If your customers live in the Midwest, their siding has a tough job. It needs to handle humid summers, freezing winters, hailstorms, and high winds, all while keeping a home looking good year-round. Not every siding product is built for that kind of swing in temperature and weather, which is why helping customers choose the right material matters more.

At Lensing Building Specialties, two of our most popular siding brands are Everlast and Variform. Here’s what to know about both as you help customers choose between them.

Indiana and the surrounding region see a wide range of conditions throughout the year:

• Freeze-thaw cycles that can cause some materials to crack or warp over time
• High humidity in summer months, which can lead to moisture issues if siding isn’t properly ventilated
• Strong winds and hail, especially during the spring storm season
• UV exposure can fade materials faster than expected

The best siding options for this climate generally resist impact, holds its color, and manage moisture without expanding, contracting, or cracking as temperatures shift.

Everlast is a solid composite siding, which gives it a different feel and performance profile than vinyl. Because it’s a solid panel, Everlast offers strong resistance to denting and cracking, a helpful talking point during hailstorms or high-wind events.

Everlast is also designed to resist water and fading from UV light exposure, so the color a customer chooses on installation day is likely to hold up well over time. Its inorganic composition also means it isn’t a food source for wood-boring insects.

Customers also have some design flexibility to work with. Everlast is available in three styles:

• 4 1/2″ lap siding
• 7″ lap siding
• Vertical board and batten

It comes in 15 designer-curated colors, each embossed to resemble the texture of real cedar. Maintenance is fairly simple; typically just an occasional wash with a garden hose to keep the siding looking its best will do.

As a premium composite product, Everlast generally costs more upfront than vinyl. It’s a strong fit for customers who are already leaning toward a premium look or who specifically ask about durability and low maintenance over the life of the home.

Variform has been a vinyl siding option in the market for more than 50 years. As a vinyl product, it doesn’t rot or rust and doesn’t require repainting, and it’s designed to hold up through repeated freeze-thaw cycles without cracking.

Variform offers a range of styles and materials to fit different needs:

• Lap siding for a classic, versatile look
• Board and batten for a more contemporary, vertical aesthetic
• Shake and shingle for a textured, natural accent
• Insulated siding options that can improve a home’s energy efficiency and impact resistance

Both options can perform well in the Midwest, but they tend to serve slightly different priorities:

• Variform (vinyl) is budget-friendly, low-maintenance, and backed by decades of use in the market. It’s a solid default recommendation for most homes and budgets, with heavier-gauge options available for customers in more wind-exposed areas.
• Everlast (composite) costs more upfront but offers a look closer to real cedar, along with added impact resistance, fade resistance, and a lower-maintenance routine over time.

The right choice often comes down to the customer’s budget, the style of the home, and how much durability they want built in versus how much they’re willing to invest upfront.

We also carry NewTechWood composite siding, a great choice for customers who want the closest look to real wood with virtually no maintenance. It’s made from recycled wood fibers and plastic, resists fading and warping, and comes in both wide-board and narrow European-style profiles, backed by a 25-year warranty.

Lensing Building Specialties stocks both Everlast and Variform siding, along with the soffit, shutters, trim, and mounting systems needed to finish the job. Whether your project includes building new or replacing existing siding, our team can help you choose a product built to handle everything Midwest weather brings. Reach out to your Lensing rep to talk through inventory, lead times, or which lines make sense to stock for your market.