New home construction remains strong in Nanaimo and area, bringing with it a splash of new colours where siding is concerned.
“It’s quite busy right now with new construction, has been for a while,” confirms Blake LaBonte of Phoenix Siding. Blake’s dad, Mark LaBonte, started Phoenix Siding Ltd. in 1990, and continues to oversee all aspects of the company. Blake has been with Phoenix since 2006 when he joined the family business after graduating from VIU with a bachelor of Business Administration, and knows the business well.
While parts of B.C. experienced a downturn in new housing starts last year, such was not the case for Nanaimo.
“We’ve got a couple good builders we work with, and being around 25+plus years they keep us busy year-round,” says the younger LaBonte, adding “there’s not a lot of new lots available in Nanaimo, so as soon as a new lot or subdivision comes up, they’re selling. I think a lot more people are retiring here, and with the low interests rates, Nanaimo is more affordable than a lot of places.”
New homes aside, Phoenix Siding is heading into the renovation season, which keeps them hopping through spring and summer.
Be it a new build or a fresh look to an older home, Phoenix Siding has it covered.
And while the siding material hasn’t undergone any changes of late, LaBonte says they are starting to see some new colours popping up, both on new homes and as part of renovations.
“With the spec homes most people are using vinyl siding. Colour-wise there are quite a few darker, bolder colours, greens and blues, that are out now in premium vinyl siding, which looks quite nice. We’re seeing more and more people using those colour options.”
The demand for custom homes remains strong as well, with many builders using corrugated metal with HardiePlank accents.
HardiePlank, the world leader in fibre cement siding, is a premium siding option that requires repainting every five or six years, and costs nearly double the low maintenance Vinyl siding.
“Most spec houses use vinyl siding, whereas a nice custom home in a high-end subdivision is more then likely done with a HardiePlank. In terms of renovations, most people are going with the vinyl siding but it varies. It always comes down to the budget.”
Another trend he’s seeing is that a lot of the owners of older homes are replacing their tired cedar shakes with the HardiePlank.
LaBonte says homes 40 years and older “is a good time to start looking at the outside of the house.
“Not only the look, but helping increase the value of the home too. Curb appeal is obviously important, especially if you’re selling.”
HardiePlanks, he points out, “has also come out with a number of new colours in their palette.”
For more information on siding or gutters, or to enquire about a quote, check out phoenixsiding.ca.
