Outside Interests

In Ontario, brick is the Alfred Sung of exterior

finishes. With its durability and low maintenance, it

has a long, established tradition as the product of

choice for homes. But just as fashion changes over the years,

so do home designs. While brick will always play a part in

new home construction, its role has evolved from the

primary show-stopper to being part of an ensemble of

materials that gives homes an inviting classic look.

Fibre-cement, stucco, and stone products are gaining admiration

from builders for their durability, low-maintenance, and

ability to coordinate with brick. These materials are combined

expertly to create homes that differ from one another, yet look

attractive on the same street. This mix of exterior finishes is

predicted to "dress" homes for years to come.

"Brick is still really popular; there's a real perceived value

in an all-brick home," says Don Pugh, vice-president of

The Daniels Corporation. "The perception is that a brick

house is more durable, but it's a veneer, a facing. The house

is not actually built of brick."

To give new brick homes an aged look, Pugh says Daniels

is having great success with tumbled clay brick. With its

handmade brick feel, it gives homes a more authentic

"Toronto" look, and the fact that the lines are not angular

gives it more character.

Today's siding of choice is James Hardie Building

Products, which last year covered over 50 million square

feet throughout Canada. Used by several big names in the construction business, this non-combustible fibre-cement

product is dominating a competitive industry.

"Our product looks and feels like wood, but wears a lot

better and has a 50-year warranty," says Kevin Kent, Ontario

sales manager for James Hardie. Unlike wood, "fibre-cement

won't crack, split, or expand and the pre-painted siding

holds the colour and won't fade."

Pugh says that Daniels uses a lot of Hardie siding and

expects to continue doing so in the future. "We used to use

cedar, but find this material gives the same look with less

maintenance."

Another exterior trend new to Ontario that has been

used for decades in the prairies is stucco. Saddled with

a negative reputation after a poor application in

British Columbia resulted in "wet condos," builders and

consumers now see that stucco is a durable product

offered in a myriad of colours.

"While installation [of stucco] is obviously crucial, it is

also as important that the home is designed to ensure

proper drainage of rainwater away from the home walls,

joints at windows, or places where water could seep into

the wall and cause problems," says Mark Salerno of

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Mark Cohen, vice-president of sales and marketing for

Tribute Homes, says his company introduced stucco

for the move-up buyer community in its new Ajax

development called Imagination. "Stucco has really caught

on," he says. "It's cheaper than brick and is definitely more

of a classic look."

For the high-end buyer, stone has become a must-have

for large subdivision and custom houses. And stone mixed

with other materials has found its way into many new

Toronto-area subdivisions.

"We're using El Dorado stone, which comes in

20 colours and many shapes," says Hugh Heron,

president of Heron Group of Companies. "At our Lora

Bay development in Thornbury?we're using a mixture of

stone and Cape Cod siding, which is a similar product to

James Hardie."

While the use of brick, siding, stucco, and stone seems

popular from an aesthetic point of view, Michael

Stawecki, a senior appraiser with CMHC in London,

Ontario, says cost and maintenance will impact

exterior finishes in the future. "Homeowners' desire

for maintenance-free homes will be a big driver of

technology for exterior cladding," he says. "The value

aspects are tied to attractiveness, durability, and whether it

stands the test of time-how well it will age in the

environment and the community."