Spring 2007

Northwoods™ Siding Complements Wildlife Refuge Location

The Classic look of painted wood shakes contributes to thenatural look and feel of a custom cottage. Building a home in a beautiful natural setting carries with it the responsibility of creating a structure that complements its surroundings. Chesapeake, Virginia, homebuilder Dinsmore’s Custom Construction had this concept in mind when it constructed a beautiful custom cottage-style home overlooking the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge near Virginia Beach, Virginia. Nestled among the trees at water’s edge, the recently completed home displays an appealing mix of modern and traditional influences and blends well with its natural surroundings. Contributing significantly to the home’s appeal is CertainTeed Northwoods™ siding, which faithfully recreates the natural look of painted wood shakes in low maintenance vinyl. With the help of Dinsmore’s Custom Construction, homeowner Roxanne Snell selected Northwoods Single 7" Straight Edge Rough-Split Shakes in Flagstone for her home’s exterior. Dinsmore’s Custom Construction hired siding contractor Modern Exteriors & Repairs of Virginia Beach to hang the siding. They installed about 50 squares of Northwoods, and to accent the arches and overhangs around the home, the crew also installed CertainTeed Vinyl Carpentry™ Beaded Triple 2" Vinyl Soffit in Colonial White. The siding and trim were purchased from distributor Eastern Aluminum Supply of Virginia, also of Virginia Beach. John Hocutt, who owns Modern Exteriors & Repairs with his son Michael Wright, is impressed with Northwoods and says that the job ran smoothly. “Northwoods siding is a very nice product,” he says. “It hangs well and looks really good on the house.” Brenda Dinsmore, who owns Dinsmore’s Custom Construction with her son Jud, was also pleased with the finished product, especially the siding. “I think the Northwoods siding looks very attractive,” she says. “The home is sort of a cottage style with an overhang, so this siding fit the style of the home very well. I like how it looks.”

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.

As you may have read earlier in this newsletter, specially designed accessories can make any siding installation a custom job. This is particularly true when installing one of our super premium or premium sidings styles. Clearly, customers who choose these panels are trying to either make their homes stand out from others in the neighborhood or match a style appropriate for the surroundings. Also, because most accessories come in a choice of colors that contrast or complement the siding, homeowners are more likely to recognize accessories as an opportunity to customize. More importantly, adding Vinyl Carpentry decorative trim and accessories and Restoration Millwork Trim to the job can significantly increase your profit margin.

Here are some of the items you should consider when developing your next sales proposal. (Step-by-step installation instructions are available at http://www.certainteed.com or by calling our Fax-on-Demand number, 800-947-0057. Press 13 for Vinyl Carpentry or Restoration Millwork and follow the prompts.)

• All CertainTeed Siding styles offer customers a wide array of functional accessories for virtually every imaginable purpose. But decorative items such as beaded, fluted, or traditional SuperCorners, window & door lineals, crown molding, corner blocks and rosettes can make any home look special.

• Cedar Impressions Perfection Shingles and Rough-Split Shakes bring even more options. Matching mitered cornerposts provide the perfect corner transition for every style. Cornice molding can add a custom finish to the top course of siding. Or, create a striking transition between two styles of siding or other cladding with band board trim.

• Northwoods Shakes - A 1" woodgrain cornerpost or 1-1/4" insulated cornerpost and 1-1/4" inside cornerpost are sized to fit the 1" panel projection and complement the cedar shake siding.

• CedarBoards Insulated Siding comes with a full line of accessories, including a Traditional SuperCorner and standard woodgrain cornerpost with TrueTexture™ finish. A new 3-1/2" finish board creates an attractive top molding piece, and a 7-1/4" wide band board with integral custom-contoured foam backing serves as a striking transition piece between two different types of cladding.

• Restoration Millwork Trim—Use this solid PVC trim around windows and doors, soffits and gables, corners and columns—anywhere decorative trim appears. It is especially appropriate for remodeling applications because, like vinyl siding, it is virtually maintenance free. That and its TrueTexture finish make Restoration Millwork an obvious replacement for wood. You can choose from trimboards, sheets, beadboard, one-piece outside and inside corners, brickmould, drip cap, and ten specialty profiles. Only your imagination can limit the custom looks you can create.

To make the most of your projects, and your profits, don't forget decorative accessories with each of your application designs. For design ideas and more information about decorative trim and accessories, ask your distributor for Vinyl Carpentry & Restoration Millwork (CTS160) and Great Ideas! (CTS181). CertainTeed Vinyl Carpentry™ Accessories & Decorative Trim (CTS154) contains product descriptions and a helpful siding/accessories matrix.

Ask a question to Bob Werner.

If there ever were a reason to let samples tell the story, this is it.
The new Wood Comparison Samples illustrate the natural TrueTexture rough cedar finish of Monogram 46 (CTS1084) and the extra smooth finish of Restoration Smooth (Code WT817) versus real wood samples. It’s a powerful way to demonstrate how the CertainTeed finishes replicate real wood.

Need to demonstrate how the PanelThermometer helps properly space Cedar Impressions panels? The new D7" Baggie Sample (CTS142) contains two 12"-long D7" panels you can use to show installers how to use the PanelThermometer and temperature indicator marks to set the spacing of Cedar Impressions panels.

Contact your CertainTeed distributor or Territory Manager to learn how you can receive these useful samples.

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Steven Alves of Stevens Home Improvement Company, Inc., of Fairhaven, MA, sent in this winning tip: "I use a two-step close. The first step, of course, includes measuring, taking digital pictures, listening to the customer, creating a diagram of the house, etc. Before I leave the home after this first visit, I make the follow-up appointment and ask the homeowners to pick a few siding colors. When I come back for the next appointment, I show the digital pictures I took and display the color samples on the house to show the customer larger actual pieces. I find when I take those few extra steps, the customer starts to feel obligated to deal with my company, and the close is more assured. Finally, I don't assume that just because I've done work for a customer previously, I don't have to follow all the selling steps. It isn't a done deal until I have a contract and a deposit check."

Thanks for the tip, Steven.

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By Doug Nyberg
In November 2006, Remodeling magazine published its annual Cost vs. Value survey, a report of average construction costs and resale values for a range of common remodeling projects. The data continue to support the value of remodeling in adding to the resale value of homes.

Vinyl siding remains the best remodeling value for mid-range projects, recouping a whopping 87.2% of its installed cost. For the full report, including a look at regional costs and resale values, go to http://www.remodeling.hw.net/industry-news.asp?sectionID=0&articleID=386605