IN DEPTH: Siding

Board-and-batten styles also are growing in popularity as an accent piece in gables or on porches. The plethora of options encourages more mixing. “It’s not uncommon to see a change in the style on each floor and in the gables,” says Tom Zimmerman, vice president of sales and marketing at Boral.

Grayne-Engineered-Shake-&-Shingle-SidingGrayne Engineered Shake & Shingle siding from The Tapco Group, which also makes Foundry Specialty Siding, offers a natural cedar replacement for the hardboard market. The 5″ plain-sawn shingle’s sharply defined edges and grain pattern create depth, and the proprietary coating process on the engineered-composite product creates a multihued, aged-cedar appearance.

Boral is taking advantage of this market by expanding on its accent pieces to provide a 6″ bevel siding product as its first foray into the lap-siding market. “The response has encouraged us,” Zimmerman says. “So we’ll be adding a 3/4- by 10″ sized bevel in a few months and a 1/2- by 8″ size bevel later this year. We wanted an 8″ style in our performance characteristics that can be rabbeted and beaded.”

Material Uses Growing
The increased interest in mixing things up extends to different materials. “There has been growth in fiber-cement and engineered wood siding, but they have limitations,” notes Novik’s Bruno. Many must avoid ground contact and rooflines due to moisture concerns. “Customers are mixing those materials with barriers at the top and bottom, using stone at the foundation and shakes at the top for functional needs as well as aesthetic ones. They provide the necessary moisture management, and they can be done by the same installer.”

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Zimmerman agrees that stone usage is growing. “It can really change the look of the house,” he says. “It often is used from the window level down, with a 3- to 4′ base, plus at columns and in details around the entry.”

The interest in new and different styles has led to a demand for reclaimed wood, in which old pieces are reused in new ways. “There’s a significant demand for the aged/weathered look for wood siding,” says David Seymour, co-founder of Coeur d’Alene Wood. “While the reclaimed look has always been desired, the expensive costs have made it uneconomical for the average homeowner to purchase. Additionally, due to its nature of being reclaimed, many pieces of wood are unusable, rotted or filled with nails and metal. Many manufacturers are trying to fill the demand, but very few used new wood and are capable of producing large quantities.”

Royal-Building-Products-online-design-toolRoyal Building Products has introduced an online design tool that helps dealers generate leads and close sales for its Celect Cellular Exteriors siding. HomePlay Prime helps homeowners visualize how they can transform their exterior with complementary siding and trim options. The tool can be embedded on a dealer’s site so visitors can use an array of mapping features.

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