Four Exterior Building Materials You'll Love

If you're planning on building a new home somewhere in the great state of Texas, chances are pretty good you've considered the effects of weather on the building materials you plan to use. You might have even looked into the many new and innovative materials on the market designed to save on labour costs, time, and/or money. Some of them are eco-friendly, a few save on maintenance, while others are just plain beautiful to look at. If you need some help with finding the newest and best technologies for your house, or time-tested materials that are coming back into vogue, have a look at our list below. You're sure to find something to make your newly-constructed Texas home stand out!

1. Copper roofing has recently experience a rebirth in new homes. It has been used in residential roofing for centuries, and with good reason. Besides its natural antibacterial properties, copper is fantastic for withstanding both our driving rain and excruciating heat. Depending on the thickness of your copper roof and its pitch, you can expect it to last between 50 and 100 years. Maintenance is rarely required. This roofing can be pricey, but the beauty that comes with its many shades of patina, and its incredible longevity, is often well worth the initial investment.
2. For people who hate washing their windows (read: everyone), there is now a solution! Self-cleaning windows use hydrophilic and photocatalytic technology to break down dirt and water stains and prevent water stains from reoccurring. The microscopic coating on this glass breaks down organic debris by reacting with the light of the sun, then repels rainwater so that the glass remains clear. It's can be used for any exterior windows and is especially popular for those in hard-to-reach parts of the home, such as skylights, second-storey windows, and conservatories.
3. As homeowners move away from cookie-cutter homes and toward an aesthetic as unique as they are, siding choices become extremely narrow. The vinyl siding of yore has come to be a synonym for everything that we dislike about suburbia. New construction and remodeling projects are leaving vinyl behind like it's the last kid chosen in gym class. New products like foamed PVC siding are becoming immensely popular. Although just slightly less expensive than cedar siding, this technology is virtually maintenance-free, incredibly long-lasting, and has the look of cedar siding.
4. Similar to siding technology, synthetic decking has enjoyed many recent improvements to make it more of a contender against natural wood, visually. Cellular PVC decking is an alternative that requires little or no maintenance. The most effort owners have to put into their decks is washing with a standard garden hose whenever the deck warrants it. These new decks are impervious to the elements and colors never fade in the sun. What's more, the aesthetic similarities to wood are simply stunning.

The exterior of your home takes quite a beating. In Texas we have fires, droughts, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and everything in between. It's worth it for us here in the lonestar state to put some more thought into our unique weather concerns so that our beloved homes, both newly-built and renovated, last for generations to come.