Two-story homes can support more shake siding than smaller houses, but scale does not excuse visual clutter. Learn how to use Gentek Fairhaven Sound profiles to balance height, define gables and create a clear exterior hierarchy.

Gentek Two-Story Exterior Design Guide

Gentek Shake and Scallop Ideas for Two-Story Homes

A two-story house provides enough scale for meaningful texture, color changes and architectural accents. The challenge is deciding where those changes belong so the home feels balanced from the foundation to the roof.

Two-story homes can appear imposing when one siding material and color continue uninterrupted from the foundation to the roof. A carefully placed material change can reduce that visual height and give the façade a clearer hierarchy.

Gentek Fairhaven Sound Single Select offers Traditional Shake, Scallop, Cape Cod Shake and Hand-Split Shake profiles. Their polypropylene construction allows cedar-inspired textures and edge patterns that contrast with conventional horizontal siding.

PEPA notes that polymeric cladding provides broad flexibility in profiles, colors and textures. On a tall home, those options should be used to create structure—not simply to fill more wall area.

Identify the Home’s Visual Hierarchy

Before choosing a shake profile, decide which part of the exterior should command attention.

Primary feature: Usually the entrance, central gable or most prominent projecting section.
Supporting features: Secondary gables, dormers or upper-story sections that reinforce the primary feature.
Background surfaces: Larger wall areas that should remain visually quiet.

If shakes, stone, shutters, contrasting trim and several gables all demand equal attention, the exterior has no focal point. Rank the features before selecting materials.

Four Effective Two-Story Shake Strategies

1. Shake siding across the upper story

Use horizontal siding or masonry below and shake siding above a clear floor line. This can visually lower a tall façade by dividing it into two understandable levels.

The transition should align with window heads, a structural floor line or a deliberate trim band.

2. Shakes in one dominant gable

Keep the primary wall surfaces consistent and reserve shakes for the most important front-facing gable.

This approach is especially effective when the house already has brick, stone or several projecting forms.

3. Shakes on a projecting two-story section

A bay, tower-like projection or forward section may be distinguished with shakes when the material follows the complete form.

Avoid stopping the accent on a flat wall without a logical corner or transition.

4. Related shake accents in a gable and dormer

Repeat the same profile and color on two clearly related upper features. One should remain dominant while the other acts as a supporting echo.

Do not introduce a different shake profile or unrelated color for each feature.

Full Upper-Story Shakes vs. Gable-Only Accents

Consideration	Full upper story	Gable-only accent
Visual impact	Strongly divides the home into horizontal levels	Creates a focused area of texture
Best suited to	Broad, simple façades with a clear floor line	Homes with several existing materials or complex forms
Color strategy	Often benefits from a related rather than dramatic contrast	Can support stronger contrast in a well-framed feature
Detailing demand	Requires careful windows, corners and full-width transitions	Concentrates detailing at the gable base and roof edges
Design risk	A strong profile can make the upper level visually heavy	The gable can appear detached if its color is unrelated

Selecting the Right Fairhaven Sound Profile

Profile	Two-story application	Design caution
Traditional Shake	Large upper-story areas and primary gables	Orderly courses make alignment especially visible
Cape Cod Shake	Cottage-influenced upper stories and relaxed gables	Varied exposure already creates movement; keep colors controlled
Hand-Split Shake	Broad Craftsman-inspired gables and substantial projections	Deep texture can make an entire upper story feel visually heavy
Scallop	One primary decorative gable or selected dormers	Repetition across several large areas can become overly ornate

Use Color to Control Perceived Height

Color placement can make a two-story home feel taller, shorter, heavier or more open.

A darker upper story can make the roof and upper wall feel visually connected. On some homes, however, it may appear top-heavy.

A lighter upper story can reduce visual weight above, although strong contrast may make the home look sharply divided.

Closely related upper and lower colors create depth through profile rather than through a dramatic color break.

A dark gable within lighter upper siding can direct attention toward the roof form without dividing the full façade.

Connect the Upper and Lower Levels

A material transition should not make a two-story house appear to be two unrelated buildings stacked together. Repeat selected colors or details across both levels.

Useful connecting elements include:

Consistent window trim
Repeated corner-post color
A transition band that relates to other horizontal trim
A shake color drawn from lower-level brick or stone
Downspouts coordinated with the wall surfaces they cross
A front-door color repeated subtly in an upper feature

Two-Story Brick Homes

Brick on the lower level naturally gives the house visual weight. Shakes above can soften the transition toward the roof, but the color should relate to the masonry.

Pull a quieter secondary color from the brick.
Consider the mortar as a possible trim or siding cue.
Avoid combining highly varied brick with the strongest shake profile and several accent colors.
Use a clear transition between masonry and polymeric cladding.
Coordinate windows and corners across both materials.

Homes with Attached Garages Need Balance

A wide garage can dominate the lower level of a two-story façade. Placing the strongest shake accent directly above it may increase that dominance unless the entrance receives equal or greater visual attention.

Consider using shakes to strengthen a central entry gable, a two-story projecting section or another feature that redirects attention toward the living portion of the home.

If the garage gable receives shakes, repeat its color near the entrance through a smaller architectural detail rather than adding a second competing profile.

Scallops Require a Clear Decorative Hierarchy

A two-story house may have several gables large enough for scallop siding. That does not mean every gable should receive it.

Use scallops on the most architecturally important decorative gable. Supporting gables can use the main siding, a quieter Traditional Shake or the same scallop color without the same level of contrast.

The repeated curved edge already provides substantial ornament. Simplify shutters, vents and trim if they begin to compete with the pattern.

Trim Proportion Changes with Height

Trim viewed from the street can appear narrower than it does in a sample or on the ground. A two-story exterior may require more visual presence around primary openings and material transitions.

Review:

Window-trim width on both stories
The depth and width of the horizontal transition band
Rake trim around high gables
Corner-post scale
Soffit and fascia color beneath the upper roof
Gutter and downspout visibility

Gentek’s Color Clear Through collection is intended to coordinate selected siding, trim, soffit, fascia and accessory colors.

Installation Quality Is Visible from a Distance

Long courses and repeated windows make alignment problems noticeable across a two-story elevation. The installer should establish and repeatedly verify level reference lines.

Gentek states that Fairhaven Sound includes self-aligning nail slots and temperature guidance intended to help position panels for expansion and contraction. Current manufacturer instructions should govern the actual fastening and clearances.

PEPA’s technical resources emphasize correct installation of polymeric cladding. Particular attention should be given to:

Flat, sound sheathing
Water-resistive barrier continuity
Window and door flashing
Material transitions
Panel engagement and movement
High gable and roof-edge trim
Safe access and fall protection

Common Two-Story Design Mistakes

Changing material at an arbitrary height: The transition should relate to a floor, window or roof line.
Making the upper level too heavy: Deep texture and dark color can accumulate visually.
Treating every gable equally: One should remain primary.
Failing to connect the levels: Repeat trim or supporting colors across the façade.
Using undersized upper trim: Details appear smaller when viewed from the ground.
Overemphasizing the garage: Direct the strongest feature toward the entrance or living portion.
Choosing from elevation drawings alone: Review full-size physical samples at the actual property.

A Two-Story Exterior Planning Checklist

Identify the primary and supporting architectural features.
Decide whether the shakes will define a gable, upper story or projection.
Choose a profile suitable for the size of the area.
Decide how color will affect the perceived height.
Relate the palette to the roof, brick and stone.
Design the transition between stories or materials.
Coordinate trim, soffit, fascia, gutters and downspouts.
Review samples from the street and near the house.
Confirm current product and color availability.
Require installation according to current Gentek instructions and applicable safety requirements.

Use Scale to Create Structure

A two-story home offers room for texture, but more wall area does not justify more unrelated accents. Gentek shakes should help the eye understand the house from bottom to top.

Distinguish one upper level, emphasize one primary gable or define one projection. Then use consistent trim and related colors to connect the complete façade.

Suburban Wholesale & Supply helps homeowners and exterior professionals compare Gentek Fairhaven Sound profiles, coordinate physical samples and confirm current local availability. Visit us at 3602 North Harrison Street in Davenport, Iowa.

Product specifications, colors and availability can change. Final selections and installation details should use current manufacturer documentation.

Sources and Product References

Gentek Building Products: Fairhaven Sound Profiles and Specifications
Gentek Fairhaven Sound Product Brochure
Gentek TrimEssentials and Color Clear Through
Gentek 2026 Product Directory and Color Matrix
Polymeric Exterior Products Association: Polymeric Siding Design
PEPA/Vinyl Siding Institute Resource Library
National Association of Home Builders: Siding Contractor Safety Program
Design guidance is interpretive. The actual building, current product literature and applicable installation requirements should control final decisions.

Shake Siding Ideas for Two-Story Homes