners need and deserve.

A Variety of Styles – All Built to Perform

Whether you’re considering a variety of steel building exterior options or you’re already set on a particular style for your project, it’s best to choose a siding material that proves to be both functional and attractive. With engineered performance, long-lasting color and intricate designs, fiber cement exteriors have it all! 

Contact Nichiha today to discover an impressive assortment of exterior options in all of these styles and more.

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