Moulding use continues to grow, bringing with it new applications and style requests from customers. Suppliers are responding to these needs by expanding their stock lines, offering more customized pieces and trying to spread the word about the versatility and profit potential for this category. Much of that growth is coming from low-maintenance products, a trend spanning most categories.
“We’re seeing a greater use of cellular PVC moulding pieces in both interior and exterior applications,” says Rick Kapres, vice president of sales at Versatex. “We’ve expanded our line to accommodate this popularity. Exterior uses for PVC are growing as builders find more places to use it. And they’re using bigger and bigger pieces all the time.”
Shane Short, general manager for trim and mouldings at Ply Gem, agrees. “There aren’t necessarily dramatic changes occurring to product characteristics, but the overall cellular PVC category continues to grow,” he says. “As the price point of homes gets more competitive, builders are doing more to make their homes stand out, while watching costs. Cellular PVC trim and mouldings are an affordable way to customize and differentiate exteriors.”
As homes grow larger and styling becomes more elaborate, uses for mouldings grow too. “The more the industry grows, the more often we see blended cladding with more materials—stone, vinyl, stucco, brick, etc.,” says Tom Zimmerman, director of sales and marketing at Boral Composites. “When there are key transition points, builders are using mouldings to separate the materials. So more moulding is being used all the time.”
