Fall 2005
A Tough Test

“I tried the Cedar Impressions Rough-Split Shakes panel because I thought it would make our home look warmer,” said Rick Auffant of HomeCraft Exteriors Plus. This is a 10-year-old home, and all the homes in the neighborhood look pretty much alike. I wanted a siding product that complements the traditional style of the home and distinguishes our house from the rest.” Taking the opportunity to gain some first-hand knowledge about installing the Rough-Split Shakes panel, Auffant recently installed 33 squares of Cedar Impressions Double 9 in. Rough-Split Shakes on his home in Center Moriches, New York.

Rigid Panel Forgives Small Discrepancies
To begin, Auffant’s crew tore off the existing siding and installed new exterior insulation. As they installed the Cedar Impressions panel, the crew noticed that the Rough-Split Shake was “more forgiving” than other panels. Auffant explained: “Because the bottom of the panel is staggered, the Rough-Split tolerates a little bit of drift. If the installers drop 1/4 to 1/2 inch from corner to corner, they don’t have to rip down the course and start over. The D9 panel is rigid, so the installers just make the adjustment in the next course.”


Mitered Cornerpost Finishes the Picture
“I like white trim,” said Auffant, “and I usually recommend it for vinyl siding. But white vinyl corners would have chopped up the house and clashed with the natural-looking cedar panel, so I used the Cedar Impressions D9 Mitered Cornerpost. It matches the Rough-Split Shakes panel and really gave the job a finished look.” Auffant’s crew installed the cornerpost as they worked their way up the wall, using the cut marks on the right-side corner gap to create a precise fit around the siding.

Asked if he would recommend Cedar Impressions Rough-Split Shakes siding to his customers, Auffant replied, “Of course. And when they ask me why, I’m going to show them pictures of my own home.”
 

Subscribe Today
Did you just learn about the Trade Talk newsletter? Did a friend or colleague forward it to you? Click here for your FREE subscription to Trade Talk.
Win an Xbox 360 Video Game System
 Send us your Sales or Installation tip. If your tip is published, you’ll win an a fully-loaded Xbox 360 System. The soon-to-be-released Xbox 360 is the next generation gaming console from Microsoft. It promises to deliver the most powerful console and the best games--unique digital entertainment experiences. (Please note: The new Xbox 360 is scheduled to be released in November. If you are the winning tipster, you’ll receive your gift soon after the Xbox is available).
Watch This Space
Every quarter you’ll have an opportunity to win a different award for sharing your tip or shortcut.
Change
Your Subscription
Click an option if you’d prefer to unsubscribe from this newsletter or update your email address.
Send this Newsletter to a friend: Click here
  

The Winners Are...
Sage Advice Wins the Tunes...
Flash It! David Smith of Homesecure Construction reminds siding installers to flash around patio deck doors correctly. Most commonly, installers use only J-channel on the floor, or they put L-flashing behind the J-channel and extend it flat onto the deck floor. In this arrangement, even silicone caulk on the connection is no long-term guarantee against water intrusion because exposed caulk eventually deteriorates and comes unsealed. The water runs under the flashing and behind the siding, causing costly repairs and mold, particularly on a second-story deck with vinyl siding on the wall below.

The fix? If the deck boards run parallel to the wall, Smith recommends you install Z-flashing behind the J-channel, flat across the first floor board and turned down the full depth of the board.

If the deck boards run perpendicular to the wall, snap a line and cut a 3/8" deep groove in the floor along the wall the entire length of the deck. Install Z-flashing behind the J-channel, flat onto the deck floor, and down 3/8" into the cut groove.

Both methods will prevent water from running under the siding and into the wall.


Dale Shoemaker of Ray St. Clair offers this tip for selling Cedar Impressions Double 9 in. Rough-Split Shakes:

Dale Shoemaker has made the D9 his “silent sales partner.” He attaches a piece of real cedar shake and a piece of D9 Rough-Split Shake to a backer board. During the sales call, Shoemaker displays the backer board, praises the beauty of cedar, and “gets lots of agreement from the owners.” When they sigh and say they know they cannot afford real cedar, Shoemaker encourages the homeowners to touch the Cedar Impressions panel. As they marvel at how authentic the Cedar Impressions panel looks, he extols its virtues, ending with how durable and affordable Cedar Impressions is compared to real cedar. Then he leaves the brochure with the homeowners when he goes out to measure for the estimate.

By the time he returns, the samples have accomplished several things. First, the homeowners are now convinced they really like the cedar look. Second, Shoemaker has just set his company apart from other siding contractors who have bid on the job. His estimate is no longer price driven; it is based on a beautiful, high-end product the homeowners really want. And he spends less time justifying his company and his prices.

Everyone wins! The homeowner gets the best possible product and job available. The installers love working on high end jobs, especially since the D9 is “so easy to install.” And his company benefits every time Shoemaker sells a high-end, higher-profit margin job.

Since adopting this sales technique, Dale Shoemaker reports that he has sold three jobs using Cedar Impressions Rough-Split Shakes: a whole house, gable ends on a brick ranch, and D9 in highlight areas of a Cedar Impressions job!



Loose-Nailing Corners

Bob Werner is CertainTeed's in-house application specialist. A former owner of his own contracting business, Bob has over 30 years of experience in the industry.

Hang loose! This is not just a recommendation for staying calm and avoiding stress—it’s the best advice I can give you for hanging vinyl SuperCorners.

Many installers make the mistake of fastening SuperCorners tight to the wall. If it’s nailed tight, the corner can’t move during the normal expansion and contraction that occurs with temperature changes. Inevitably, the corner is going to buckle, and you’ll be called back to replace the damaged corner.

To avoid unnecessary callbacks, follow these simple steps:
1. Bend a 14-in.-wide piece of aluminum trim coil 90° so you have two 7-in. legs. Flash the entire length of the corner—lapping the upper pieces over the lower pieces.
2. Position the outside cornerpost so the top of the post is 1/4 in. from the underside of the eave, and the bottom of the cornerpost is 3/4 in. below the starter strip.
3. Set the first nail into the top of the top nail slot. Leave 1/8 in. to 1/16 in. between the nail head and the cornerpost. Nail through the middle of the remaining nail slots, every 8 to 10 in. Do not tight nail the cornerpost to the wall.

Most of the expansion will occur downward; hanging the cornerpost from the top of the first nail slot will hold it in position. And the 1/8 to 1/16-in. space between the nails and the cornerpost will allow it to expand and contract as needed.

Click here to send a question to Bob Werner



What Do You Want?

By Doug Nyberg, Director of Sales Productivity, CertainTeed

A few minutes of reflection can help you identify goals and sharpen long-term planning.

There are times when it is beneficial to take a moment to reflect and ask ourselves what we really want. Why do we do what we do, day in and day out? The reasons will vary widely, but I would be willing to bet that many of you have seldom taken the time to consider it.

I know, I know; we are all extremely busy and just don’t have time to sit back and reflect on what we really want. We have jobs to get done, schedules to keep, material to order, etc. But if you can take just a few minutes to really delve into this question about yourself and your business, it might just provide a little perspective to what you’re all about.

Take your sales force for example. A clear understanding of what you want you and your business to accomplish can equip you with a much better idea of how develop your sales force into a powerful asset.

If your goal is to land the best custom jobs in your trade area, you will want your sales force equipped with the sales expertise and tools to accomplish this. These sales tools can be very different if your main goal is to keep multiple crews busy throughout the year.

No matter what you want your business to become, I’ll bet that each and every one of you wants your business to be profitable. Businesses may have different ways and means to attain the same result, but they all want to be profitable. Otherwise they will not be in business for long. No one has ever gone out of business because they are making money.

Asking yourself what you really want out of your business can help you identify a clear direction for the business to take. It helps you determine the best materials, the best sales force and the best end product for your particular customer which results in a successful and profitable business.

What do you think? Good luck and good selling.

Click here to send a question to Doug Nyberg


Nyberg to Honor Deceased Mother in Ironman World Championship Competition

Doug Nyberg’s goal is to raise $10,000 for research into a deadly neurological disease.

Last year, Doug Nyberg lost his mother to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). CJD is a rare, degenerative, and usually fatal brain disorder. Worldwide, it affects about one person in every one million people per year. Annually, about 200 people in the United States are affected.

“After my mother died,” explained Nyberg, “I spent a lot of time thinking about the people in the hospitals and assisted living facilities who can’t do the things they want. I wondered if I could complete an event like the Ironman Triathlon and thought that participating might be a good way to be active—for them.”

More than 50,000 competitors try to make the cut to compete in the Ironman World Championship at qualifying races each year, and another 5,000—like Nyberg—enter a lottery that awards 150 spots to U.S. citizens and 50 to international athletes. When his name was drawn, Nyberg reports he “was in shock.” “Can I do this? Should I do this?” were his first thoughts.

Now the formerly “barely active” Nyberg is swimming about 6 miles, biking about 160 miles, and running about 35 miles per week. “CertainTeed has been great about allowing me to have a flexible work schedule, so I’ve been training about 22 hours per week,” said Nyberg. He recently completed the half-Ironman challenge, swimming 1.2 miles, biking 56 miles, and running 13.1-miles in 6-1/2 hours.

The Ironman World Championship Competition will be held in Kona, Hawaii, on October 15th. “My goal is to complete the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26.2-mile run in under the 17 allotted hours,” said Nyberg. But he really doesn’t care about his finishing time—Doug Nyberg simply wants to get across the line and finally feel like he was able to help his mom.

You can contribute to Doug’s effort to raise $10,000 for research into Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease by following this secure link and pledging your support: https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorreg/donorpledge.asp?ievent=110214&supID=83332605. And don’t forget to tune into NBC’s broadcast of the Ironman World Championship on November 12th and watch Doug compete.




Remodeler Reminder...
It’s the last quarter of the year and time to make sure you’re taking advantage of all the benefits of the Building Solutions Remodeler Program. Participate in the Remodeler Program, and you’ll have access to customized marketing tools, merchandise and vacation rewards, and online education opportunities.

Visit www.marketzone.com to learn more about the customized marketing tools and in-home sales materials offered through the Remodeler Program. Direct mail, business cards, brochures, job-site signs, and door-knob hangers are just a few of the customized tools you can order online and have sent directly to yourself or your target audience.

If you are a remodeler and have purchased at least $30,000 in CertainTeed, Wolverine, or Ashland-Davis brand vinyl or fiber cement siding and CertainTeed, Wolverine, or Ashland-Davis brand soffit and accessories, you have accumulated points that can be applied toward merchandise and vacation awards. To learn more about the Remodeler Incentive Program, logon to www.certainteed.com/CertainTeed/Pro/Contractor

You can also boost your skills and your business savvy with CertainTeed, Wolverine, and Ashland-Davis product knowledge education courses. These courses can help you stay ahead of the competition and reward you with promotional tools to help enhance your business. After you pass just one course, your company is eligible to refer homeowners to apply for financing over the phone, online, or by fax. Pass two courses, and your company will be listed as a “Siding Specialist” on CertainTeed’s online contractor locator guide.

Don’t put it off. Logon today and discover how the Building Solutions Remodeler Program can benefit you and your business.



Terms of Use - Privacy Statement