What Is The Barndominium Exterior & How It Should Look Like?

Barndominium exterior…the first thing anyone notices when they pull up to your barndominium.

If you have your home business there, you want to make sure that your customers know that they have the right place.

You want your friends and family to admire the outside, want to make them feel welcome.

The barndominium exterior is not about just how the barndominium is designed and the color scheme but also about the landscape.  You want it to show case your barndominium, make it stand out, all for a good reason, not the wrong one. 

If it is your home business, you want it to be eye-catching and invite customers to come inside.

In this article, we will talk about what a barndominium exterior is, and several barndominium exterior ideas.

We will also explain just which exteriors are the best for your barndominium to keep it warm inside, the easiest to take care of, and more.

Key Takeaways:

• The exterior of a barndominium is the siding or outside of the barndominium
• A popular choice for the barndominium exterior is wood.
• Exteriors should be durable and aesthetically-pleasing

What Is The Exterior Of A Barndominium?

This is the outside of a barndominium.  In addition to being durable and aesthetically pleasing, it also needs to be structurally sound, weather-resistant, and fire-resistant.

The reason is that the barndominium is where you will live.

They also need to make sure that they help insulate the barndominium easier to help make it energy efficient.

If you are using part of your barndominium as a home business you want it to reflect what your home business is.

For example, if it is a garden center, you want to showcase some of your flowers and plants on the outside.

It should also have the name of the business prominently displayed so customers can see it.

The exterior could be painted a spring color but make sure that it does not clash with the color of the outside of the living space.

You also want to make sure that the exterior is resistant to any mold, insects, or anything that could destroy it.

When talking about your barndominium exterior, no matter what materials you use, you want it to set your barndominium apart from any other home in the area.

Consider These When Deciding Your Barndominium Exterior

There are many factors you should take into consideration when choosing your barndominium exterior.

• You need to decide which design and style you want because you want your barndominium to look amazing.
• Make sure that you choose the right siding/exterior materials for the weather conditions in the area where you are building your barndominium.
• Local building codes and special specifications are listed on your barndominium plans need to be followed.
• The exterior you choose can impact the temperature in your barndominium. For example, when you insulate a barndominium with a steel exterior, it can be difficult to do in a cold climate.  You may not get enough insulation to keep the interior warm.  It is a poor insulator of heat.
• How long will it last?
• Is it easy or hard to maintain?

What Are The Best Materials For A Barndominium Exterior?

The materials that you use on your barndominium exterior will impact what people think when they first see it.

It can also impact on the living space and how comfortable it will be when you use it.

Wood

For barndominium exteriors, this is a popular choice.  The reason is that it gives you that picturesque look of what a traditional barn would look like.

It is simple to work with but does require substantial upkeep.  This includes frequent repairing and painting. It is very high maintenance.

It also has other cons because it is prone to water damage.

This can include warping. Buckling, rotting, and growth of mold but for any of this to happen, it would have to have persistent exposure to snow and rain.

It is also susceptible to damage from insects, like termites. It is recommended if you choose a wood exterior that you choose cedar wood and not other woods.

This will help to keep the damage from insects to a minimum.  You will also have to make sure that it is treated to help prevent any bug infestations.

Another threat to a wood exterior is fire.  You would have to be sure that you carried the right insurance in case something would happen.

You would also need to follow precautions to ensure fire safety..  With a wood barndominium exterior, there are more cons than there are pros.

Wood also will shirk and swell over time because of the moisture and temperature fluctuations.

Mildew and mold can also be an issue if it becomes wet and then starts to dry out.

Although if you use treated lumber, it can prevent anything substantial from forming but the wood is still a good environment for bacteria, mold, and mildew to form.

Vinyl And Polymers

These are also a couple of options for a barndominium exterior but are not as popular as wood or steel exteriors.

They are cost-effective but the one drawback with vinyl is that if it catches fire, it will emit toxic fumes into the environment.

This is the main reason that most do not use a vinyl barndominium exterior.

Polymer has texture and has no seams as it matches perfectly together.  It does not emit toxic fumes like vinyl would do.  It is also easy to clean and has high efficiency.

Stucco

For those that are building a barndominium in a hot, dry area of the country, this is a barndominium exterior you might not have thought of.

This type of exterior is Spanish-style cement.  It is affixed to the outside of your barndominium by being caked onto wire or wood to help it bond the cement to the barndominium.

It becomes extremely hard when it dries and adds a lot of structural integrity to the exterior of your barndominium.

It is also a great insulator of heat.  The drawback with this exterior is it is not designed for a wet climate.  It is a great alternative to wood or metal exteriors.

Steel

This another choice that is popular for a barndominium exterior.  This is due to its durability.  A steel exterior is also resistant to the spread of fire.

This is advantageous if you have a workshop where you are working with tools that could cause sparks.

Some prefer it over wood because it will not be a place for mold to grow like wood could be.  It is also rust-resistant.

Steel will also hold up stronger against rodents, severe weather, and insects better than wood.

If you choose to have a steel barndominium exterior, you will generally have less maintenance and upkeep.

If you still want to have that old-style barn look, some that make barndominium exteriors have products that replicate the real wood look.

This type of exterior gives you the wood look but also enhances the protection and safety of steel.  Many times when you choose a steel exterior that looks like wood, you cannot tell the difference.

Popular Barndominium Exterior Styles and Colors

For barndominium exteriors of wood or steel, getting a color that is attractive for either is easy.  One popular choice is a black and white combination.

There are also neutral tones such as dark brown and walnut that are also popular.

Another common look that is gaining in popularity is a board and batten look, which are wide planks that are joined together by thin strips.

These thin strips are used to hide the seams.

You can also find siding made of steel in different styles such as wood planks that are rough-cut or smooth panels.

They also can do a log cabin-style stacking with wood-look steel or real wood.  When choosing the color for your barndominium exterior, you should make sure that the roof compliments it.

One of the more popular combinations is a white barndominium exterior with a black roof.

Barndominium Exterior Ideas

Below are several pictures of barndominium exterior ideas to help you decide how you want the exterior of your barndominium to look.

You will see the different materials you can use along with the different color combinations.

Barndominium Exterior Idea 1

With this barndominium, they have elected to use white siding with a black roof and trim.

Supporting the large porch roof are what appear to be wooden beams to add more charm and texture to a beautiful barndominium exterior.

With the wide roof, the underneath is tin to help deflect the heat.

Barndominium Exterior Idea 2

Here is your typical wooden exterior to give your barndominium more of a barn-like feel.

It is trimmed in a muddy-looking brown with the same-colored roof and doors.  The porch covering is supported by wooden beams with the wood from the house under the covering.

Barndominium Exterior Idea 3

This is an example of the rock that some like to use around the bottom part of their barndominium.

How much of the barndominium is covered in this type of exterior is up to the owner?  Some will do a third while others may do a half.

This could be some flat stones that are used or a type of faux rock siding.  It will give your exterior a unique appearance.

Barndominium Exterior Idea 4

This barndominium exterior is white siding with a grey roof and black or dark grey trim.

They have used the above rock to do part of the front of the exterior, setting it apart from any others around them.

The porch is held up by wood or steel painted in black or dark grey paint to match the trim around the roof and windows.

Barndominium Exterior Idea 5

This barndominium exterior is one that you might find on a luxury barndominium.  It is a light grey with a darker grey around the windows and front doors that have a lot of windowpanes.

On either side are intricately designed barn doors on a track that looks as if they can be shut.  Around the bottom are the small stone trim or barrier.

Barndominium Exterior Idea 6

This has a white barndominium exterior with what looks like a white roof trimmed in dark grey or black.

Around the bottom of the barndominium are bricks, coming up to the bottom of the windows.  There is an overhang over the porch that is held up by timbers and underneath the roof it is wood.

Barndominium Exterior Idea 7

With this barndominium exterior, the owners have decided to use various shades of grey for the roof and siding.

In the front, there are some wooden timbers to hold up the roof while on the side, there appear to be white timbers holding up the balcony and roof.

Around the bottom of the barndominium is a darker grey trim and then it goes into a medium shade of grey.

Barndominium Exterior Idea 8

They have chosen to use a grey barndominium exterior with a black roof and black trim around the doors and window.  There is no porch covering.

It is like it is one-dimensional when you use just two colors.  It is not very eye-catching.

Barndominium Exterior Idea 9

This is a very uniquely painted barndominium.  It not only has the shape of a barn but also a log-type exterior that is pained dark brown with a grey room.

The bottom of the barndominium looks to be cement blocks with dark brown trim around the doors underneath.  The windows also have darker wood trim.

Barndominium Exterior Idea 10

The barndominium exterior is also done to give you that barn-like feel but is a lighter shade of wood.  There is also a darker wood trim around the roof.

On the front are two white sliding barn doors.  The window about the doors also has barn doors on a track but not sure if they would shut or just be there for show.

Conclusion

When choosing your barndominium exterior, there are many options with wood and steel being the popular two choices.

Each has its pros and cons but the wood exterior is one that has the most cons.  We also covered with a barndominium exterior was, the different exteriors, and how to make sure that you are choosing the right exterior.