The Winner is...
Insulated Siding Not Eligible for Tax Credit
Full-Color Ads Running in Major Publications
#1 for the 9th Straight Year
Survey - List of Winning Contractors
 Summer 2006
Cedar Impressions® Double 9" Rough-Split Shakes Weather Alaskan Climate

Proper installation techniques and robust siding take Alaska head on.
 There's field testing and then there's field testing. Located 300 miles northeast of Anchorage, Gakona, Alaska, may turn out to be the ultimate field test for Cedar Impressions® D9” Rough-Split Shakes.

Asked by a homeowner to investigate the possibility of installing the Cedar Impressions panel on his home in Gakona, Rocky Ward, owner of 3 Rivers Construction, called Valley Forge for some information about the product. "I was so surprised," reports Drew Brandt, Cedar Impressions marketing manager. "My first thought was, 'How does someone in Alaska even find out about Cedar Impressions?' Rocky told me a customer found it on CertainTeed's website, but he needed to make sure the product would be suitable for Gakona's average -15° F low temperature in January. Our technical people assured me it is, and Rocky and I immediately began working out the logistics."

33 squares of Cedar Impressions D9” Rough-Split Shakes were shipped more than 3,800 miles from McPherson, KS, to Seattle, and then on to Anchorage. From there the siding was loaded onto a truck for the final 300 miles. While the initial phone calls began in October 2005, the job took nine months to complete. Below-freezing temperatures, high winds, and approximately 5 hours of daylight in the winter prevent a faster pace until the summer, when nearly 24 hours of daylight give contractors and remodelers a chance to catch up.

Now that it's installed, what does Rocky Ward think about Cedar Impressions Rough-Split Shakes? "It's great. It looks terrific; it installed smoothly; and the homeowner is delighted," he said. While Rocky acknowledged that the Cedar Impressions panels "are not like conventional lap siding", he reports that once the installers learned to lock the panels straight up instead of rocking them in from left to right, they stepped up the pace and the installation proceeded quickly.

With the patented PanelThermometer and temperature indicator lines to guide proper panel spacing, Molded Perimeter Lock to ensure positive locks that can withstand high windload pressures, and molded ribs on the back of the panel to provide structural stability, these durable polypropylene panels can take just about anything the Alaskan climate can deliver.

Click here for more information about Cedar Impressions Double 9” Rough-Split Shakes and read The Winner Is... (below) for more photos of the Rough-Split Shakes installation.



 

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Restoration Millwork Solid PVC Finish Trim Cuts, Installs, and Looks Like Real Wood.

PVC trim looks like wood, but requires virtually no maintenance.

Vinyl siding, vinyl windows, and composite and PVC fence, deck, and rail have cleared the way for homeowners to put away their sandpaper and paint brushes in favor of deck chairs and cold drinks. Trim the windows and siding with Restoration Millwork solid PVC trim, and those same homeowners can completely rid themselves of their paint brushes at the next garage sale. For low maintenance trim that looks and installs like wood, Restoration Millwork can't be beat.

Does it really look like wood? You bet. Restoration Millwork looks so authentic that it was used in the restoration of a 101-year-old home in Buffalo, NY.

Can it be milled and cut like wood? A Kentucky-based fabricator that manufactures more than 200,000 vinyl windows per year has switched to Restoration Millwork for extension jambs because it is bendable and doesn't swell when heated. But it can be heat formed to make easy work of trimming architectural windows with half-round circles, eyebrow segments, full circles, ellipses, and more.

Does it install like wood? Remodelers across the country report that they cut, shape, and rout Restoration Millwork with ordinary woodworking tools and fasten it with either nails or screws. They can choose from a variety of widths and thicknesses and count on the product's piece-to-piece consistent dimensions for accurate fit and finish every time.

Fascia, rakes, corners, window casings, custom designs, and more--use Restoration Millwork solid PVC trim whenever you want low maintenance, wood-look trim.

To view the complete line of Restoration Millwork trim as well as installation guidelines, click here.

Cedar Impressions Gets Rave Reviews from Installer

First-time installer Jennifer Baldino has good things to say about Cedar Impressions siding.

We received this email from Jennifer Baldino, an apprentice installer. Jennifer is working for Bernard Contracting in Carver, MA, installing Cedar Impressions Triple 5” Perfection Shingles.

"I am a teacher who recently took a job on a construction crew for the summer. Our first job was to re-side a house with your Cedar Impressions siding. Let me just say how impressed I am with your product. Not only with how great it looks but with the science and thought that went into the manufacturing. This was the first time I had ever worked with vinyl siding. The owner of the company who is apprenticing me had never used it either. But both of us found it to be VERY easy to work with. The instructions were excellent, and the layout made installation a breeze. I know it's unusual for a woman to be working on a construction crew to begin with and siding is not the easiest of jobs. But your product was excellent to work with and made my first week of work very enjoyable. I have recommended your product to two friends of mine who are considering re-siding their homes."

Thanks, Jennifer. And welcome to the industry.


Install CedarBoards to Cover Imperfect Walls

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.

One of the best features of CedarBoards™ Insulated Siding is the TrueComfort® Custom Contoured Foam behind every panel. In addition to increasing the R-value of the siding, the 1-1/4 ” thick foam adds strength and rigidity to the siding panel. That's why so many remodelers are choosing CedarBoards to smooth out minor imperfections in walls.

CedarBoards insulated siding can help even out wall surfaces. However, if the peaks and valleys of the walls are extreme, you will have to repair the underlayment before you install the siding. Make sure the substrate is smooth and flat, and if the surface is significantly uneven, apply 1/4" foam sheathing before installing the siding.

On factory-cut panels, the foam is set back 3/4" from both ends of the panel, and the adhesive begins 1" back from the end of the foam. To correctly overlap CedarBoards panels, slip the vinyl edge of the bottom portion of the seam between the foam and the vinyl panel. Then slide the panels together until the foam ends touch. For field-cut panels, you will have to cut back the foam 3/4" before you can overlap the panels.

To fit CedarBoards siding into trim pieces around windows, doors, and other openings, use 1-1/4" J-channel and outside CedarBoards cornerposts. Insert the field-cut or factory end of the siding panel into the J-channel or cornerpost. To fit panels into inside corners, remove 1-1/4" of additional foam from the ends of factory-cut panels. Remove 2" of foam from the ends of field-cut panels. Fit all other accessories with foam shims so the accessories are on the same plane as the panels.

You may have to build out windows, doors, and other openings so they don't look recessed. Use wood shims and either aluminum trim coil or vinyl lineals to build out the openings. If you are using utility trim or dual undersill trim to secure the panel, shim the trim to accommodate the thickness of the siding panel and remove the top 1" of the foam backing so the top of the panel fits into the shimmed trim. Do the same thing when you hang the last course of siding under the soffit.
Ask a question to Bob Werner.


Northwoods™ Hits the Market with a Bang

Homeowners respond positively to the detailed grain; deep, tapered gaps; and invisible lap joints.

Northwoods™ Shakes - the newest addition to our line of vinyl siding - is taking the country by storm. From Michigan, to Massachusetts, and along the East Coast, contractors and remodelers are reporting that homeowners are responding positively to these authentic-looking rough-split shakes.

Rob DeMild, owner of Reading Construction, reports, "Homeowners like it. The Single 7" panel has a deep 3/4" projection, and the shake pattern looks real. And customers like having 17 colors to choose from."

"We installed it for one of my customers, and it went up easily. You have to center pin the panels, and that keeps the rib width at the lap joint from being too wide or too narrow. When it's up, you can't even tell where the laps are. The panels are 10 feet long, so a course of siding goes up quickly."

Ask your local distributor about the new Northwoods Single 7" and Single 10". Shakes, or for more information, log on to http://www.certainteed.com/CertainTeed/Pro/Contractor/Siding.




Sales Tools Rule!
A regular feature designed to spotlight the purpose and use of Marketing and Sales tools.

CedarBoards Presentation Book

This extra-large size presentation book is packed with information about the features and benefits of CertainTeed CedarBoards™ insulated siding. The book’s easel-style format with spiral-bound edge allows you to flip through the pages easily, making in-home presentations a snap.
You can start off highlighting the product’s remarkable performance value. Point out how CedarBoards’ TrueComfort® custom contoured foam, which carries the government’s Energy Star rating, increases R-Value and helps reduce heating and cooling costs. Explain how the foam also serves as an effective sound barrier and provides exceptional strength and rigidity for outstanding impact resistance, and a firm wall of protection. Then, show how CedarBoards’ straight, even face, deep panel projection and natural cedar texture impart the look of authentic wide-board wood siding. The detailed product information, graphics and illustrations this book contains will help your customers clearly understand CedarBoards’ perfect balance of beauty and performance.



VSI Certified Installer Program
Now Available Nationwide

Certification can increase your credibility with homeowners.

The Vinyl Siding Institute's Certified Installer Program, which was introduced in selected cities in 2005, is now available throughout the United States and Canada. The program is a two-and-a-half day course of classroom and hands-on study of proper installation techniques for vinyl siding. Installers with more than three years experience may qualify to take the Certified Installer's examination without the course.

Walt Hoyt, CertainTeed Director of Communications and a member of the manufacturers development committee for the VSI program, explains, “This program is a tremendous opportunity for installers to earn independent validation of their knowledge and skills. The certification will add value to the contractor's sales proposition and could be the critical difference in winning jobs. The certification can also give contractors a solid answer to homeowners who ask, ‘Why should I hire you?’”

VSI Certified Trainers like our own Bob Werner teach the courses. All VSI Certified Trainers have extensive industry experience. They have also completed a Train-the-Trainer course and passed an exam on training skills and knowledge of installation techniques.

For more information about the VSI Certified Installer Program, visit www.vinylsiding.org or call VSI's toll-free hotline: 888-367-8741.


The Winner Is...

Rocky Ward of 3 Rivers Construction in Gakona, AK, took the winning photos and will receive a 2GB Apple® iPod® Nano.

We asked for photos that show CertainTeed siding in an unusual installation or setting, and we got them. These pictures were taken during the installation of Cedar Impression D9" Rough-Split Shakes (see article above). Notice that the foundation of the house is 6feet off the ground to avoid underground freeze-thaw heaving. And while you're at it, check out that clear blue sky visible for miles.


Insulated Siding Not Eligible for Tax Credit


Despite claims to the contrary by some of our competitors, the IRS has clarified its Notice 2006-26 and reminds taxpayers that newly-installed insulated siding is not eligible for the energy tax credit.

Some manufacturers are telling customers that a portion of the costs associated with purchasing their insulated siding qualifies for a tax credit because the siding is an "Eligible Building Envelope Component." However, recent IRS clarification has restricted that definition to "an insulation material or system that... is specifically and primarily designed... to reduce heat loss or gain of a dwelling unit when installed in or on the dwelling unit..."

Siding is specifically excluded as an Eligible Building Envelope Component because it is "not specifically and primarily designed to reduce heat loss or gain of a dwelling unit if its principal purposes are to provide structural support, to provide a finished surface, as in the case of drywall or siding, or to serve any other function unrelated to the reduction of heat loss or gain."

If your customers need further convincing about the IRS ruling, direct them to: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-06-53.pdf



Full-Color Ads Running in Major Remodeler Publications

If you haven't already seen them, check out the new series of full-color ads running in the popular remodeling publications. Ads in Remodeling, Professional Remodeler, Replacement Contractor, and the Journal of Light Construction highlight Cedar Impressions, Board & Batten, Millennium, and Monogram siding. We're particularly fond of the ad for Cedar Impressions Double 9" Rough Split Shakes: Wood snobs, you are officially on notice.

Cut them out. Take them with you. Your customers will enjoy seeing the siding they've chosen in these nationally recognized trade journals.


#1 for the 9th Straight Year

In the most recent brand study conducted by Remodeler magazine, you named CertainTeed the #1 siding in use and in preference:

• 85% of you said you are familiar with our brand of siding and accessories
• 57% reported that you've used CertainTeed siding more than any other brand within the last year
• 28% (nearly twice as much as the next popular brand) said CertainTeed is the brand you use most often
• 68% plan to consider using CertainTeed brand siding in the next year

What else can we say except, "Thanks."




Contractor Survey Winners
are Tuning in to CertainTeed

We had a very strong response to the recent survey we sent to our Trade Talk readers. We thank all of you who took the time to participate and help us understand how we can do a better job of serving you. Below is a listing of the ten winners we pulled from the participant drawing. They will receive an Apple 2GB iPod. Thanks again.

Here is the list:

  • Mac Smith - All Pro Improvements, Inc. - Columbia, SC
  • Scott Tenenbaum - Re-Side Unlimited LLC - Berkeley Heights, NJ
  • Kevin Shields - Advanced Home Technology - Hartford, CT
  • Randy smith - Vinylside - Warren, MI
  • David Lillibridge - Dal Construction LLC - Windsor Locks, CT
  • Jason Durante - Durante Windows & Siding - Irondale, AL
  • David Candelore - Pat Leahy construction co. - Cape May Court House, NJ
  • Thomas Weimer - TLW Roofing & Home Improvements - Dayton, OH
  • Chris Goerlich - Reasonable Roofing & Remodeling Inc. - Port Huron, MI
  • David Smith - Homesecure Construction, Inc. - Shreveport, LA

 





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