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As homeowners continue to focus their attention on remodeling projects and growing their outdoor living spaces, exterior facelifts are top of mind for pros and consumers alike. For LBM dealers, supporting customers means staying up on what’s new and what homeowners and home buyers are looking for from their builders and remodelers.
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Here are a few things to keep an eye out for.
- Low-maintenance materials: Homeowners, no matter their age, don’t want to spend time painting and staining their trim and siding. Products that offer the look of wood without the maintenance are ideal. AZEK® Trim with PaintPro® Technology, for example, is engineered for consistency, moisture and rot resistance, durability, and workability. The trim comes ready to paint, and offers superior adhesion to reduce chipping, cracking, and other defects over time.
- Dark trim: One of the biggest trends in exterior facades right now is pairing white siding with black trim or other dark hue. Part of this is driven by the ongoing demand for modern farmhouse looks, with dark trim lending a sleek look that coordinates with trendy black window frames. AZEK Trim with PaintPro Technology can be painted darker colors, provided installers are using the right paint type as they move toward darker hues. (AZEK has listed recommended paint and colors that are approved for use on its products on its website.)
- Mixed materials: Another ongoing trend is blending different materials to differentiate the façade, such as mixing stone with board-and-batten (including the battens with PaintPro Technology), adding a pop of color or texture in gables, or mixing in natural wood with modern metals. The AZEK Exteriors Visualizer can help you explore design potentials.
Tips for Selling Trim
Helping your customers meet their exterior design goals is easier than ever with AZEK Trim with PaintPro Technology. It offers the high-performance and low-maintenance benefits you expect from AZEK Trim but is engineered for paint to save installers time and money.
Consider these strategies:
- Explain the function of trim: Whether a remodel or new construction, conversations with homeowners about the exterior envelope usually focus more on the actual siding choice rather than trim. This is natural as siding drives more of the design dialogue and it is responsible for more of the project cost. Because trim is an accessory to the building envelope, it can be a product that is identified to reduce overall project costs to help with homeowner concerns or sticker-shock. Being able to explain the functionality of trim will help combat this objection. As a dealer, you can stay one step ahead of your customers by leveraging AZEK’s new digital learning center. AZEK Exteriors Learning Center (azeklearning.com) will feature educational modules specifically for retailers.
- Promote sustainability: AZEK Trim with PaintPro Technology has a unique sustainability story—their recently launched AZEK FULL-CIRCLE PVC RECYCLING™ takeback program keeps waste out of the landfill and makes it easier for contractors to advertise their green building practices. The FULL-CIRCLE initiative accepts PVC deck trimmings and siding scraps that are historically thrown away and reduces their environmental impact (and disposal fees) through vertically integrated recycling efforts.
- Sell the proper companion products: Ensuring the best installation and product experience relies on providing customers with the right tools. This includes offering the required fasteners, the recommended housewrap and flashing behind the siding and trim, and the proper paint. PaintPro Technology make paint application easier with faster dry times and superior adhesion with the paint. But for best long-term product performance it is imperative to choose the right paint type and color for us with AZEK trim. Always make sure your paint is a 100% acrylic latex paint approved for exterior use. Choosing the “right color” means avoiding a color with a high thermal/heat absorption often associate with darker colors. As this understanding of Light Reflective Values (LRV) and thermal absorption is less common, AZEK has made it easier with approved colors and guidelines on their website so you can double check your paint and color selection. Visit Painting Resources | AZEK Exteriors to find the right color and paint product.
Weyerhaeuser Distribution is committed to delivering the reliable, consistent products you can rely on. Connect with your Weyerhaeuser representative today about the exterior cladding solutions available in your market. www.WY.com/Distribution
