The “small house” and “tiny house” trends definitely have their advocates and enthusiasts. A small house is defined as anything measuring less than 1,000 total square feet; a tiny house measures just 400 square feet or less in size.
Tiny houses are not for everyone, but for those that want to put their focus on travel, living simply, or the ability to literally pack up their home and go, there are few alternatives that match these creative abodes. Tiny houses can be built on wheels for easy transport or built on land in a traditional manner. They can be filled with furnishings and materials that are designed to do double duty, or they can be very simply designed and made for single person living.
One thing that most tiny house homeowners have in common, though, is a desire for simplifying their lives. Whether that’s through simplifying the material things so they can travel or through minimizing the amount of home maintenance that needs to be done, tiny houses are designed for simple and less complicated living.
Many people put a great deal of focus on the interiors of these homes, and how they’ll be laid out, but it’s equally important to consider their exteriors as well. After all, tiny homes need to be durable, simple, and low maintenance inside and out in order to be at their best.
The Need for a Durable Exterior
Many of the smallest tiny homes are built on wheels. In this way, they’re almost a fully customized trailer, able to give you all the comforts of home wherever you may choose to go. These homes need to be built with additional durability and stability in order to ensure that they can travel safely from one location to another, without falling apart or sustaining damage.
If you intend for your tiny house to travel, you need to make sure that it can handle the climate of any region you bring it to. Not all sidings can handle heat or cold, so putting the wrong siding on your tiny home could mean that it isn’t as versatile and travel-friendly as you desire.
One good material for this purpose is fiber cement. Fiber cement siding is hard and durable and made of a mixture of Portland cement with sand, silica, and cellulose fiber. It performs well in any climate and has a Class A fire rating, denting, and chipping. This means that your home will be more likely to handle whatever the road has to throw at it.
Low Maintenance Exterior
Many people choose tiny homes because the smaller dwelling is easier to keep up and maintain than a larger home. In keeping with that, choosing a house siding that will be low maintenance and resist things like peeling, chipping, or flaking and that can last for years before needing to be repainted can be a big bonus for the tiny house lifestyle.
Fiber cement’s color is made to last, going years longer than wood siding before it needs a touch-up. It resists many of the issues of other sidings such as peeling, and splitting, so it’s truly low maintenance and made to last.
Style and Options
Just because your home is small, doesn’t mean that it can’t be stylish as well. Many tiny house owners choose materials that can make their home stand out and look its best. Whether you’re moving your home from one place to another and want it to turn heads or you’re building on a specific site and want it to match its surroundings, it’s important to have options when it comes to the appearance, color, textures, and style of your home.
Fiber cement is one material that has good durability and low maintenance care, but also offers a wide range of styles, choices, and options for homeowners, as well. This includes traditional lap siding, board and batten siding, and cedar look shingles, all of which are available in a range of colors and beautiful wood stains.
You can even create a more contemporary tiny house by using smooth architectural panels or create an exterior that will blend in with the South or Southwest by using a stucco style panel. No matter what style you choose, you’ll still be getting the other benefits that only fiber cement can bring.
Complete Your Tiny House in Style
If you decide to embrace the tiny house movement, make sure that your home looks and performs at its best by choosing the right siding for the job. Fiber cement siding from Allura comes in many sizes, colors, and styles so you can complement any home.
Talk to an expert at Allura today for more information on how to clad your tiny house in fiber cement and complete your home design goals.
