This isn't an answer to this question but you emailed me and chose not to provide a means for me to email you back! So here is the answer to the question you asked:

The windows are Kolbe and Kolbe. I love them. They've held up well.

The trim is not part of the window, although Kolbe does make aluminum trim to go with their windows. It was very spendy.

My siding is by Crane. They made the trim that we used. It has an integral J Channel so it looks less like a vinyl job. Trim definitely helps the look. You know it is builder grade when there is no trim around the windows.

Oh, sorry about that, I thought it automatically put my email in there. Thanks for the answer! I'll have to look at them.

We went with the cedar impressions on the 3 sides of the house that are visible from the road. The back side we went with a more standard vinyl siding. Yes it was expensive, but the look is incredible. Most people don't realize our house is vinyl, and we won't ever miss painting it!

We used CertainTeed Impressions on our entire house. We get compliments on it all the time. In fact, people will go up and touch it, and then are amazed that it's not real shakes. Originally I was adamant that I did not want to use vinyl siding, but this product was so much better than anything else I looked at. I think what sets it apart from other vinyl shakes is that it appears seamless and the color is not a flat solid color. It has a bit of variation in the color like real cedar shakes, and it has some depth to the color and texture. I looked at Foundry vinyl shakes, and there was no comparison.

The house is 5200 sq ft. As a comparison, the cost was $5,000 more than SmartSide. I didn't like the SmartSide because at the time they only had pastels, I thought it was way too shiny, and I didn't like all the seams. I think they've come out with many more attractive colors now.

I've attached a picture of the back side of the garage. Not the best picture, but it is the best I have that shows the siding up close. I also agree with another poster that a more substantial trim around the windows makes a big difference.

Wow that does look good! I'd love to do that too. We're building a 2800 sq ft house and the vinyl siding price is 7-8000, brick or fiber cement siding would add another 12,000. I was hoping there was something out there that was just a little more than vinyl that looked good.
I didn't price LP Smartside, is the price comparable to fiber cement?

@joyce, which certainteed shingle did you use? Was it the 7" straight edge perfection?

Tulip, if memory serves me correctly, that is the one. They no longer carry our color.

I know this is an old post, but was wondering if everyone still has the same positive/negative opinions of the products that they chose.

"Vinyl/Polymer (is there a difference?) "

CertainTeed does make extruded Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC or vinyl) siding but Cedar Impressions is made of injection molded Polypropylene. They are both thermoplastic polymers but I guess CertainTeed has decided to use "polymer" to distinguish Cedar Impressions from PVC siding without saying was it is. I don' know why since its much less toxic than PVC but then most materials are.

I've never seen this stuff but I would be concerned about its low resistance to high winds and sensitivity to UV light. I guess nothing is perfect; its difficult to get more than 50 years out of cedar shingles.

We are building a 1200 square ft lake house with regular ceiling heights around what cost would it be to put vinyl shingles compared to regular vinyl siding?

Joyce, Ive been looking at cedar impressions for a while, and i realize this post is old. But such a big investment for me. You say the color no longer available, might it be a "blended" color, that gives the variations? Any more specific info you could dig up would help so much. Thanks!