Choosing the right black siding for your house is like finding the perfect little black dress or designer black suit: it’s all about the fit. From sleek modernism to rustic textures, a dark exterior is a bold design statement. Ensure that vision doesn’t fade or warp, your siding material choice is everything.
Arbor Wood thermally modified pine cladding with black finish
In this article:
The Design Versatility of Black Siding
At Mataverde, we’ve curated the best performing black siding solutions on the market. Here is your guide to achieving the black siding trend using Arbor Wood, Mataverde ThermaWood, and Pura NFC Siding. Designing with black siding offers more than just a bold aesthetic:
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Its sleek, modern finish adds an instant layer of sophistication to your project.
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By creating a dramatic contrast against surrounding colors, black siding maximizes visual impact and architectural depth.
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When you choose a high-performance material like Mataverde, Arbor Wood, or Pura NFC you ensure this high-end curb appeal lasts for decades with minimal maintenance.
Arbor Wood BRNSH Burned & Brushed Pine, a thermally modified pine charred like Shou Sugi Ban
Shou Sugi Ban for the Modern World
"While shou sugi ban originated in Japan in the 18th century primarily as way to treat cedar siding to make it weatherproof, the technique—which involves charring a wood surface to render it a deep charcoal-black—has caught on recently as a treatment for contemporary exteriors and indoor furnishings alike." - @Architectural Digest
The Authentic Look of Shou Sugi Ban
Shou Sugi Ban is a black house exterior siding idea that has gained popularity lately. Charring wood to make it black is an ancient Japanese technique. The Japanese Shou Sugi Ban method is traditionally done on Cedar. It can be done on other softwoods, but the effect will differ widely depending on the wood type and treatment. One upside, when correctly and regularly maintained, traditional Shou Sugi Ban wood can last decades. The downside, maintenance time and labor costs of the traditional Japanese method are high. It is often messy, prone to flaking, and requires constant resealing to protect the charred finish from sloughing off the cladding over time.
Traditional Japanese Shou Sugi Ban has an iconic char "alligator skin" look
Arbor Wood BRNSH Burned Pine with Black Oil Finish retains the "gator skin" look without the high maintenance or mess of traditional unsealed charring.
For those who want the raw, organic beauty of Shou Sugi Ban without the legendary high maintenance, the Arbor Wood™ BRNSH collection is the answer. Arbor Wood offers a BRNSH Burned Pine and a BRNSH Burned and Brushed Pine options for your choice aesthetics.
Why Choose Arbor Wood BRNSH Wood Siding?
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Dimensional Stability. Because the wood is thermally modified, it won't warp or cup like traditional woods such as cedar.
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The Burned Aesthetic. You can get the authentic texture and deep "alligator skin" look of real charred wood, or the satiny burned and brushed effect on charred wood.
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Sustainable & Domestic. Sourced from responsibly managed U.S. forests and processed in the U.S. for a lower carbon footprint.
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Performance. It carries an Arbor Wood 20-year limited warranty, a rarity for charred wood products.
Finish Options for Your Vision
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Arbor Wood BRNSH Burned Pine process solves the traditionally high maintenance issue with a two-step process:
1. Thermal Modification: Arbor Wood Southern Yellow Pine is first thermally modified to become rot and insect-resistant at the cellular level using the patented Thermowood process.
This is not the old Southern Yellow Pine you have seen in the past. The thermal modification is a non-toxic process that alters the pine making it stronger, less brittle than kiln dried, more moisture resistant, and way more durable. You get the look of Southern Yellow Pine without the drawbacks, and a 20 Year Warranty from Arbor Wood to back it up.
2. Controlled Charring: The surface is charred under a live flame and then locked in with a specialized Black Oil finish.
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Arbor Wood BRNSH in Burned & Brushed Pine undergoes the same process but with an added brushing step. It has a softer, more satiny surface look without the ‘gator scales’. This process reveals more of the wood grain while maintaining that signature dark hue.
Arbor Wood BRNSH in Burned & Brushed Pine
REQUEST ARBOR WOOD SIDING SAMPLES TODAY
Watch Arbor Wood on YouTube and the process of Burned Pine with Black Oil Siding
See the Thermally Modified Siding Project Photo Gallery here
Black Wood Siding with Modern Performance
If you love the look of black wood with a smooth, uniform finish then ThermaWood Hem-Fir is a smart, budget-friendly alternative. Thermawood Hem-Fir is consistently regarded as a beautiful, strong, long-lasting siding material that saves you time and money over its lifetime.
ThermaWood Hem-Fir in both natural with an oil finish and stained in black for contrast
Mataverde ThermaWood is real Hemlock that has been modified with the thermal modification process. It is "cooked" in a high-pressure vacuum kiln increasing its durability to match that of many tropical hardwoods. While it is naturally a beautiful chocolate brown, it is an ideal canvas for black oil-based stains.
Benefits of Mataverde ThermaWood for Black Siding:
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Paint & Stain Ready: Unlike many woods, ThermaWood’s low moisture content allows stains to penetrate deeper and last longer.
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Chemical-Free: The process uses only heat, no toxic chemicals.
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Fire Safety: For those in WUI (Wildland-Urban Interface) zones, we offer SaferWood™ ThermaWood FR, providing a Class A Fire Rated, Ignition Resistant, fire-retardant treated wood with the same design versatility.
ThermaWood black siding contrasted with natural and stone
Is thermally modified wood siding right for you? Request a Siding Sample now.
Black Siding without Wood
Modern black siding can also be achieved with a low maintenance wood-look siding that offers finishes well-suited to design versatility and architectural details. For homeowners who want the look of black wood with close-to-zero maintenance, Pura NFC High-Pressure Laminate (HPL) is the industry gold standard.
Metropolis Black Lumen Décor as an accent on a modern residence
The Pura Advantage:
- Fantastic Fade Resistance: While black paint and stain on siding will eventually fade from constant UV exposure, Pura is engineered to stay deep and vibrant for decades.
- Incredible Impact Resistant: It won't dent, scratch, or peel, even in harsh weather.
- Quick Clean: Dirt and grime simply wash off with soap and water. No special cleansers needed.
- 10-Year Limited Warranty
Featured Black Decors:
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Slate Ebony Wood Décor: A rich, deep wood-look décor that mimics dark timber.
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New York Grey Lumen Décor: A lighter take on black siding still with a matte finish.
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See all the Pura NFC collection siding colors here
Ready to see your Pura NFC color options up close? Request a sample today.
Designing with Black Siding Accents
Not ready to go full noir? You can still capture the sophistication of the trend by using black as an accent.
Black Siding Accents
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Use black as an accent to highlight details like soffits or around an entrance.
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For a bolder look, contrast black siding with another wood color, with stone, or with brick. Using a two-tone or mixed material approach is an excellent way to create interest and take advantage of the black siding trend without the full commitment.
See it for yourself and decide. Request an siding sample here.
Black House Trim
This technique works with traditional and modern architectural styles. Consider using black trim around your doorways and windows, regardless of your siding color choice. Adding black makes a bold statement, enhancing the overall appeal.
Pura Romantic Walnut Wood Décor on a traditional home with Pura black trim
ThermaWood Hem-Fir exterior with natural wood and contrasting black siding accents, plus black trim and stained ThermaWood Hem-Fir rooftop deck
Ready for pricing? Request a no obligation quote now.
Are There Problems with Black Siding?
The two biggest concerns with black siding are heat absorption and fading. These concerns are valid when considering any dark finish in any materials. Here's how to avoid these problems.
The Heat Solution is Climate-Shield® Rainscreen System.
Dark colors naturally absorb more heat, that’s just science. To protect your home’s energy efficiency and the siding itself, we suggest the Climate-Shield® Rainscreen System. By creating an ideal 3/4" "air gap" behind the siding, heat is allowed to dissipate through convection (the chimney effect), keeping your building envelope cool and dry.
Climate-Shield is available for both Wood Siding and Trespa Pura siding installation and was used in many of the examples shown in this blog.
The Fading Solution:
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Natural Wood: Choosing Arbor Wood and Mataverde real wood siding gives you unmistakable natural beauty and low maintenance. They still require a UV-inhibiting oil as needed to maintain rich dark finishes, but much less work than the same look in fiber cement or softwoods (like unmodified Cedar and Pine.)
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Artificial Wood Siding: If you prefer close to no maintenance, Pura NFC is your best over composite to avoid the grayed out" look over time. Fade resistance is even covered under the 10-year limited warranty.
Slate Ebony Wood Décor on a custom outbuilding using Climate-Shield Rainscreen System
As you can see, with excellent siding material options to choose from you can recreate the trending black siding designs you want featured on your next project, your way.
Feel free to contact us for more information, with questions, for siding samples, or to price your project. We’re here to help get you started.
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