The new PROS social channels exist to inspire, entertain, celebrate, and foster collaboration with the talented architects, builders, contractors, designers, and others who bring dreams and visions to life. In the early stages of our new platforms, we’ll be sharing inspiring photo and video content from building pros and suppliers.
Soon, you’ll also see a range of original content, including socially optimized training sessions and Q&As, installation how-tos and tips, jobsite footage, and much more. We plan to showcase collaborations with influencers throughout the year and provide high-quality on-site content—builder interviews, jobsite footage, project highlights—designed to highlight and serve building pros. And keep a lookout for giveaways.
We are building the Westlake Royal PROS community together—for and with our pros—so we’re asking our legacy followers, brand users, and new customers to get involved and stay tuned for more great stuff in the works.
Want to get started and be involved?
• First, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram (and, soon, TikTok).
• Have awesome work to share? Tag us to be featured: @westlakeroyalpros #westlakeroyal.
• Have a special project in mind? DM us for collaboration opportunities.
• Have questions, suggestions, or feedback? Comment or DM us for support.
After missing last year’s International Builders’ Show due to the pandemic, builders, remodelers, designers, and other building pros descended on Orlando Feb. 8-10 with enthusiasm. In fact, NAHB is reporting that 70,00 people attended Design & Construction Week, the combination of the International Builders’ Show and the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show.
We were excited to be at the show under our new family at Westlake Royal Building Products. Boral North America was acquired by Westlake last year, and the new Westlake Royal Building Products brand brings together the rich legacy of three leading North American Building Product Manufacturers: Royal® Building Products, Boral® North America building products, and DaVinci® Roofscapes.
We also debuted our new TruExterior 5/8” Lap Siding, available this spring. The new profile combines the coveted look and shadow lines of traditional lap siding with the high performance of TruExterior’s poly-ash material.
TruExterior 5/8″ Lap Siding
Couldn’t make the trip to Orlando? Here are a few observations and happenings from the show floor.
• Serious commitment: Where in year’s past many show attendees were there to browse or reward employees, this year’s attendees meant business, eager to learn, connect, and place orders. The cause could be the pandemic or the urgency of a tight supply chain, but we were thrilled to have numerous detailed discussions with new and existing customers.
• Influencers galore: Influencers have been around for years, but we saw more of them than ever this year, recording their experiences and chronicling trends. These influencers are often skilled craftspeople and savvy designers, so seeking them out on social platforms can give you a great view of the show.
• Fewer new products: Where in years’ past many manufacturers unveiled a host of new products and materials, it seemed they weren’t as prevalent this year, perhaps driven by companies’ ongoing focus on filling orders and overcoming supply chain issues. But the show wasn’t completely devoid of new items. In addition to our TruExterior 5/8” Lap Siding, check out product roundups from The Journal of Light Construction and Pro Builder
• Enthusiasm and relief: For many attendees, attending IBS brought a sense of normalcy. While the industry was quick to adapt to the pandemic with virtual meetings, construction also relies on handshakes, face-to-face problem-solving, and seeing products in person. There was a palpable sense of excitement for the return to the industry’s biggest annual event.
With the enthusiasm and overall positive vibes from this year’s Builders’ Show, many are already getting excited for next year’s Design & Construction Week, which will return to Las Vegas Jan. 31-Feb. 2, 2023. Adding to the anticipation was the announcement that the National Hardware Show will co-locate with IBS and KBIS in 2023.
TruExterior Siding & Trim combines the look of wood with high-performance attributes that allow for high levels of dimensional stability and low maintenance. Plus, TruExterior is easy to install. In fact, contractors find working with TruExterior faster and easier than working with wood. You can cut, miter, and apply TruExterior siding with very few limitations.
In addition, TruExterior doesn’t require sealing of end cuts in the field, can be used in ground-contact applications, and can be painted any color.
Check out our new three-part video series where contractor and educator Mike Sloggatt outlines the steps and best practices for installing TruExterior Siding in a horizontal application.
Chapter 1: Setup
Learn how to install the corners, mark reference lines and nailing patterns, use a story pole to set up the skirt board and throughout panel installation, and install the skirt board.
Chapter 2: Installation
Learn more about skirt boards, how to properly align fasteners, joints, tools, and more.
Chapter 3: Corners
Learn about different corner options and how to install them.
Learn more about installing TruExterior Siding & Trim and download installation guides here.
After going virtual in 2021 due to the pandemic, the International Builders’ Show returns in-person, and returns to Orlando, Feb. 8-10, 2022. Once again the show is co-located with the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) for Design & Construction Week.
Along with general excitement for the return of face-to-face events, here are some must-dos to help you get the most out of your show experience.
Educational Sessions
As usual, the IBS conference is packed with helpful sessions, including trends, design, installation, and business tools. Here are a few that caught our eye:
In addition to cruising the exhibit floor and attending knowledge sessions, you can see the latest in design and product trends through show homes and tours. This year, these include:
• ProBuilder Show Village Located just steps outside the convention center, this year’s Show Village features four homes that respond to what people value today: greater flexibility, more private outdoor space, and safety and health as a top priority. Take a self-guided tour, watch live how-to demos, view exclusive exhibits, and more. More details: https://pbshowvillage.com/
• The New American Home Each year, The New American Home showcases the newest products and design trends, as well as the latest construction practices that ensure efficient, durable homes. This year’s show home is located in Laureate Park at Lake Nona and is being designed to achieve National Green Building Standard “Emerald” certification, Energy Star Certification, Indoor airPLUS Certification, DOE’s Zero Energy Ready Home Program Certification, and net-zero. Details and tour/shuttle ticket info: https://www.tnah.com/
• The New American Remodel This year’s New American Remodel is a one-story, 6,993-square-foot property featuring indoor-outdoor living, a detached guest house, and a luxurious summer kitchen. Like The New American Home, it is being remodeled to achieve National Green Building Standard “Emerald” certification, Energy Star Certification, Indoor airPLUS Certification, DOE’s Zero Energy Ready Home Program Certification, and net-zero. Details and tour/shuttle ticket info: https://www.tnarh.com/
• IBS Building Zone Get the latest expertise on building more durable, energy-efficient, higher-quality homes. Across the three days, you’ll find how-to demos, presentations diving deeper into demo techniques and best practices, and full-size displays of walls, roofs, and other components for an up-close look at the details being discussed. More details: https://www.buildersshow.com/focus/focus.aspx?showPageID=21226
• Outdoor Living Pavilion Head to the South Hall for the Design & Construction Week Outdoor Pavilion, showcasing the latest outdoor/backyard products, from decking to lighting to appliances.
See What’s New From Westlake Royal Building Products at booth W2520
Boral Building Products recently joined the Westlake Exteriors family, and we’re excited to see you at IBS at the Westlake Royal Building Products booth, #W2520. IBS marks the official debut of the new Westlake Royal Building Products brand, bringing together the rich legacy of three leading North American Building Products Manufacturers: Royal® Building Products, Boral® North America building products, and DaVinci® Roofscapes.
At our booth, you’ll find a breadth of innovative exterior and interior building products, including the brand-new 5/8” Lap Siding from TruExterior. The new profile combines the coveted look and shadow lines of traditional lap siding with the high performance of TruExterior’s poly-ash material.
Get your free Builders’ Show expo pass, which includes access to the exhibits at both the International Builders’ Show and the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, here: https://ibs22.buildersshow.com/928
Renderings aren’t a new concept—architects have relied on them for decades, and builders have often employed them for marketing materials. But advancements in technology for renderings and computer-generated images (CGI) are making these tools even more relevant to home selling, both as a way to market and sell homes as well as to assist buyers with purchasing decisions. And as the pandemic accelerates virtual selling, builders who don’t get on board might find themselves falling behind with digital-savvy (and digital-expectant) younger buyers.
We checked in with Bob Masulis, president of RM Design Studio in Bartlett, Ill., about the importance of leveraging today’s visualization tools—and why they’re more important than ever.
What Are the Benefits of Using Renderings?
For those who specialize in renderings and CGI, the goal is, essentially, to make a pretty picture, Masulis says. “Whatever you’re selling—a property, a product—you come to us to create something cool for marketing.”
Drawings and renderings are not new in brochures and marketing materials, but new innovations and better imaging are elevating their use. In new master-planned communities, CGI and virtual experiences fill the void before model homes are built.
Floor plans just aren’t sufficient to help potential buyers fully understand and experience the eventual finished product, but realistic renderings and CGI give them the ability to see the kitchen, bathrooms, family room, etc., providing a better understanding of what’s being built.
This means the builders and developers are able to cost effectively show their home the day the community opens for sale, adding tremendous marketing capability that can accelerate the sales process to help save time and money in the long run.
Along with more realistic and relatable visuals compared to a flat floor plan, renderings offer the right size and scale, which makes it easier to compare the sizes of the rooms. They also can show features less visible in a plan, such as a tray ceiling, without the buyer having to decipher small words and labels.
“It gives people a feeling for what the homes in the community will look like—it gives them physical and emotional scale,” Masulis notes. “It takes undefinable numbers and measurements and turns it into something emotional.”
Renderings also can help strengthen the community approval process. RM Design Studio, for example, can take a developer’s sketch and turn it into a rendering that looks like it’s been designed and photographed, elevating presentations for public hearings and design review boards.
Rendering featuring TruExterior 6″ Nickel Gap Siding painted dark grey, TruExterior 6″ Nickel Gap siding painted red, and Versetta Stone panelized stone siding (Tight-Cut profile in Terra Rosa).
What’s Changed With Renderings?
Of course, renderings aren’t a new concept. But computers and technology have advanced rapidly over the past decade—just in time to keep up with surging demand for digital-first sales.
Builders typically can only afford to build about three models, no matter how many plans they offer, relying on floor plans for the rest. But now, with CGI, you can very affordably build out the other models in virtual mode, allowing home buyers to see them in a way they’re more comfortable with. This not only opens up all models the day sales begin, it ensures a more balanced playing field for all plans.
Rendering featuring 7″ Foundry Split Shake siding in Eggshell 034, green vinyl lap siding, Versetta Stone panelized stone siding in Tight-Cut Sand, and Mid America three- and five-board spaced shutters in Tuxedo Grey 018.
These innovations have been especially welcome during the pandemic, as buyers have embraced virtual experiences to reduce in-person contact or shop from afar. Even as social distancing needs ease, expect these virtual selling tools to continue, particularly as Millennials and Gen Z become the chief buying demographic.
Using CGI tools provides for easier product swaps, as well. If products are discontinued or trends change over the course of a multi-year community build, they can be easily switched out in the virtual tours and renderings. It also allows builders to adjust and re-use the virtual models in other communities.
Virtual walk-throughs using computer-generated images immerse the buyer in the experience similar to touring a model home in person—they can spin around, “walk” from room to room, zoom in, learn more about features and products, and even swap out colors and materials.
You can experience this type of technology for yourself at Show Village during the upcoming International Builders’ Show. In addition to in-person tours, visitors near and far can tour the two demonstration homes via an “Immersive Home Experience” on their laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Virtual host “James” will point out key features, and visitors can click on icons for more details on various products and design elements.
The advantages don’t just benefit large builders and developers. For smaller operations selling small communities of semi-custom homes, virtual models can provide much-needed marketing relief and help sell the home before it’s completed, providing time to make changes to suit each buyer’s preferences.
Rendering featuring Versetta Stone panelized stone siding (Tight-Cut profile in Northern Ash) and TruExterior poly-ash siding (6” Channel Bevel and 10” Nickel Gap).
For custom builders, renderings and CGI help buyers visualize how certain design decisions will impact the look and livability of their home. For example, Masulis used CGI to design his own kitchen remodel, and experimenting with the colors made him realize that the all-white cabinets he’d planned needed some balance with wood grain or color on the island. (See a similar process for yourself with Boral Building Products’ Virtual Remodeler tool.)
This type of visualization provides tremendous power for builder and buyer alike. By leveraging the capabilities of CGI and virtual selling tools, builders can not only more effectively sell, but can bring welcome confidence to customers that they’ll be getting the home they envision and the home of their dreams.
Whether in renderings or in person, Boral Building Products’ portfolio of siding, trim, and accessory brands offer a diversity of styles to meet the needs of your buyers and communities.
As we embark on a new year, some familiar stories are influencing home and remodeling trends. Most notably, the pandemic, with homeowners continuing to fill their stay-at-home time with projects inside and out. Supply chain and labor challenges persist, but aren’t stopping building pros and DIYers alike from creating beautiful spaces to live and work.
Here’s a look at some of the biggest trends in home exteriors this year:
1. Remodeling Reigns
The combination of the pandemic and low new-home inventory continues to drive interest in remodeling projects, despite ongoing supply chain challenges. Everything is on the table, including exterior revitalization and interior overhauls. On the exterior, homeowners tired of looking at faded, dated facades are replacing siding with authentic-looking profiles and trendy-but-resale-friendly colors. Alternatively, they’re adding easy upgrades such as new shutters, gable vents, and mounting blocks for a quick-but-impactful refresh.
2. Outdoor Living Going Strong
Not surprisingly, the trend toward outdoor living spaces endures, as Americans seek to expand the livable footprint of their homes, crave places of respite, and desire more space to entertain. And they’re looking for the comforts they enjoy indoors to be available outside, from stylish seating areas to outdoor heaters to decked-out kitchens and TVs.
When planning the outdoor space, look for ways to create designated areas, whether via multi-level decks or by creating visual breaks with different color deck boards used as picture framing or dividers. Fire pits or fireplaces are a must-have and can be dressed up with less hassle and lower costs by using a panelized stone product.
3. Modern & Contemporary Looks
Modern styles or contemporary twists on traditional styles continue to come on strong, and are migrating from the coasts to some traditional markets in the Midwest. Think single-sloped roofs, clean lines, and less ornamentation. Part of these trending looks includes the move toward black window frames, black stone accents, and black or dark-colored trim, often paired with white siding. (TruExterior poly-ash trim is a great option for this trend, as it can be painted dark colors, even black, without worry.)
Even in areas like Charleston, S.C., where traditional styles are beloved (and often mandated), small contemporary touches are appearing, including dark trims, dark stone, and black gutters. But here, traditional siding colors of light blues and neutrals remain the norm.
Within this trend, mitered corners are growing in popularity, providing the crisp, sleek look that works well with contemporary designs or provides a nod to modern. TruExterior works well here, too, because there’s less worry about cracking and splitting, so the look stays clean over time.
4. Modern Farmhouses Are Still In
Despite some predictions, social media and community models are still dominated by interpretations of the modern farmhouse look. Along with white, vertical siding, we’re seeing wood accents that are helping to keep the styles warm and cozy.
5. Vertical Siding
Not surprisingly, the modern farmhouse craze has driven interest in vertical siding for other types of homes, as well, especially in accent gables. Board-and-batten is taking market share from shake in some traditional regions.
6. Low Maintenance
When it comes to product durability, the desire for low maintenance materials remains strong. Homeowners are willing to pay a little more for products that don’t require frequent upkeep that costs them time and money year after year. This includes turning to siding alternatives that look like wood but don’t require regular painting or staining.
7. Easy Installation
As labor shortages persist, and as stuck-at-home homeowners tackle DIY projects on their own, products that can be installed quickly and easily will continue to hold favor. For example, Versetta Stone panelized stone siding installs with nails or screws without sacrificing the sought-after look of stone, making it an easy option for exterior siding, interior accent walls, and fireplace surrounds.
With a portfolio of siding, trim, and accessory brands, Boral Building Products makes it easy to respond to the trends in your market. Learn more here.
Fine Homebuilding magazine recently completed its 2020-2021 demonstration home, the magazine’s first remodeled show house, in Greenwich, Conn. The 80-year-old house underwent a transformation that included a dramatic modernization in style and a deep energy retrofit.
The team updated the home’s layout, opening it up inside and infusing it with a Scandinavian-inspired aesthetic. The team tackled the homeowners’ desire for high performance through a range of details, including air-sealing, insulation, and mechanical systems, with a goal of net-zero energy and Passive House performance.
The original cedar exterior was transformed by TruExterior Shiplap Channel siding in a vertical orientation and painted in Benjamin Moore’s Glacier White to complete the Modern Farmhouse look. TruExterior’s reversible Shiplap-Nickel Gap profile provides a finishing touch on the gable around the balcony door and on the porch ceiling.
“TruExterior is really unlike any other siding or trim material on the market,” said Fine Homebuilding’s Justin Fink. “It cuts and handles just like wood, but it’s more durable, more temperature stable than PVC, and it takes paint beautifully.”
Three major paint manufacturers—Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, and Behr—have released their 2022 Colors of the Year. Surprisingly, all three are various shades soothing, subtle greens. Less surprising are the common adjectives and themes that guided their selections, with words like “calm,” “fresh,” “cool,” “peace,” and “hope.” After two years of the pandemic, the trending color palettes reflect not only our collective need to create a peaceful sanctuary at home, but also infuse modern creativity to find our passions and move forward.
Here’s a closer look at the three color palettes.
2022 Colors of the Year
Benjamin Moore named October Mist as its Color Of the Year 2022. “The gently shaded sage quietly anchors a space, while encouraging individual expression through color,” the company says.
Image courtesy Benjamin Moore
October Mist is one of 14 hues in a palette the company calls, “harmonious yet diverse, reliable yet whimsical, and meditative yet eclectic.” The collection includes luminous pales such as Hint of Violet and Quiet Moments, botanicals like Pale Moon, and refreshed primaries such as Wild Flower.
Sherwin-Williams’ Color of the Year 2022 is Evergreen Fog, a simple but sophisticated green-gray that the company describes as soothing and subtle. “Get a fresh start with a restorative shade that breathes freshness into modern interiors,” the manufacturer says.
Image courtesy Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog pairs well with nature-inspired hues like Urbane Bronze (the manufacturer’s 2021 Color of the Year), Uber Umber, and Woven Wicker for a modern, organic feel.
Behr’s Color of the Year—Breezeway—is “a silvery green shade with cool undertones,” the manufacturer describes. “The color is inspired by naturally stunning sea glass found on the shore of salty beaches. … It evokes feelings of coolness and peace while representing a desire to move forward and discover newfound passions.”
Image courtesy Behr
In its Color Trends 2022 Palette designed to inspire a hopeful start to the new year, Behr pairs Breezeway with 19 soothing shades and warm tones ranging from a muted clay-pink Sunwashed Brick to a bold terracotta red Perfect Penny.
Though the colors of the year tend to address interiors, it’s important to consider the flow from inside to out. Rather than strict lines between bold exteriors and relaxed interiors, a fluid progression is worth considering to ensure harmony as homeowners frequently blend indoor and outdoor living.
Foundry Shakes
Ready to take advantage of the latest color trends? Boral Building Products’ exterior siding and trim products offer the perfect opportunity to incorporate similar hues to the Colors of the Year. Check out the range of muted neutrals available from Foundry Siding (like the Shakes pictured above), learn how Atlantic Shutters can be matched to nearly any color, and explore how TruExterior Siding & Trim can be painted any color, making it easy to respond to the latest preferences.
With construction going as strong as ever and labor shortages prominent around the country, slowing down for cold, wet weather isn’t always an option for many workers. Here are a few winter work gear picks to help keep you comfortable on the jobsite as the temps start to drop. (Disclaimer: Boral Building Products is not affiliated with the following companies and does not endorse the products.)
Insulated Bomber Jacket
New from Duluth Trading Co.’s 40 Grit brand, this bomber jacket is made with durable 9.9-ounce 100% cotton twill, a quilted insulated polyester lining, metal rivets at pressure points for added durability, and a ribbed collar, hem, and cuffs to keep out the cold. The jacket includes pen sleeves, snap-close handwarmer pockets, a utility chest pocket, and an inside pocket, along with a back loop for hanging.
Waterproof Work Boot
Combining durability and protection with cushioning and comfort engineering, CAT Footwear’s Accomplice X waterproof steel-toe work boots are ideal for everyday use, the company says. Features include a soft, breathable nylon mesh sock lining with pro-biotic odor control, a durable rubber outsole for traction, and Cement Construction for a durable-yet-lightweight feel.
Base Layer Pants
Designed for mild to cold conditions, Ergodyne’s N-Ferno 6481 Lightweight Base Layer Pants are made with lightweight, breathable stretch fabric to keep you warm without overheating and without a constricting or bulky feel. For added comfort, the pants also feature an elastic waistband, moisture-wicking technology, anti-odor technology, a breathable mesh fly, flatlock seams, and a tagless interior. The pants are machine washable.
Heated Jackets
Milwaukee Tool has launched the next generation of its M12 Heated ToughShell jackets. Powered by the company’s M12 RedLithium battery technology, Heated Gear distributes heat across body areas via carbon fiber heating elements woven in between exterior materials and thermal insulating liners. The new M12 Heated ToughShell features Stretch Polyester with 80% more stretch and five times longer life, offering better mobility and flexibility while being lightweight and comfortable. The new jacket heats up in 2.5 minutes and allows for battery placement in the front or back depending on the situation.
Hi-Vis Hoodie
This hooded sweatshirt from Blaklader offers added warmth in high-vis yellow or orange. It features a large front pocket; interior phone pocket with zipper; a fixed, adjustable hood; and a ribbed hem. The sweatshirt includes reflective tape on the body, sleeves, and shoulders.
Winter Work Gloves
The Coldwork Original work glove from Mechanix is made with heavyweight fleece and C40 3M Thinsulate insulation, along with water-resistant SoftShell on the back to block out wind. The gloves’ palm side features synthetic leather with touchscreen-capable technology. Other details include a thermoplastic rubber closure for a secure fit and Armortex thumb saddle reinforcement. Five sizes are available.
Knit Beanie
This classic beanie from Dickies features a 4-inch fold-up cuff for a customizable fit. The hat is made with soft acrylic to trap heat and keep the head warm and comfortable. Fifteen colors are available, including neon yellow (shown), neon orange, black, brown duck, aged brick, oatmeal, and white.
Whether they own or rent, people want to be proud of where they live and feel good coming home. And whether it’s a custom single-family bungalow or a condo in a three-story multifamily building, first impressions are everything and comfort is paramount. Multifamily dwellers don’t want to sacrifice simply because they share walls and common areas—and savvy developers and builders are responding by paying closer attention to exterior facades and outdoor amenities.
Multi-Textured Facades
Many trends trickle over from single-family design, and that’s certainly the case with the drive toward multi-textured facades. The days of building a 120-unit monotone apartment building with plain block under gray vinyl are fading fast. Like single-family homes, more multifamily properties are emerging with a blend of cladding materials and colors, such as stone and siding, EIFS and stone, or stone and brick. Leveraging multiple textures adds visual interest while adding dimension and differentiation between buildings, while accents and trimwork provide essential finishing touches. The resulting looks lean more home-like and comfortable instead of industrial and one-note.
Versetta Stone and TruExterior Siding offer an ideal combination for achieving these looks. Versetta Stone siding offers the look of stone but with a panelized format that installs like traditional siding along with a built-in rainscreen. Made with poly-ash technology, TruExterior Siding comes in a range of authentic profiles and can be painted any color, including dark hues that look great in multifamily buildings in urban or suburban areas.
Along similar lines, we’re seeing variation in dimension, with more balconies, decks, recesses, and bumpouts. Along with adding aesthetic appeal and differentiation, these features can help define individual units.
Because multiple materials also often means multiple trades, it increases the risk of failure in the wall system. Extra caution should be taken to ensure everyone works together and plans ahead collaboratively and schedules thoughtfully to ensure the integrity of the air and water barriers.
In fact, it’s wise to create a small-scale mockup, which will allow for more careful planning and upfront identification of problem areas.
Outdoor Amenities
COVID-19 lockdowns were harder on multifamily dwellers, who don’t have spacious yards to escape to, and further brought attention to the need to incorporate outdoor features into condo and apartment buildings. Creative incorporation through balconies, roof decks, courtyards, and pocket parks should be top of mind for builders, as the desire for these spaces isn’t likely to fade even as the pandemic does. Shared outdoor areas with fire pits and lounge seating are an ideal way to not only provide more room to move, but also build a sense of community that may keep tenants in place for longer.
The pandemic also saw a significant increase in pet ownership, so incorporating dog parks or dog-friendly areas also can be beneficial to residents and property managers alike.
On the transportation front, the impact of both electric bikes and electric cars shouldn’t be ignored. Consider not just space for bicycle parking, but covered areas that can protect electric bikes. And factor in spaces in your parking facilities that can accommodate car charging.
Fannie Mae expects the trends that helped multifamily turn around in 2021, following the impact of the pandemic, to continue elevating demand for the next five years. Ensure your properties are at the top of buyers’ and renters’ lists by keeping aesthetics, performance, and occupant comfort top of mind.
Creating multi-textured facades is easy with Boral Building Products’ portfolio of siding, trim, and accessory brands. Learn more here.
By now, many builders and remodelers have a Facebook page, a LinkedIn page, and perhaps a Twitter account. But should you be doing more to stay on trend?
We chatted with two contractors who are continually pushing the envelope on social media—one who’s grown to influencer status on Instagram and another who has built a massive follower base on TikTok—to see why they’re finding success staying on top of the hottest platforms.
Why Is Social Media Important for Construction Businesses
Remodeler Joe Danz, owner of Boston Exterior Remodeling, has become something of a star on Instagram, telling stories, posting his company’s work, and connecting with manufacturers. “Instagram really has changed the platform, how contractors in real time can show their work, show problem solving, show products,” Danz says. “People are really receptive to that because they enjoy content. Homeowners can see our page and know we’re serious about what we’re doing, that we’re craftsmen, that we take pride in what we’re doing.”
Danz says social media content also helps provide validation. “If someone is looking up ideas and they see the same company over and over, and their friends are following you, they start to vet you. It’s another form of word of mouth.”
In fact, Danz says social media has become an essential lead generator for the company. “I would say 60% of our business comes from social media at this point.”
Plus videos and imagery on social media also provide a more detailed look at quality and craftsmanship, allowing a remodeler to charge more for their work.
In this traditional Instagram post, Boston Exterior Remodeling showed in-progress and completed images of an 1870s Victorian featuring Boral’s Foundry Grayne siding in Rustic Slate (click to scroll through the album on Instagram).
Kyle Stumpenhorst, owner of Rural Renovators (aka RR Buildings) in Franklin Grove, Ill., has 1.7 million followers on TikTok, eschewing the notion that it’s an app for youth doing dances.
On the short-video app, participants use shared music and sounds (or their own original audio) to create content. While widely known for dances and music, it’s quickly become a place for education, demonstrations, and idea sharing. As a result, creative contractors, trades, and manufacturers in the building industry have been jumping on the trend.
Stumpenhorst uses the app from the jobsite to show craftsmanship and installation techniques, both in straightforward videos as well as leveraging the app’s unique features and trends.
“I just want to bring awareness to the trades, to cool tools, and overall post-frame construction,” he says.
Strategies for Social Media Success
For those just starting out on social, Danz encourages a jump-in-and-stick-with-it approach. “It doesn’t matter how many followers you have or how many likes you get,” he advises. “You just want to show your company in a good way. If you do that and stay with it, you’ll get noticed. It does validate your company.”
Danz also cautions that you need to enjoy doing social media to get the most success out of it. “What you put into it is what you get out of it.”
“I think a big reason for my success was consistently creating unique content that was positive and educational,” he adds. “People could learn something while also being inspired or motivated to do something themselves.”
Boston Exterior’s posts include tips and tricks, such as using the water tube approach to leveling:
Also, revealing new approaches, including this use of Kleer PVC trim:
The type of content varies greatly based on what your audiences respond to as well as the style of platform. For example, Instagram is great for showcasing finished projects or before-and-afters, and Instagram stories offer an opportunity for quick videos of your craftsmanship and process.
And showing the people doing the work is important, too. “They want to see the faces behind it, not just the pretty pictures,” Danz advises.
And, of course, creating pictorials of completed projects:
And be sure to adapt your content based on the unique features of the app. TikTok is a platform that thrives on using songs and keeping up with trends. Along with more traditional videos, RR Buildings makes videos to trending sounds or, in this case, playing on viewers’ love of “satisfying” sounds and actions while simultaneously showing its roofing prowess: https://www.tiktok.com/@rrbuildings/video/7025047484443397381
Like other platforms, TikTok is interactive and thrives on engagement, allowing viewers to comment, share, and even “duet” your videos to make them their own. You can respond to questions as a comment or with another video, as RR Buildings did here regarding its timber framing techniques: https://www.tiktok.com/@rrbuildings/video/6935528335183187206
There’s perhaps no better origin story for a wedding venue than one that begins with its own proposal and labor of love.
Jim and Debra Scano were strolling the land they had owned since 2015. Jim knew he wanted to build something near the pond, and Debra suggested he design them a place to get married. And thus Bella Terra was born.
The stunning venue, located in Gunter, Texas, near Dallas, blends the aesthetics and amenities of a barn setting with an elegant flair and modern sensibilities. Along with the interior volumes one would expect, catering to more intimate gatherings of 150-200 people, the barn offers about 2,000 square feet of porches, providing ample space to move around, find respite, and take in the serene surroundings.
The nearby pond is nestled among gentle rolling hills, a rarity in this typically flat region. They designed the venue to be more wide than tall so as not to disrupt the landscape that inspired its creation.
Bella Terra stands out from other venues in its appearance, as well. The building eschews the typical red or white color tones for a subtle gray replicated from a barn the Scanos had seen in Vermont that was clad in rough-sawn pine and stained.
The path to achieving the look wasn’t initially easy: They originally used wood siding with stain, but after a year the boards began cupping, warping, and coming off the building. The Scanos searched for a better solution, then set aside two months in early 2021 to re-side the entire exterior.
Jim knew they needed a more robust option, but was grappling with how to achieve the same look as the failing wood—after all, couples had booked the venue based on images and site visits, so a drastic change in appearance could be disastrous. After some research, he found TruExterior Siding from Boral Building Products, a Westlake company, and requested samples from their local rep. Jim tried some techniques and was able to match the look of the wood by spraying on medium brown paint, which mimicked the look of a stain, and then dry-brushing on gray paint.
“Because TruExterior has texture, it took to that really well,” Jim says. “You have to have the highs and lows, so it takes paint a certain way to leave some of the brown behind.”
And while the painted 10-inch Nickel Gap replicated the authentic original look, TruExterior Siding helped ensure the performance issues wouldn’t be repeated. Made with proprietary poly-ash technology, the siding resists rot, decay, and insects while ensuring long-term performance with low maintenance.
“Changing the siding and finding a new solution was such a huge stress,” Jim says. “So far, I couldn’t be more satisfied with the results.”
Jim’s attention to detail carries throughout the venue. He built the wood bar himself, as well as the chandeliers, helping to save on budget while achieving the form and function required of the vast space. Elegant, contemporary fixtures in the bathrooms, clean lines throughout, and black-framed windows balance the more traditional wood beams and knotty pine walls to achieve the ideal blend of rustic and modern sought after by Dallas brides.
The result is a true labor of love—and, as envisioned, Jim and Debra were the first to be married at Bella Terra when it opened in February 2019.
It’s likely of little surprise to anyone that the latest American Institute of Architects’ Home Design Trends Survey reveals that two of the most popular features for today’s homeowners, by a large margin, are outdoor living spaces and home offices.
In its recently released Q3 2020 Home Design Trends study, the AIA reported that within the “special function rooms/areas” category, outdoor living not only led the way, but grew since last year, with 70% of architects reporting increasing interest compared to 61% the year before. Very close behind were home offices, with 69% of architects indicating increasing interest, which was 1 percentage point higher than 2020.
These two features far outpaced other options on the list, including “multiple offices/zoom room/space for virtual meetings” (48%), flex space (46%), and an au pair/in-law suite (42%).
Elsewhere in the survey, “low maintenance” led the Products category, with 54% of architects indicating increasing interest, down 2 percentage points from last year. (Seeking to capitalize on this trend? Check out our TruExterior Siding & Trim, which offers the authentic look of wood without the moisture and maintenance concerns.) This was followed by smart thermostats (52%) and synthetic materials (48%). Farther down the list, infrared heaters, a hot item for those looking to extend the livability of outdoor living spaces into colder months due to the pandemic, saw a big jump from 10% in 2020 to 37% in 2021.
Under technology, the survey saw a surge in interest in several categories: electric car docking stations, which jumped from 62% in 2020 to 74% in 2021; technology-friendly systems, which increased from 53% to 62%; back-up power generation, which soared from 46% to 60%; and solar panels, which saw the most dramatic change, from 37% in 2020 to 54% in 2021.
Visit the Q3 AIA Home Design Trends Survey to see all of the results, previous survey categories from this year, and an archive of past surveys.
Whether a Modern Farmhouse design or creating accents on a gable, board-and-batten is one of the hottest trends in home exterior design. And it’s easy to create the board-and-batten look using just TruExterior Trim. Not only does TruExterior’s poly-ash formula deliver the ideal combination of authentic looks and high performance, TruExterior installs with ease and can be painted any color.
Here’s how to create the coveted board-and-batten look using TruExterior Trim:
• Due to the vertical installation, be sure to use a drainable housewrap between the siding and the wood sheathing to ensure moisture has a pathway to escape the wall cavity.
• Choose 1X, 5/8”, or 5/4” trim thickness. Which one is simply a preference for the homeowner and installer
• For a traditional board-and-batten look, use 1×12 trimboard as the board and 1×3 trimboard as the batten.
• Find center on the wall and plan your layout to determine if it’s best to start with a batten or a board at that center point; you want to avoid having only a sliver of board when you reach the outer edges.
• Once you’ve chosen center board or center batten, start by installing a board first. If it’s a center board, mark the center of the wall, line up the board, and put it in place using 6D or 8D stainless steel or hot-dipped ring shank nails every 16” (and no less than 3/4” from the board edge) directly into the plywood or OSB.
• Install boards, moving away from center, leaving 3/4” of space between each board.
• After several boards are in place, chalk a single line 7/8” from the edge of the board left or right, which will designate the edge for the batten. This results in a 9-1/2” reveal between each batten.
• Apply a bead of caulk along each side of the batten or under each side of the batten.
• Install the battens using 6D or 8D stainless steel or hot-dipped nails every 16”.
• Repeat the process, moving outward from center.
Keep in mind that paying attention to your layout, and planning it out ahead of time, is important, particularly for small areas like gables. You want the surface to be as symmetrical as possible; if you have uneven board reveals on either side, it will be very noticeable, particularly on smaller surface areas.
Learn more about TruExterior Trim and how to create custom looks here.
The supply challenges that continue to impact certain building materials dealt another blow to architects and building pros in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain region with the recent announcement that a major fiber cement manufacturer will no longer be selling trim there. But those drawn to the performance and appearance of fiber cement need not worry—TruExterior Trim from Boral Building Products is readily available, offers a similar aesthetic, and provides a number of performance improvements over fiber cement trim.
Making the switch to TruExterior Trim is easy and can ensure your exterior projects don’t experience delays or require significant design changes.
Moisture Resistance
TruExterior trim is made with poly-ash, a proprietary blend of fly ash and polymers. The resulting material offers high resistance to moisture absorption, a tremendous benefit in the notoriously damp Pacific Northwest region. These same attributes allow TruExterior to be used in contact with the ground and masonry, something fiber cement cannot do, and there’s no need to prime end cuts in the field.
Like fiber cement trim, TruExterior is resistant to rot and termites.
Authentic Looks
Architects can make the switch from fiber cement trim to TruExterior without changing their design goals. The poly-ash material offers the look of wood, with options for a smooth or wood-grain surface. Minimal material movement allows for tighter gaps for a more seamless appearance.
With a high level of dimensional stability, TruExterior Trim can be painted any color, including dark hues such as black, popular for trim, or the blues and grays common in the Northwest. Paint lasts longer than it does on wood because TruExterior cycles virtually no moisture.
Superior Workability
TruExterior requires no custom tools for cutting, and the poly-ash trim can be milled similarly to wood to achieve nearly any look or custom design. (See the trim at work at DURATION MOULDING & MILLWORK.) But unlike wood, installers can fasten TruExterior close to the edge, do not have to worry about mushrooming, and do not need to pre-drill.
“Fiber cement is well-known to many specifiers and installers; however, once they work with TruExterior, they soon realize how easy it is to work with and the benefits of utilizing standard woodworking tools,” says Ben Drury, Brand Manager for Boral Building Products. “Not having to worry about moisture absorption in the boards is also a key component. You can place this product right at grade or on top of existing masonry and not experience any wicking or degradation of the board over time.”
As the building industry navigated the COVID-19 pandemic over the past 18 months, siding, like many categories, weathered the ups and downs—from uncertainties at the beginning to booming demand a short time later to the subsequent ebb and flow of supply challenges. The continued story is the strength of the new construction and remodeling markets, with particular focus on homeowners revamping exteriors and other areas of their homes.
But even in a year unlike any other, the trends we’ve witnessed and the core demands of building pros and their customers has, in many ways, also held steady, with familiar trends remaining at or near the forefront. LBM Journal explored what’s new, and what’s not, in its annual In Depth feature on siding, published this month.
Here are a few of the things they found:
Pandemic Increases Demand
As stuck-at-home homeowners refreshed their spaces, siding surged. “Many homeowners spent quarantine finally tackling their to-do lists, and the exterior was a great place to start,” Boral Building Products’ Brand Manager Ben Drury told the magazine. “We saw an increase in interest from DIYers, particularly in simple exterior projects that make a big impact, such as replacing aging siding, adding gable vents or decorative mounting blocks, or installing decorative trim.”
The magazine says the combination of a robust housing market and low interest rates is creating a positive outlook for siding in the coming months, too.
Supply Challenges
Continued success, of course, relies on manufacturers’ ability to meet the current challenges of supply and demand, said writer Mike Berger. One manufacturer noted that the industry could be taking 20% to 30% more orders daily if not for material and labor shortages.
Above all else, manufacturers said, keeping inventory stocked will be a critical factor and, alongside that, clear communication with customers is essential. “What we’re experiencing is unprecedented demand coupled with a 10-year undersupplied market,” manufacturer RoyOMartin noted. “Builders need to pre-order what they can; those who wait for prices to come down have lost contracts.”
Classic Looks
Perhaps in conjunction with creating homes that are sanctuary spaces of respite, manufacturers report that clean lines and authentic details are still very much in demand. Within this, Modern Farmhouse and Craftsman looks continue to thrive, Berger noted. “Vertical and board-and-batten siding are quite popular right now,” Boral’s Drury explained in the article, with other manufacturers noting similar trends. “These installation approaches are an easy way to add dimension and visual interest to the home exterior. Vertical applications also can help elevate gables and other accent areas.”
Modern Farmhouse looks, such as this one featuring TruExterior Siding, continue to be popular.
Low Maintenance Rules
Low-maintenance has become so trendy it hardly bears being called a trend anymore, with “manufacturers report[ing] it as one of the single biggest differentiators when it comes to purchase decisions,” LBM Journal noted.
Products that mimic wood but without the associated upkeep continue to attract attention from older and younger buyers alike, neither of whom want to spend their summer weekends painting and staining but still cherish a natural, authentic aesthetic. (Try TruExterior Siding, made with a proprietary poly-ash material to combine authentic looks with high performance, or Foundry’s Grayne Shingle Siding, which perfectly replicates the look of cedar.)
Foundry Grayne shingle siding and Versetta Stone combine for authentic looks and low maintenance.
The Supply Channel Is Adapting
Even before the social distancing brought by the pandemic, the industry was facing pressure to be more innovative and more willing to switch to technology-based inventory and purchasing solutions. “For years, physical displays have been a mainstay of product information and a key method for conveying how a product will look once installed,” Berger wrote. “But that was then—this is now. In addition to the tried and true, the successful LBM dealer will avail themselves of virtual tools to help impart product knowledge.”
Berger pointed to virtual design tools that show customers how products will look on their homes (such as the Virtual Remodeler tool) as one method. But even as technology infiltrates the buying process, nothing negates the need for dealers to understand the products they sell and the value they bring to customers in helping find the ideal solution for each project.
Each May, some of the industry’s supply channel-focused publications release annual reports, listing the industry’s leading LBM dealers and distributors as well as the economic trends that have shaped their businesses the previous year.
This year saw the release of two new lists—the LBM Journal 100 and the Construction Supply 150 from Webb Analytics—which were published in May following one of the most unprecedented years in construction history. From the uncertainties at the onset of the pandemic to the housing and remodeling boom that soon followed to the supply and pricing challenges going on now, the building supply industry has been challenged in ways most had never seen before. And many dealers navigated extremely successfully.
Here are a few observations from LBM Journal and Webb Analytics for how dealers and distributors weathered 2020 and what trends are shaping up in 2021.
• Acquisitions continued: LBM dealers continued to scoop each other up. The most high-profile was Builders FirstSource purchasing BMC, growing from 440 locations to 550 locations in the process. But the moves weren’t limited to the big players, with dealers of all sizes taking advantage of opportunities to expand in size and geography via acquisition.
• Retail sales big, commercial suffers: With the surge in home improvement and DIY projects, it’s not surprising that home centers and dealers with heavy percentages of retail customers posted some of the biggest growth last year, as reported by the Construction Supply 150. Unfortunately, companies selling commercial-heavy inventories, such as steel studs and ceiling systems, saw declines. “It’s pretty clear that homebuilding will remain strong, and surveys suggest big-ticket remodeling will rebound as homeowners become less fearful of having remodelers working in their kitchens and baths,” Craig Webb wrote in the CS150.
In looking ahead to this year, a majority of CS150 respondents believe new construction and remodeling will continue to grow, but most expect retail sales, as well as multifamily and commercial, to remain the same.
• Labor remains a challenge: 77% of the LBM Journal 100 reported challenges with recruiting, hiring, and retaining employees, with drivers and yard workers the hardest-to-fill positions.
• The power of relationships: LBM dealers have always touted the importance of employees and customer relationships, but the pandemic drove that home even more. “The silver lining of the pandemic for us has definitely been relationships,” Charlie Parks, co-owner and vice president of Parks Lumber & Building Supply told LBM Journal. “We have developed stronger relationships with our customers, suppliers, and even with other supply houses in the area that we have done some dealing back and forth with during the shortage.”
• Installed sales: More than half of the Construction Supply 150 conduct installed sales. The most popular product categories include entry doors, cabinets, countertops, interior doors, and bathroom vanities.
• E-commerce expanding…slowly: The construction industry is notorious for slow adoption of technology, but the pandemic helped speed things along. LBM Journal found that while only 33% of leading dealers are offering online sales, 78% said online sales were significantly or slightly higher than the year before. As Webb noted in the Construction Supply 150, “true online shopping is unlikely to become ubiquitous until dealers figure out how to automatically adjust a price based on the customer.”
Outdoor living spaces are one of the biggest trends in home building and remodeling, and demand has only grown during the pandemic.
As the demand for outdoor living moves from growing trend to must-have status, simply adding on an ordinary deck isn’t going to be enough. Building pros can elevate outdoor spaces in numerous ways, and they don’t have to break the bank.
Here are a few simple and relatively inexpensive details to consider to add the finishing touch to your outdoor living spaces and take them to the next level.
Create Indoor-Outdoor Connections
Not every home can have an eight-panel opening glass wall, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create those connections that let in more light and expand the entertaining space.
As Andersen Windows points out in a recent article, the standard French patio doors with sidelight windows can easily be replaced by a small multi-panel door with one or two sliding panels, helping to expand the clear opening to preserve views and create that desired indoor-outdoor connection.
Another more budget-friendly option is to include pass-through windows to create an indoor-outdoor bar, such as this project by Denny Sturgis Construction.
Detail the Deck
No matter the size of the deck, there are a few simple strategies to make it look more finished and polished.
• Rather than leaving deck planks exposed, add fascia board around the perimeter to create a more finished look. TruExterior poly-ash trim can be painted or stained any color and can be used in contact with decking material.
• For composite decks, hidden fasteners cost a little more but make a big difference in the look and feel of the deck. For grooved-edge boards, clip-style hardware stays completely hidden; for face-fastening, a plug system is the most hidden option, or, at minimum, choose color-matched screws.
• Add flair to composite decks with inlays and picture framing. These techniques can be used to add a decorative perimeter, break up long expanses, or create an outline around different areas, such as a sitting area or outdoor kitchen.
• Don’t neglect lighting, which can add ambience, make the space safer, and extend its use later into the night and farther into colder months. Integrated post cap, railing, or stair lights can be easy and economical to add on or integrate.
• Add an accent wall or elevate the grill area with stone, such as panelized stone siding from Versetta Stone.
Ledgestone Mission Point
Amp up your outdoor buildings
A beautiful backyard can be the perfect spot for a studio, she shed, or ADU. But make sure it’s got style. A rickety wood shed or wobbly plastic structure can bring down the aesthetic of the whole outdoor space. Use real siding and trim, include accessories, and add landscaping.
This beautiful tiny house ADU by Koncept Design/Build, for example, looks just as good as a main house, with beautiful craftsmanship, on-trend black-framed windows and doors, and meticulous trimwork using TruExterior poly-ash trim
This garage/man cave by Adam Hass Fine Homebuilding also could pass for a main living space, with its traditional forms and well-thought-out details.
Even a storage shed can look a bit more refined, as seen with this example from Zuccon Works, which features richly colored siding and Kleer cellular PVC trim and window casings.
Don’t Neglect the Accessories
It’s easy to leave the aftermarket accessories up to the homeowner, but why not complete the look or at least show them how?
For example, this flower box made with Kleer Lumber PVC trim not only offers a cleaner, more stylish look than run-of-the-mill planters, it’s durable and can be used in contact with the ground without moisture concerns.
Kleer is also a fun choice for these Adirondack chairs. The teal offers a fun pop of color to the porch without too much commitment or concern over resale value.
And don’t forget to finish the porch. Here, installers used TruExterior Beadboard in a soft robin’s egg blue to add to the vintage vibe of this wide porch.
Post wraps, such as these from Kleer, are a simple way to enhance the porch or deck without adding extra maintenance needs.
Boral helps its customers Build something great™ by supplying them with high-quality, innovative, sustainable building products and construction materials. It is a purpose that mirrors the company’s 75-year history.
Founded in 1946 as Bitumen and Oil Refineries (Australia) Limited, Boral has become Australia’s largest construction materials and building products company with a global reach, a reach that includes Boral North America’s portfolio of category leaders across stone veneer, roofing, siding, heavy materials, windows, shutters, and trim. The company officially rebranded in 1963 to the BORAL acronym that had been commonly used since its beginning.
The first employees, just before they embarked on their training trip to the United States, in 1947.
While Boral officially entered North America in 1979, many of the companies and brands that have since become part of Boral have longer histories here. For example, Cultured Stone began in 1962 when two brothers, Garrett and Floyd Brown, saw the need for a new kind of building material, one that resembled natural stone but was much lighter and would adhere to most surfaces.
This commitment to answering customers’ unmet needs and helping builders and other specifiers grow their business with new product and technology solutions remains an integral part of Boral. Customers and partners can see that innovation come to life at the Boral Discovery Center in San Antonio, Texas. Opened in 2016, the state-of-the-art Discovery Center is home to scientists and engineers keenly focused on developing the future of building materials.
The forecourt of the Sydney Opera House during construction. Boral supplied and laid the asphalt.
Boral has been involved in many iconic building projects over the past 75 years, from the Sydney Opera House and Olympic stadium to the Fisherman’s Wharf Pier in San Francisco and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa, Florida, not to mention some of the most important projects of all — the places people call home.
Boral North America’s Brands
Boral North America comprises numerous product brands you sell every day:
Manufactured stone once again has shown its ability to recoup homeowners’ remodeling investment. According to the Remodeling 2021 Cost vs. Value Report, an annual study by Remodeling magazine, manufactured stone veneer offers a 92.1% return on investment. That ROI is second only to garage door replacement.
The Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report compares the average costs of 22 remodeling projects with the value those investments will retain at resale. The study looked at the cost recouped from replacing a 300-square-foot band of vinyl siding from the bottom third of a home’s front façade with manufactured stone veneer (such as Boral Building Products’ Versetta Stone), sills, corners, and address block.
Manufactured stone veneer’s place in the study is slightly down from 2020, where it reached No. 1 with an ROI of 95.6%. Still, manufactured stone was 20 percentage points higher than the third project on the list, minor kitchen remodel.
Along with manufactured stone and garage doors, exterior products dominated the top of the Remodeling 2021 Cost vs. Value Report list, claiming 11 of the top 12 spots: fiber cement siding replacement (69.4% cost recouped); vinyl window replacement (68.6%); vinyl siding replacement (68.3%); wood window replacement (67.4%); wood deck addition (67.4%); steel entry door replacement (65.0%); composite deck addition (63.2%); fiberglass grand entrance (60.9%); and asphalt shingle roof replacement (60.7%).
“The trend of exterior replacements outperforming larger discretionary remodeling projects has been accelerated, no doubt, by a year in which COVID has made people reluctant to have contractors inside their homes, but yearning to improve outdoor spaces,” the Remodeling editors said. “It’s been a year when we’d expect decks to reign supreme, but the data doesn’t track what’s most popular. The Cost vs. Value report tracks the ratio of value over cost for 22 common remodeling projects, and in that ratio lies the rub: Material costs, especially for decking and pressure-treated framing lumber, went through the roof in 2020, bringing down the return despite the project’s value.”
Manufactured Stone Delivers Most ROI in Two Regions
Manufactured stone maintains a similar level of ROI when broken down geographically, with 90% or more of cost recouped across all regions. In two regions, however, manufactured stone came out on top: West North Central (North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri), with 94.1% ROI, and South Atlantic (Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida), with 94.1% ROI.
Each year, Fine Homebuilding magazine constructs a new home, showcasing the latest building science techniques and best practices for exceptional quality, comfort, and style. For 2021, they’re switching things up with their first remodel, transforming an 80-year-old Greenwich, Conn., house with a deep energy retrofit and a dramatic modernization of exterior style and interior layout.
The Fine Homebuilding house prior to the remodel.
“The Fine Homebuilding editors believe this house has important lessons to offer,” the publication explains. “The existing home was built in the early decades of the 20th century and was remodeled with an addition about 20 years ago. Transforming the layout and look of this traditionally styled, shingled house to a modern home with a much more open floor plan and a Scandinavian-inspired aesthetic will provide design insights as well as lessons about framing, trim, and plumbing. Because the new homeowners have placed a priority on turning the house into a high-performance home, we’ll also get to see how the team tackles air-sealing, insulation, and mechanical systems to reach net-zero energy with Passive House performance.”
On the exterior, the home is clad in TruExterior Shiplap siding, installed vertically with some horizontal boards on the gables, and finished with Benjamin Moore’s Glacier White paint for a perfect Modern Farmhouse look. TruExterior also was used for the porch ceiling, in the reversible Shiplap-Nickel Gap siding profile with the smooth finish.
A rendering of the post-remodel Fine Homebuilding House.
“It’s very easy to install,” says the project’s builder, Albert Jensen-Moulten. “It cuts and glues just like wood.”
Several walls feature Eldorado Stone masonry veneer installed over a fluid-applied weather-resistive barrier. Other exterior details include a standing-seam metal roof, metal triple-pane windows, Hemlock-wrapped porch beams, and Kebony wood lintels.
Take a tour of the exterior cladding details via an interview with Jensen-Moulten and the architect, Elizabeth DiSalvo:
Follow along with the Fine Homebuilding House to learn more about the highly efficient building techniques, from air barriers to double-stud walls, on the show home’s website.
The NAHB recently released the 2021 edition of its “What Home Buyers Really Want.” The study, conducted after the pandemic began last year, surveyed 3,247 recent and prospective home buyers.
Here are some of the findings:
The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced some home buyers
Though the majority of buyers (67%) said the pandemic didn’t impact what they look for in a home, 21% indicated they desire a larger home because of it; the demand is higher for those with at least one teleworker and one virtual student.
The pandemic also increased preferences to buy in an outlying suburb from 26% in previous studies to 30% this year.
Home style preferences vary
In a new question this year, participants were shown pictures of four exterior designs. The NAHB reports that preferences are diverse, with no one style garnering a majority at a national or regional level. Traditional homes led the way with 32%, followed by Contemporary (24%), Transitional (16%), and Modern (14%). Traditional styling was the top option in all regions except the Pacific, where Contemporary came out on top.
Shift in new vs. resale preferences
The majority of respondents—60%—desire a new home, the largest percentage in 14 years. “The increase may be due in part to buyers’ concerns about touring occupied homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, the severe lack of inventory of existing homes on the market, and the higher likelihood that new homes are located where buyers want to buy—the suburbs,” the NAHB explained.
Most desired home features include a laundry room, exterior lighting, patios
Home buyers were given a list of more than 200 home features. Of those, the most desired elements were a laundry room (87%), exterior lighting (87%), ceiling fans (83%), Energy Star-rated windows (83%), and a patio (82%).
On the exterior, home buyers additionally ranked front porches (81%), rear porches (75%), and a deck (75%) high on the list.
For the greater community, survey respondents indicated they want walking/jogging trails, a “typically suburban” neighborhood, a park, proximity to retail, and walkability.
Among the features that 40% of respondents indicated they don’t want were elevators, glass walls, a community daycare center, a wine cellar, and a pet washing station.
Open layouts still in demand
Despite some speculation to the contrary, most home buyers still desire open layouts.
Open layouts, such as the one shown here with a Versetta Stone fireplace, are still high in demand with home buyers.
Green homes must have ROI
There was a significant difference between home buyers being concerned about the impact of their home on the environment (78%) and those (15%) willing to pay more for an environmentally friendly home. “However, significantly more buyers are willing to pay extra for a home if they understand it will lead to annual savings in utility costs,” the NAHB said. “In fact, 57% are willing to pay $5,000 or more, on top of the price of the home, in order to save $1,000 a year in utilities.”
The COVID-19 pandemic presented the building industry with a number of challenges, from initial closures to the cost of safety protocols. But as those issues have been addressed, one challenge continues on strong: price increases, particularly lumber costs.
The NAHB reports that lumber prices have risen a whopping 180% since last spring, resulting in an increase in the average single-family home price by more than $24,000.
“According to Random Lengths, the price of lumber hit a record high this week and is up more than 170% over the past 10 months,” said NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke in a Feb. 12, 2021, statement. “NAHB is urging President Biden and Congress to help mitigate this growing threat to housing and the economy by urging domestic lumber producers to ramp up production to ease growing shortages and to make it a priority to end tariffs on Canadian lumber shipments into the U.S. that are exacerbating unprecedented price volatility in the lumber market.”
Luckily, for trim applications, builders and remodelers have several manmade alternatives that offer the authentic look of wood.
TruExterior Trim, for example, is made with a proprietary blend of polymers and fly ash. Fly ash is a byproduct of coal energy production, so it’s sourced near the manufacturing facility. And unlike wood, TruExterior Trim provides a high level of dimensional stability along with durability for resistance to warping, cracking, and splitting. It can be used in ground-contact applications.
Despite these distinct differences, TruExterior Trim offers the workability of wood, so it can be routed and milled into endless styles of decorative molding and trim.
Seen here on a custom home at the Chautauqua Institution, TruExterior poly-ash trim can be milled and routed just like wood.
Another wood-look alternative is Kleer Lumber trim (pictured above), made with expanded cellular PVC. Kleer trimboards resist moisture, insects, splintering, rotting, delamination, and swelling. Kleer trim can be installed in contact with the ground. Like TruExterior, it’s made in the USA in Westfield, Mass.
In addition to trim, TruExterior and Kleer can replace lumber for other non-structural applications such as flower boxes and pergolas.
Kleer cellular PVC trim can be used in ground-contact applications on or off the house.
A luxurious twist on the Modern Farmhouse ideally suited to the Hamptons, the new custom home in Sagaponack, N.Y., boasts 7,672 square feet, five bedrooms, and seven bathrooms. The home’s 1.33-acre property abuts 36 acres of farmland, providing lush surroundings and serene views from nearly every room.
While reminiscent of Modern Farmhouse vernacular, with white nickel gap siding and a simple gable roof, the house favors contemporary lines. The front entrance is free of ornamentation, graced by tall, narrow windows and a black-framed-glass garage door.
Large swaths of glass make up nearly the entire rear of the home, which was designed by architect Glen Fries Associates and built by Burns Realty Development. The breakfast nook and second floor bedrooms bump out into a sharp point, breaking up the otherwise linear facade.
One of the exterior’s most unique features is the perfectly round two-car garage, a modern take on the farm silo. The garage’s exterior is clad in TruExterior Trim milled in a shiplap pattern by DURATION® Moulding & Millwork and installed vertically.
Crafting vertical shiplap for a round form was no small feat. “We have a full-time AutoCAD expert on staff,” says Keith Coleman, president and CEO of DURATION Moulding & Millwork, which manufactures trim exclusively with TruExterior, a proprietary poly-ash material from Boral Building Products. “We took the radius of the building and figured out what maximum width of shiplap we could produce and still be able to wrap the building and have it look completely round and not segmented.” Coleman’s team used full-length boards to ensure a seamless appearance from top to bottom.
Along with its workability to create the precise size and profile required, TruExterior offers the authentic look of wood but with durability, dimensional stability, and low maintenance to eliminate worries about unsightly splitting, cracking, or warping.
The architect specified TruExterior for the main house, as well, with DURATION crafting a custom-size nickel gap profile that adds to the Modern Farmhouse feel. The DURATION team made prefab corners with a locking miter and mechanical fastener support. “The corner won’t open,” Coleman says. “The result is this cool, continuous look as the TruExterior nickel gap wraps the building.”
DURATION also used TruExterior to create the one-piece circle casings, which are painted dark bronze, around the home’s circular windows as well as the tall panels between the windows.
Modern luxury continues inside, with 5-inch-wide golden oak flooring, a dramatic honed black-slate two-story fireplace, a vast kitchen island, Miele and Sub-Zero appliances, freestanding soaking tub, and Toto and Kohler bathroom fixtures. In the double-height, open-concept great room, clerestory windows combine with the expanses of glass from French doors running the length of the rear to flood the space with light. A walkway above connects the master bedroom wing to the other bedrooms, where more floor-to-ceiling windows bring in additional natural light.
The home’s basement level features a walk-in wine cellar, game room, gym with full-height mirrors, and wet bar, while the expansive outdoor space includes a heated gunite pool and attached spa, outdoor kitchen, pergola, private outdoor shower, and pool house.
Even though they spent much more time at home in 2020—and spent much of that time improving those homes—homeowners continue to have little desire to waste time cleaning, painting, and staining their exteriors.
In its recently released Q4 2020 Home Design Trends study, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) found low maintenance and durability to be the exterior detail homeowners were most interested in, with 62% of architects reporting increasing interest, nearly the same as the year before. (Data is calculated by the percentage of architects reporting “increasing” minus percentage reporting “decreasing.”) Products that offer the look of wood without the associated maintenance, such as TruExterior poly-ash siding, can combine authenticity and a natural look with high performance and resistance to rotting, warping, and cracking.
Though farther down the list, fire-resistive design and materials saw growing interest, with 32% of architects reporting increased popularity in 2020, up from 29% in 2019.
When it comes to home styles, contemporary looks were the most popular feature, with 50% of architects reporting popularity increasing, down slightly from 54% the year before. Modern Farmhouse saw a perhaps not surprising decline, with 33% of respondents reporting increasing popularity versus 41% in 2019.
Interest in front porches is growing, with 38% of architects seeing increasing popularity in 2020 compared to 31% the year before.
Among neighborhood/community options, infill housing was the most popular, with 61% of architects reporting increasing interest (slightly less than 64% the year before), followed by multi-generational housing, which rose sharply from 41% in 2019 to 54% in 2020. Also noteworthy was high-density housing, which plummeted from 55% of architects reporting increased interest in 2019 to just 34% in 2020. The dramatic drop may be a side effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, with homeowners desiring outdoor space and places to grow their own food.
In AIA’s Q3 2020 Home Design Trends study, the association reported a continued softening in home size, with -11% of architects reporting home square footage increasing minus those reporting it decreasing. Interest in larger homes dropped even farther, to -22%, for entry-level/affordable homes. Custom home sizes stayed steady.
And of course, outdoor living continues to be popular, with 53% of architects reporting increasing interest; however, there was a large drop versus 2019, when 68% reported increasing interest. Interest in blended indoor/outdoor spaces also hovers near 50%
To view the full quarterly reports, as well as an archive of the studies from the past few years, visit the AIA Home Design Trends Survey.
The COVID-19 pandemic has touched many areas of the building industry, and the trim and moulding category is no exception. As a product that lends itself to quick yet dramatic facelifts, trim was an easy upgrade option for DIYers and pros alike as the pandemic shifted from closures and uncertainty last spring to a surge in demand for home improvement products and services.
What has this all meant for dealers? In its annual In Depth look at the trim category, LBM Journal explored the latest trends and what dealers can do to keep adapting in uncertain times.
Here are a few of their findings:
Trim Products Are Thriving Through the Pandemic
While the industry initially shut down in many areas, home improvement projects quickly ramped up as homeowners sought to complete long-neglected projects and spruce up their interiors and exteriors. Manufacturers told LBM Journal that the trim category is likely to continue to grow significantly in the next 12 months, a prediction backed up by the “2020-2025 Global Molding and Trim Market Report.” In addition, “according to a recent Bank of America poll about homeowners’ attitudes and shopping habits during coronavirus, more than 70% of those polled indicated they have decided to tackle home improvement projects, with more planned for 2021,” the magazine reported.
“As stay-at-home recommendations stretch through the winter, we expect the surge in demand to remain as homeowners continue to seek to make their homes their sanctuary and buyers scoop up new and existing homes that meet their changing lifestyle needs,” Boral Building Products Brand Manager Ben Drury told the magazine. “But lead times should continue to improve as manufacturers catch up, and supply challenges should ease.”
Bold Colors
The trend toward dark trim colors remains strong. In addition, “there’s still a strong desire for multi-textured facades as well as contrasting siding and trim colors,” Drury said. “Both our [poly-ash] TruExterior Trim and [cellular PVC] Kleer Lumber trimboards are a perfect fit for those color combinations. TruExterior Trim’s poly-ash technology allows it to be painted any color, including black, so it’s perfect for the white-siding-with-dark trim trend.”
Bold colors are popping up on the interior, as well, manufacturers said.
Clean Styles
The desire for Modern Farmhouse looks continues unabated in many areas of the country, leading to trim profiles that are more simple and clean in style, the article states.
Ease of Installation
The trend toward sprucing up homes in the pandemic has driven more LBM dealers to push installation-friendly options. LBM Journal cited consumer studies from The Farnsworth Group and the Home Improvement Research Institute reporting that 80% of homeowners had started a DIY home project by June of last year. Along with the simple fact that homeowners were stuck quarantining, they also are getting a confidence boost from online resources such as YouTube and Pinterest. Savvy dealers, even those that typically cater only to pros, have recognized this surging customer opportunity and have responded with increased support and product guidance.
Back to Basics
As we proceed through this year with a bit of caution, some manufacturers recommend that dealers stick to basic strategies, including taking advantage of educational resources for increasing foot traffic and visibility, diversifying your product lines to include alternative trim materials, and maintaining your knowledge base. “The best thing dealers can do for their customers is to be truly knowledgeable about the products they sell—and even those they don’t sell,” Drury told the magazine. “This will help ensure they can recommend to contractors the right solution to each project, making them even more valuable to those customers.”
And this includes taking advantage of ever-growing opportunities for virtual training sessions. To arrange for product knowledge and installation virtual training for Boral Building Products brands, including TruExterior and Kleer as well as siding brands like Versetta Stone and Foundry, contact us here.
All told, LBM Journal paints a positive picture for the year ahead: “When taken together, all of these changes and challenges point to an optimistic year for the moulding and trim industry,” they concluded. “Yes, LBM dealers will need to remain agile so that they can quickly adapt how they do business in response to any continued (or even new) restrictions from the continuing health crisis. But by staying atop training and education and by being prepared to meet the anticipated increasing demand for trim products by both pro and DIY customers, dealers will position themselves to reap the greatest gains.”
To read more trim trends and insights into today’s trim market, view the LBM Journal article in its entirety here.
Our lives have been forever changed by the COVID-19 pandemic, directly or indirectly, and home building and remodeling jobsites are no exception. As the pandemic unfolded last year, tackling safety on the jobsite quickly became paramount to continuing to work, and many building professionals had to implement at least some COVID safety best practices, depending on local requirements, from social distancing to PPE to limiting the number of workers on site at a time.
Here’s an overview of the latest recommendations—and some insights from the field.
The Official Word on COVID Safety
The Centers for Disease Control’s page dedicated to construction workers and safety best practices during COVID-19 is continually updated as new information comes in, as methods of protection change, and as we continue to learn more about how the virus works. OSHA also continues to maintain a detailed page chock full of COVID worker safety information to help you conduct a job hazard analysis and make decisions on best practices for workers.
These conversations and decisions must be made daily for everyone’s safety, particularly because, as Professional Builder reports, construction workers are one of the highest groups of people who get COVID—even higher than healthcare workers. In addition, a large percentage of construction workers intend to refuse the vaccine.
Along with keeping workers safe on the job, taking precautions also sends a visual message to clients that we’re doing everything we can to operate safely in every capacity.
As the vaccine rolls out slowly across the country, it may become a requirement by your employer that you get the COVID vaccine to continue going to your workplace—that includes people in the building industry. Regardless, until more people have been vaccinated and we eventually reach “herd immunity,” COVID safety measures must continue to be taken wherever and whenever possible, particularly if you have workers who do not wish to get vaccinated.
COVID Jobsite Best Practices
A year into these changes, most builders and remodelers have adopted best practices and procedures to keep team members safe and ensure their companies are in compliance with local requirements.
Joe Danz of Boston Exterior Remodeling is not only a home remodeling professional, he’s a former nurse, so he’s taken COVID seriously from the start. Danz says he takes a customized approach to each jobsite and situation. Early on, he found problems in requiring complete PPE when it wasn’t necessarily needed—his workers generally stay a safe distance apart while working together anyway. In some cases, the suggested protection could do more harm than good. “If [workers] have a mask on and wear glasses or need to put on safety goggles, the lenses can fog up, which can be dangerous,” said Danz. “So instead we keep workers separate, a safe distance apart. Fortunately, on exterior projects like ours, that’s usually easy to do.”
Whenever workers are physically close together, he does make sure they are masked. “There’s a margin of tolerance we have with making people safe. The optics can be important to our clients. It’s a balancing act.” To that end, Danz puts on his mask and shield before meeting with clients and texts them to let them know he has arrived so they can meet him outside where there is fresh air. He maintains a safe distance from clients even with the PPE on so they feel reassured.
This recent project by Boston Exterior Remodeling combines the two newest colors of Foundry’s Grayne shingle siding, Mountain Ash and Rustic Slate, and Kleer window trim.
Danz has implemented other safety procedures to serve as a daily reminder that compliance is necessary—but uses common sense as to whether or not every single measure is warranted. For example, in the early months, he instituted a sign-in sheet procedure where each worker has to state at the start of each day that they feel physically well and that they have a normal temperature before they can start working. This requirement has lessened as his team knows the drill—and knows not to show up for work if they feel sick or have a temperature. Knowing your clients and thinking about how many workers are on the job and where they will be placed while working is a key part of using your best judgment. “We definitely make sure to use the sign-in sheet on big jobs where there will be a lot of people, including inspectors,” Danz says.
Boston Exterior also added a foot-operated hand-washing station when possible, or at minimum a hand sanitizing station with sanitizer, paper towels, and buckets to ensure hands stay clean.
No matter what, all building professionals should refer to the requirements of their local jurisdictions and follow procedures as required, as they vary greatly from area to area.
One growing issue is “COVID fatigue,” something building companies must tackle if they want to continue to keep their teams safe. The NAHB expressed concerns about this phenomenon in January, Builder magazine reported, and pushed for a second safety stand-down (the first was held last April) to keep best practices top of mind. If your company wasn’t able to participate, NAHB offers guidance and steps here. The association provides additional resources on its website, including a downloadable jobsite safety poster.
COVID-related best practices for worker safety are here to stay—at least for the time being. Many of these changes are easy to implement and smart, regardless of COVID. Studies have found that other illnesses like the flu sharply declined this season, and regular hand washing, social distancing whenever possible, and wearing masks have helped spur that trend.
Depending on the willingness of your workers to get vaccinated and the changing nature of the virus, safety measures like this may need to be in place permanently to help keep workers from making each other sick with any type of illness. For your safety, the safety of your clients, and the safety of your workers, staying consistent with COVID-smart practices on the jobsite is good for everyone.
From higher frequency of wildfires to an overall focus on safety as more Americans work and school from home, fire safety is top of mind. How do Boral Building Products’ siding and trim materials compare to others when it comes to fire resistance?
Here’s a guide:
Fire Resistance of TruExterior Siding & Trim
All thicknesses, widths, and profiles of the TruExterior Siding & Trim product line are certified by the California Building Commission for inclusion on the Wildland-Urban Interface Zone (WUI) Products Listing, one of the strictest regulations on building products, systems, and assemblies in the country. The product line is part of a relatively small group of cladding materials approved for WUI-designated buildings. This means that architects and contractors can confidently specify the product for use throughout all areas of California, regardless of WUI restrictions.
Fire Resistance of Versetta Stone siding
Versetta Stone offers the look of stone and the ease of panelized installation—and a Class A fire rating meeting the requirements of the ASTM E 84 – fire spread & smoke test.
Versetta Stone can be used for interior fireplace surround applications.
Fire Resistance of Foundry Siding
Not only does Foundry Siding’s authentic looks separate it from other similar siding products, Foundry shakes and shingles contain PVC, which contributes to a 1A fire resistance rating. Siding made with polypropylene does not carry a 1A rating.
In addition, Foundry’s Grayne Shingle line is included on California’s WUI building materials listing.
As with any material, use of Boral Building Products’ siding and trim materials beyond the parameters to which they are designed could impact fire resistance. Have questions? Contact our customer service team today.
One of the most fun reveals at the end of each year are the various Colors of the Year announcements from manufacturers and color experts. They’re a unique reflection of the current moods of the populace and perhaps also a nudge toward where we expect to be headed in the coming 12 months.
This year was no exception, as three of the major Color of the Year announcements seemed to deliver on a similar theme of calm, hope, and grounding.
Here’s a look at the colors, what they symbolize, and how you can leverage them on your homes.
2021 Colors of the Year
For only the second time in 22 years, Pantone selected two Colors of the Year: Ultimate Gray (17-5104) and Illuminating (13-0647). The two hues “highlight how different elements come together to support one another,” the company says. “Practical and rock solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, the union of Pantone 17-5104 Ultimate Gray and Pantone 13-0647 Illuminating is one of strength and positivity. It is a story of color that encapsulates deeper feelings of thoughtfulness with the promise of something sunny and friendly.”
Pantone’s Illuminating and Ultimate Gray (Image courtesy Pantone)
Sherwin-Williams named Urbane Bronze (SW 7047 (245-C7)), a rich, enveloping gray-brown, its Color of the Year. “Nature at its simplest and most elemental—embodying the richness of the Earth’s stone, metal, and wood—forges a feeling that’s grounded, meditative, and serene,” the paint manufacturer describes. “Let a color rooted in nature create a feeling of calm and bring all you cherish together.”
Paint manufacturer Benjamin Moore went for a richer neutral as well with its selection of Aegean Teal 2136-40, “a blend of blue-green and gray … an intriguing midtone that creates natural harmony,” as its Color of the Year. The hue, along with the other colors in the company’s Color Trends 2021 Palette, celebrates the simple pleasures of home, eliciting a feeling of calming positivity that embraces the viewer in its warmth. The aesthetic feels traditional but much more modern in tone.
Benjamin Moore’s Aegean Teal (Image courtesy Benjamin Moore)
“Every year, the Colors of the Year reflect what’s happened over the past 12 months, and that is very apparent in this year’s selections,” says Trisha Wagner, National Accounts Manager for Boral Building Products. “People have changed a lot in how they view their surroundings; it’s taken a turn from looking at home from outside in. And these colorscapes demonstrate that.”
How to Apply Trending Colors to the Home Exterior
Wagner points out that home aesthetics are no longer just about curb appeal. With the pandemic, home is also a workspace, vacation space, and much more—so how colors live is important. They need to be much more fluid, with a flow from inside to out, rather than a bold exterior color with a more neutral interior or vice versa.
Trending colors have a feel of the “new neutral,” with a natural tone but with a richness that keeps them feeling modern. In siding, Foundry’s Deep Granite color is one example.
“When I look at new construction projects, it’s not just siding and stone; it’s shake in the gable, multiple textures, but they’re all tonal. Texture and color fold and weave into this calm, serene space,” says Wagner. “It’s the same on the interior. We’re seeing less of the stark contrast, such as a single accent wall in a bold red. It’s more of a blend. It’s not just about one room, it’s about the palette throughout the home.”
Foundry siding on the second floor blends with the first-floor hues to create a soothing-yet-elegant look.
There’s still a place for bold, but there’s an elegance to it. The bright red is still around, but in a deeper, earthier version that feels calm instead of overpowering. On the exterior, a neutral palette may pair with black-framed windows or a half wall of Versetta Stone’s Northern Ash hue. “That’s the foundation for some of these modern neutrals. We’re not going back to the boring hues. These are elevated, richer, calmer,” Wagner explains.
Versetta Stone in Northern Ash offers an opportunity to add a bold look without feeling overpowering.
The Colors of the Year themselves can be easily weaved into a front door, shutters, and other accents, areas that showcase a trend without having to make a dramatic change.
Shutters and doors offer homeowners an opportunity to experiment with trendy colors, whether the Colors of the Year or a bright green as seen here, without making too much of a commitment.
“Colors are an absolute reflection of where we are this year,” Wagner says. “Color inspires. We shouldn’t be afraid of it, but it has to work with you.”
Ready to take advantage of the latest color trends? Atlantic Shutters can be matched to nearly any color, offering a perfect opportunity to incorporate similar hues to the Colors of the Year. And TruExterior Siding & Trim can be painted any color, making it easy to respond to the latest preferences.
The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced many aspects of our lives, and home design and exterior trends are no exception. As stay-at-home orders stretched out into months, homeowners turned to home improvement projects to keep themselves busy and whittle down neglected to-do lists. At the same time, many homeowners chose to relocate to new or existing homes in search of more space or outdoor-friendly properties.
Those shifts will likely continue to influence home trends in the months to come. Alongside those changes, there are some existing exterior trends that remain top of mind with pros and homeowners alike.
Easy upgrades: Staying at home means more time staring at ho-hum exteriors or facades in need of a facelift. Simple updates to the exterior, such as replacing aging siding, adding gable vents or decorative mounting blocks, or installing decorative trim, can go a long way to improving curb appeal while still remaining affordable and in reach of DIYers.
Outdoor living, elevated: Outdoor living has been trending for years, but the need for great exterior space is stronger than ever with the pandemic. For homeowners stuck in the house, the outdoors have become a much-needed place of respite. Making outdoor living areas even more inviting—with everything from integrated seating to warm lighting to a flashier grill—has become even more desirable.
Along with the deck and patio surfaces, your customers should consider how the surrounding façade looks, adding trim and other accents to make the space feel more refined and complete.
Awnings and overhead coverings, as well as fire pits and outdoor heaters, can help to extend the useability of those outdoor spaces during colder temperatures.
Warm lighting, ample seating, and a covered area made with Kleer trim and column wraps help make this outdoor space inviting .
Updated offices: With more workers logging in remotely, creating home offices that are welcoming and well-designed is top of mind, and exterior siding products can make a perfect decorative element. Shiplap siding or panelized stone siding is an easy way to add an accent wall to elevate a guest bedroom into a cozy home office.
This office space features a shiplap accent wall made with TruExterior Siding.
Window options and placement: More time at home means even more need for better indoor air quality and comfort. For windows, this means paying attention to placement to maximize both daylighting and cross-ventilation. Sound control options also should be considered to minimize disruptions during the work day.
Authenticity: Authentic siding and trim profiles, like TruExterior’s Craftsman Collection, offer the nostalgia of tradition and the comfort of the tried-and-true, fueling a greater sense of normalcy in a world that is anything but.
Multi-textured facades: Multi-textured facades continue among leading exterior trends. Blending multiple cladding types, such as a stone siding half wall with vinyl or poly-ash siding above, and incorporating shingles or vertical accents on gables and bump-outs helps distinguish homes along the streetscape and adds warmth and curb appeal.
Vertical and board-and-batten siding: Vertical and board-and-batten siding can add dimension and visual interest to the home exterior, particularly to meet demand for multi-textured façades and Modern Farmhouse looks. Vertical applications also can help spice up accent areas, such as gables. (Learn more about vertical siding here .)
Vertical siding, such as this look created with TruExterior Siding, remains a popular trend for home exteriors.
Even after the restrictions of COVID-19 fade into memory, the idea of the home as a place of escape and sanctuary is likely to remain for some time. Simple touches can add physical and aesthetic comfort to secure the feeling of home.
Made with a proprietary poly-ash technology, TruExterior Trim combines the look of natural materials with low-maintenance—along with remarkable workability that compares to, and sometimes even exceeds, that of wood.
How workable is TruExterior? Picture a knife cutting through butter. Columns that turn with ease. Details intricate enough to pass historic requirements.
TruExterior’s premium workability allows for thin cuts without concern about splitting or cracking.
TruExterior is less brittle than fiber cement, so it’s easier to work with. At the same time, it’s less prone to cracking like wood—you can even fasten close to the edge without splitting. Nor does it rot, warp, or shrink like wood.
Boral Building Products provides a range of installation-ready, authentic siding profiles, from V-Rustic to Channel Bevel to Shiplap. But the possibilities continue with a line of trimboards that can be fabricated into endless shapes and styles to create custom historic, traditional, or contemporary details.
Architect David Williams McKee put these attributes to work when designing a Queen Anne-style vacation home in the historic resort community of Chautauqua, N.Y. The house is “a tapestry of expression,” McKee says, featuring turned porch posts, decorative millwork, brackets, balusters, and gingerbread trim, all crafted using TruExterior.
In addition, Marsh Valley Forest Products used trimboards to create a custom shiplap siding for the home as well as split boards resembling cedar shingles for the gables. “TruExterior was easy to work with. Once set up to handle Boral, it’s easier to mold than wood,” says Marsh Valley owner and president Mervin Miller.
Similarly, DURATION Moulding & Millwork in Hamilton, N.J., uses TruExterior to meticulously craft quoins, crown, beaded casing, and other detailed molding pieces for projects ranging from the historic Old South Church in Boston; home exterior accents including shutters, soffits, fascia, and window trim; and custom shiplap siding.
TruExterior Trim comes pre-primed and can be painted any color, including hues as dark as black.
DURATION also offers a 25 stock profiles, including crown and cove, as well as a library of semi-custom and custom moulding options.
Duration Millwork’s stock profiles demonstrate how TruExterior can be precisely milled, unlike fiber cement and engineered wood.
“If someone wants 12 feet of moulding to match a historic profile, we’ll do it. We’re not shying away from anything like that,” says DURATION president and CEO Keith Coleman. “We want to be known for addressing the need for this product where suitable. If it’s suitable for a trim, we’re going to produce it.”
It’s not every day that an orthodontist office wins rave design reviews. But that’s just the case with a recent project completed by MKM architecture + design, which turned a challenging site into a unique space highlighted by modern geometric forms and eye-catching textures.
The property along the Jefferson Corridor in Fort Wayne, Ind., was difficult to say the least: a pie-shaped lot wedged between two major roadways. A connector to downtown and close to schools, the corridor is a high-traffic area that’s convenient to patients—but also high profile and highly visible. Rather than feeling daunted, Dr. Parrish was drawn to the property, finding inspiration in its similarities to the Flatiron Building in New York. He seized the opportunity to work with MKM to create a design that was distinctive yet still complementary to the neighborhood.
In addition to the oddly shaped lot, the office’s location just outside the city’s commercial core necessitated balancing the feel of heading downtown while staying true to the aesthetic of nearby residential areas.
Dr. Parrish’s eye toward style and forward-looking approach allowed MKM architecture + design Principal Matt Sparling, AIA, LEED AP, to explore different forms as well as different materials. A square building was out of the question due to the lot shape and the limitations of required parking and driveways. Instead, MKM designed the building with a triangle shape extending into the lot, coming to a steep point with a dramatic 20-foot overhang where the building faces the street corner.
Pulling off the shape required a more intensive and lengthy review process; any changes to the square footage of the building meant reworking the plan and proportions of the triangle. The skin of the roof took its own shape and form over the triangular footprint and simultaneously had to balance the design and scale of the building exterior. To achieve this design, all the trusses were unique in size and length with no one alike.
To maximize the floor plan and allow space for parking, MKM had to petition for a variance to extend past the building setback line. This allowance also saved seven well-established trees during construction, helping the building appear as if it had been there for years.
Along with its shape, the project is visually distinctive in its use of color and texture. The lower areas of the exterior feature TruExterior 8” Channel Siding in two shades of gray and taupe. The product’s workability was essential for creating the crisp mitered corners and clean lines, as well as for navigating the trickier points of the triangle. Made with poly-ash, TruExterior offers dimensional stability ideal for the fluctuations of temperature and weather in Indiana, and its authentic wood look adds dimension to the flat surfaces.
Just as striking is the stone cladding along the sides of the triangle and the broad overhang. To pull off this look in a somewhat challenging area of the façade, contractor Steve Desmond installed Versetta Stone panelized siding in a Tight-Cut profile and Plum Creek colorway. Because of Versetta Stone’s lighter weight compared to brick, it could be used for the overhang without adding tremendous structural costs. Its panelized format, requiring just screws to hang, simplified what could have been a time-consuming and costly traditional masonry installation.
The stone carries over to other areas of the façade, including half walls and planter boxes, completing the multi-textured look.
Using TruExterior and Versetta Stone eases the building’s sharper geometries, where previously considered metal options would have been too severe. “You can make it look unique for the area and still be complementary to your neighbors,” Sparling says.
TruExterior also could be installed in the winter, helping to avoid construction delays, he adds. “Contractors around here really favor it because it’s a no-nuisance product.”
Inside the office, the building’s shape created dead space in corners, so MKM used those areas for infrastructure, like a vertical chase, as well as for countertop display areas.
The Mid-Century Modern décor, featuring stone and wood finishes and a feature wall made with plank flooring, maintains a contemporary appeal while keeping the space inviting. Sparling incorporated two setback windows into the layout for the always-on nightlights. Outside, can lights on the underside of the overhang provide emphasis while highlighting the angles. Like the rest of the building, and the design approach overall, the effect is both strikingly modern and comfortably warm.
As the
industry has continued to navigate life during the COVID-19 pandemic, masks and
temperature checks on jobsites have become the norm as face-to-face sales calls
and travel to trade shows have disappeared. But with many projects still moving
forward, in some cases with more urgency than before the pandemic, what hasn’t
changed is the need to stay educated on new products, selling strategies, and
installation best practices.
Luckily, manufacturers, publications, and other entities in the construction industry have adapted fast, and there are ample virtual learning opportunities to learn via computers and tablets.
At Boral
Building Products, our customer representatives are able to provide product
knowledge and installation training sessions via online platforms. Simply contact your rep to set up a time.
In
addition, here are some virtual learning options you can take advantage of now
and in the near future:
ProTradeCraft This robust online learning portal isn’t new, and it’s chock full of videos and podcasts covering construction best practices, from detailing siding to building high-performance walls. You’ll find content from the site’s team of experts as well as product knowledge and installation sessions from manufacturers.
The Weekly The folks behind Pro Builder and Pro Remodeler magazines stream a new video series each week, interviewing building pros of all types on everything from modular homes to recruiting strategies to Facebook marketing.
The Remodeling Show Reimagined (Nov. 16-18) In its new virtual space, this year’s Remodeling Show is focusing on both business and installation topics. Live and on-demand sessions include a state of the industry, kitchen design trends, creating transitional trim details, digital marketing, lead generation, window installation, and much more.
LBM Sales Podcast Dealers can brush up on their sales strategies with LBM Journal and sales trainer Rick Davis, a longtime contributor to the magazine. Not only will Davis share his expertise, but also sales strategies from LBM leaders as well as experts from outside the industry.
NAHB Online Learning The association’s new portal features live and on-demand courses, on-demand modules, and live and recorded webinars. Tracks include business management, building techniques, architecture and design, land development, project management, trends, and sales and marketing.
NKBA Webinars Hone your kitchen and bath design chops with the association’s lengthy list of live and recorded webinars. Topics range from a broad look at trends to details such as bio-adaptive lighting.
If you’ve been to the Builders’ Show, the Remodeling Show, or JLC Live, you’ve likely crossed paths with longtime carpenter Mike Sloggatt. Armed with a headset and a career’s worth of knowledge, Sloggatt, owner of Mike Sloggatt Home Improvement, delivers compelling presentations on siding and trim installation focused on ensuring quality exteriors that stand the test of time.
Among the materials Sloggatt installs during workshops is Boral TruExterior Siding & Trim. “TruExterior is virtually indestructible in terms of water, insects, and holding paint,” Sloggatt says. “But don’t get lazy—install it properly, and it will treat you really well.”
Along with the installation techniques provided by Boral, here are a few of Sloggatt’s best practices and quick tips for installing TruExterior Trim to ensure a quality—and efficient—installation:
Stay organized: Thoughtful setup of materials ahead of time can save you steps over the course of the day. Sloggatt, for example, sets up his cutting station and always works from the same direction—pulling a piece off the stack to the left, cutting, and stacking to the right for installation. To help keep the cutting space clean, he puts a canopy over the saw with a garbage bag behind it for easy disposal of scraps, and he keeps a small battery-powered leaf blower nearby to blow away dust and keep his tooling clean so it will last longer.
Mike Sloggatt gives a TruExterior Siding & Trim demo at the International Builders’ Show.
Use the right tooling: TruExterior offers the workability of wood, which allows it to be routed and shaped into a range of decorative profiles. It does, however, require carbide blades and bits, and it can be difficult to cut wood once those blades and bits have been used for the poly-ash material. Sloggatt designates bits and blades specifically for TruExterior, marking them with blue spray paint. This ensures the tooling will last longer and eliminates any frustration that may result from trying to cut other materials after TruExterior.
Understand your materials and think of the system: When Sloggatt first started building 40 years ago, resilient old-growth timber was common for framing—and much more forgiving. Today’s wood materials need to be better protected from moisture and managed as a system. How well the window is trimmed, flashed, and integrated with the weather-resistive barrier can impact the integrity of the wood framing underneath as well as the trim above.
Store properly: TruExterior offers superior dimensional stability compared to most materials, but every product is prone to some movement if exposed to the right conditions. As with any trim material, keep TruExterior off the ground and covered during storage so that it won’t risk being installed wet. Once installed, TruExterior can be in contact with the ground with no concerns about excess moisture absorption.
Avoid flashed nail holes: One challenge every installer has likely faced is driving a fastener into painted trim and filling the hole, only to leave a noticeable flash behind. To avoid this, Sloggatt puts a small bit of blue painter’s tape over the spot before driving the fastener, then fills the hole with the tape still in place. This ensures the hole is filled but not the surrounding material, eliminating the glare of a flashed hole.
The housing industry has thankfully been one of the rare economic strongholds during the pandemic, seeing steady or rising numbers across multiple datapoints. But the supply challenges impacting various industries around the country have hit the residential construction market too: The NAHB reports that supply shortages are leading to skyrocketing prices in wood products, including a 120% increase in lumber prices since mid-April and a 138% increase in OSB versus a year ago.
The impact has become so severe, the association sent a letter to the Trump Administration urging it to intervene to encourage domestic lumber producers to increase production and work with Canada on a new Softwood Lumber Agreement that would end the ongoing tariffs.
But with the construction and home improvement markets booming, many builders and remodelers don’t have time to wait for lumber prices to decline and supplies to refresh. Non-wood trim products, such as TruExterior Trim and Kleer Lumber, can offer immediate relief, with ready supply and U.S. manufacturing—along with high-performance attributes that eliminate some of the drawbacks of natural, moisture-prone materials.
Made with Boral’s proprietary blend of polymers and fly ash, TruExterior Trim combines authentic wood looks with high performance and low maintenance. TruExterior Trim provides a high level of dimensional stability along with durability for resistance to warping, cracking, and splitting. As a result, the trim requires no sealing of ends or cuts in the field, it can be used in ground-contact applications, and it can be painted any color, including dark hues.
TruExterior Trim
And because TruExterior is made in Salisbury, N.C., with raw materials sourced locally, it’s not facing the supply chain issues of some wood species.
Kleer Lumber’s trim line is made with expanded cellular PVC and, like TruExterior, offers the premium look of wood but without the concerns about the effects of moisture or insects. In fact, it’s backed by a limited lifetime warranty against splintering, rotting, delamination, and swelling. Kleer trim, which is sold in eight trim widths and in sheets, can be installed in contact with the ground. Kleer Lumber is manufactured in Westfield, Mass.
Kleer trim.
Both Kleer and TruExterior offer easy workability for a range of uses, from traditional trim applications and decorative millwork to pergolas and flower boxes.
When customers are looking for information on the internet,
it tends to always start with a simple search.
Search engines are the “middlemen” that work to connect
businesses to customers who are in need of their goods and services. And there
are ways you can help the search engine’s artificial intelligence (AI) find
your websites, facilitating potential customers to connect with you faster.
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a strategic way of
positioning content on websites to ensure higher rankings in search engines.
The higher you rank, the more likely your website is to land in front of
potential customers.
Here are 7 tips for improving your website’s SEO to rank
higher on search engine inquiries.
1. TEST THE WEBSITE SPEED
When ranking websites, speed is one of the first things
Google and other search engines look at. Speed matters because users will leave
sites that take too long to load.
And keep in mind that SEO AI will look at both the mobile
and desktop speed. Your site must run fast on both to rank higher.
There are tools offered to help check speed; one is Google Developer.
2. ADD VIDEO AND IMAGES
Having videos and images on a website will always rank the
site higher—provided you use them where they make sense. The AI will favor your
site when the videos and images help elevate the content. AI does not favor
pictures over videos or videos over pictures, which provides tremendous
flexibility.
3. FIND AND FIX BROKEN LINKS
There is nothing more disappointing to a website visitor
than clicking on a link that doesn’t work. As such, Google and other search
engines will rank websites with broken links lower.
Fewer broken links also will result in lower bounce rates
and exits from your website. There are tools that can help you find broken
links for free, or it can be done manually .
4. ANSWER THE QUESTIONS PEOPLE ARE ASKING
If you can figure out and understand the questions your
customers are asking, and then provide the answers to those questions, your
website will rank higher in search engines.
When customers search the internet, they are asking
questions that may not directly link to your services or products but are
related. If you can create content that answers relevant questions, your brand
can be put in front of the consumers, and you can gain their business.
For example, remodelers might create content around common
homeowner questions such as “What siding is best for my home” or “How do I
improve my home’s curb appeal?” Having blog posts or other content on your
website that answers common questions can help lead potential customers to your
site.
Also, every good question has a follow-up question. Try your
best to understand and answer the next question that comes after the first set
of questions.
5. HAVE A STRONG CALL-TO-ACTION
A strong website will have an even stronger call-to-action
(CTA). When a customer lands on your site, you should always have a goal in
mind. It could be having them sign up for your newsletter, getting them to
schedule a discovery session, or encouraging them to follow you on Instagram.
You want to make sure you have a clear task for them to
complete. Google and other search engines will rank websites with higher task
completions (such as subscribing to your newsletter) better than those with
lower completion rates.
If the customer does not complete the task and ends up back
in the search results, the search engine will rank your site lower because it
is an indication that your website does not answer the customer’s questions or
needs.
6. DON’T FRET TOO MUCH ABOUT KEYWORDS
When SEO rules and ranking first became a hot topic for
businesses, keywords became the focus.
As search engines continue to evolve, focus on keywords is
not as essential. Customers are using long-form questions with tools like
talk-to-text, and AI is becoming more sophisticated. Instead of focusing
content on specific words, spend the time making sure you are providing the
best content for your customers and answering the right questions.
The search engines will rank you higher for better content
versus using a keyword over and over.
7. EARN INCOMING LINKS TO YOUR WEBSITE
Another way to earn higher rankings on search engines is to
have other sites link to yours.
It is not necessarily about the number of
links to your site, but the overall quality of those links. For example, if a
big media outlet links to your site compared to a low-traffic blog, the big
media outlet has a higher reputation and a more powerful link.
Keep in mind that Google and other search engines do not
allow websites to buy links to their website; in fact, you can land on the
“bad” list and lower your ranks drastically. Don’t do it.
It is better to work on networking and tasking PR
professionals to publicize your content to help earn links to your site.
Though ranking can be challenging, the reward of being
ranked higher in search engines is worthwhile.
A strong SEO strategy can help ensure potential customers
can find you and that search engines put your business in front of those customers
as the best solution for their needs.
In many
ways, it’s business as usual in the siding market—authenticity is in demand,
low maintenance is a must, and the Modern Farmhouse continues to reign. And
while the pandemic shifted the way most of the industry is doing business, many
homeowners are using the extra time at home to improve their exteriors.
LBM Journal’s annual In Depth feature on siding takes a look at the current trends in siding and siding sales. Here’s some of what they found:
Siding
Market Remains Strong
While the
pandemic has created challenges for so many, it’s also driven many homeowners
to embark on improvement projects, particularly as they embrace the home’s role
as sanctuary. “During stay-at-home orders, many Americans have been making wish
lists for the ways they will have professionals make improvements once that’s
allowed in their areas,” Boral Building Products’ Vice President of Sales Jack
Delaney told LBM Journal. “Siding replacement is a perfect way to give existing
homes an instant facelift.”
Siding
also has the distinct advantage of offering outside work, which is isolated
from the homeowner and is easier to do safely as the pandemic continues, making
it an ideal option to consider for a facelift.
Popular Siding Trends Continue
Multi-textured
facades continue to be in demand, manufacturers say, combining traditional
siding with stone and accents to help the home stand out and catch the eye.
And
despite some predictions that the Modern Farmhouse style has run its course,
the look remains popular, as homeowners desire the authenticity blended with
clean lines and a contemporary vibe.
“Authenticity
has been in demand for the past few years, and we think that desire will only
get stronger as Americans look to their homes as a sanctuary,” Delaney said. “The
draw of tradition, of the tried-and-true, is likely to continue as homeowners
look for any sense of normalcy in these times.”
TruExterior Siding & Trim’s Craftsman Collection, offering the look of wood in seven authentic profiles such as Shiplap and Channel Bevel, is one way to deliver on that preference.
Low Maintenance a Must
The demand for low-maintenance materials is here to stay, as older and younger homeowners alike eschew the idea of painting their exterior every year. Two products to consider are TruExterior poly-ash siding and Foundry Specialty Siding, each offering a combination of durability and little upkeep.
Easy Installation in Demand
As the labor shortage continues, straightforward, speedy installation is key to maintaining schedules and ensuring long-term performance. (Try Versetta Stone stone siding, which has a panelized format that can be installed by traditional carpenters and contractors.) Building pros also are looking for a partner in their suppliers, one that can be both a single source of materials and provide value and knowledge.
Virtual
Training Takes Off
With demand still high but face-to-face meetings off the table in many areas of the country, manufacturers have quickly implemented online training sessions. Boral Building Products, for example, has been hosting product knowledge workshops and live installation demonstrations. Check out some recorded classes on our YouTube channel or contact your rep to arrange a live session.
Learn more about the latest siding needs and trends by reading the full LBM Journal article here.
Dressing up gable ends can add a pop of interest to the home—and isn’t hard to pull off, whether with a new siding texture, a simple window, or a decorative louver.
Here are a few approaches to gable ends from projects around the country:
Multi-textured facades are in big demand, and switching up the gable’s cladding, such as this home featuring Foundry 7” Split Shake siding, is a great way to do that.
Small windows on these two gables, featuring TruExterior Siding, add just enough to keep the gable from feeling too staid. At the same time, they maintain the home’s clean look and avoid diverting attention away from the exterior’s more compelling configurations and shapes.
Gable vents don’t have to be dramatic to bring a touch of class. This Half Round gable vent is just a few shades away from the off-white siding, lending a subtle, elegant style.
Looking for an easy way to add eye candy to the yard? The same attributes that make Kleer Lumber and TruExterior Trim ideal for creating eye-catching exterior façades—durability, low maintenance, and easy installation—make them the perfect material for quick-and-easy home projects to add pizzazz to the outdoor space.
In a previous blog post, we showed you the fun bird houses members of our sales team made using scraps up Kleer and TruExterior. In between conducting virtual trainings and attending to customers from their home offices, they’ve continued to demonstrate their creativity—and the workability of the two materials—with flower boxes, chairs, and other fun outdoor projects.
Take a look:
For these pretty flower boxes, TruExterior Trim’s moisture resistance and superior dimensional stability mean they’ll perform well and require less maintenance while still offering the look and grain of wood. Easy workability and no sealing of cuts makes installation a breeze, too.
TruExterior comes pre-primed and ready to paint any color, so these bright blues and reds will last.
Want something more rustic? Trim scraps and a custom finish helped create this look of old barn wood. Behind the rough-around-the-edges aesthetics, though, is the same modern performance and durability of TruExterior Trim.
This beautiful flower box features Kleer Lumber, which comes in a brilliant white color to catch the eye as well as provide a backdrop for bright-colored flowers. Made with cellular PVC, Kleer sheets and trimboards won’t splinter, swell, rot, or delaminate, so they can be installed in contact with the ground or other potentially wet surfaces.
The ability to mill Kleer means the possibilities for projects, whether beautiful trimwork on the façade or these cozy Adirondack chairs, are nearly endless. Kleer can be left white or painted for a custom look.
Kleer’s
surface, workability, and paintability make a great combination for these
cornhole boards, as well.
Want more inspiration? Check out our Instagram page.
Garage bucks, the trim along which the garage door runs, are essential to proper garage door installation. With a thermal stop over the top with a rubber flange, the buck helps form the door’s seal. It’s also one of the most moisture-prone areas of the exterior and therefore requires special attention to materials and installation.
When
installing the garage buck, it’s ideal for the trim to be flush with the ground
to help minimize air intrusion and bugs. However, many trim materials, such as
engineered wood, fiber cement, or wood, cannot be used in ground-contact
applications due to moisture absorption.
This is evident in the replacement project pictured here. The original garage bucks were painted pine, which proved problematic. As shown in the image below, the bottom of the trim is nearly rotted away due to the wood wicking moisture from the ground. The homeowner also had to paint the trim each year, as moisture and movement caused the paint to flake off. In addition, the wood was more vulnerable to insects.
Before
To remedy the issue, the installer removed the pine trim and added TruExterior 1×6 trimboards in its place. In an area this prone to moisture, TruExterior offers a reliable solution: It can be installed in contact with the ground, it is dimensionally stable, and it won’t crack, warp, or split. Made with a proprietary blend of polymers and fly ash, TruExterior Trim is also low maintenance and can be painted any color, including dark hues, while offering the authentic look of wood.
After
If you haven’t yet tried TruExterior—this is the spot to give it a go. The quick replacement project for remodeling pros or DIYers will yield a cleaner look while dramatically reducing the home’s maintenance needs year after year.
Vertical siding installation is on trend for a reason—blended with horizontal siding or other materials, it’s an ideal way to add dimension and visual interest to the home exterior, particularly as homeowners clamor for multi-textured façades. Vertical applications also are a great way to make accent areas a bit more interesting.
But installing vertical siding has some nuances both designers and installers should keep in mind. Here are a few things to consider when using TruExterior Siding in vertical installations.
• Choose the right style and profile: Vertical siding is most often used with Channel or V-Rustic profiles, but also can be achieved with Nickel Gap or Shiplap.
• Complement the home style: Vertical installations are commonly seen on both modern and traditional styles. If used across the full expanse of the façade, the look will decidedly lean modern or, depending on the other design elements, modern farmhouse; traditional exteriors should stick to accents, such as a gable or around an entryway.
Vertical siding made with TruExterior channel siding is ideal for dormers and complements the lines of the metal roofing.
• Follow installation instructions: Keep in mind that vertical installations of TruExterior Siding will require a few different steps than horizontal applications. These include:
–Make sure to install flashing above windows, doors, and roof lines as usual.
–If the height of the home requires more than one piece of siding installed vertically, create a belly band trim joint with a piece of 1×4, 1×6, or 1×8 trim (depending on preference) and Z-flashing above and below (see diagram). In vertical applications, the belly band is the best strategy for optimal moisture management and is usually more visually effective versus having random seams.
–Fasten each piece of TruExterior Siding at the tongue and on the face no less than 3/4″ from the edge and no more than 12″ along the length of both sides of the siding.
–Install a frieze board trim piece with flashing along the top edges of the siding under the soffits.
Combining horizontal and vertical siding is a great way to add interest and dimension to larger walls.
Click here to see more exterior project inspiration featuring TruExterior Siding.
With authentic looks and high performance, Kleer Lumber and TruExterior trim are ideal for creating eye-catching exterior façades—any exterior façade. We challenged our sales teams to put that idea to the test and flex their creativity by building birdhouses in between the virtual meetings and training sessions they’re conducting from their homes during the pandemic. And they delivered with a collection of pretty snazzy designs. Lucky for the birds, both Kleer trim and TruExterior trim are low maintenance, durable, and suitable for any style.
If you’re looking for a fun project during stay-at-home downtime, check out our sales team’s creations below. They just might inspire you to build your own avian abode—or spark some ideas for your own home exterior.
The classic Craftsman with welcoming front porch:
The brand-loyal multifamily with room for the whole flock:
The cozy cottage with on-trend outdoor living space:
The Mid-Century Modern:
The ultra-modern:
Which design is your favorite? Cast your vote on our Instagram page.
The safety of employees, partners, customers, and visitors has long been a key mission for the residential construction industry. That focus is even more critical now as builders, remodelers, and contractors navigate the COVID-19 crisis while keeping both their businesses and their team members healthy.
Knowledge is power, and one of the best steps to take is to arm yourself with information from the experts. Here are a few resources from around the industry to help you determine the best practices and procedures to implement on your jobsites—and at your office.
National Association of Home Builders NAHB offers a host of extensive resources on jobsite safety during the pandemic, including a response plan template, jobsite checklist, a toolbox talk, jobsite posters, and more, each in English and Spanish.
On April 16, construction sites across the country participated in the NAHB’s COVID-19 Job Site Safety Stand Down, a 10-minute work stoppage devoted to educating employees on staying safe and helping to flatten the curve. If you weren’t able to participate, click here to access the NAHB’s guide to the Stand Down, including a toolbox talk outlining prevention measures, jobsite best practices, and worker responsibilities.
Pro Remodeler Pro Remodeler’s COVID-19 Resources portal has links to tools from the CDC, OSHA, and SBA, as well as a state-by-state tracker. In addition, you’ll find a range of business tools, including Build Aid, a free online joint conference featuring expert speakers presenting on everything from management to material procurement, as well as first-hand accounts and advice from fellow remodelers.
National Association of the Remodeling Industry NARI also has a COVID-19 portal, featuring links to CDC and OSHA guidelines, the Dept. of Commerce’s Essential Workforce Tracker, and the Construction Industry Safety Coalition’s prevention and response plan. The website also offers updates on the association’s efforts to ensure construction is deemed essential, business-themed webinars, and loan guidance.
Builder magazine Builder’s COVID-19 dashboard offers state-by-state tracking of limits to construction and building material supply. The publication is also hosting weekly webinars from Meyers Research. View a recap of the most recent webinar, discussing how builders are adjusting to the new normal, here.
Much like other areas of the home exterior, consumers and contractors are looking for trim products that deliver authentic looks to boost curb appeal while ensuring low maintenance and durability, according to LBM Journal’s recent In Depth trim feature. “Homeowners are craving authenticity, and they also want their homes to be unique,” Boral Building Products’ Brand Manager Ben Drury told the magazine.
Here’s an overview of trends and observations from LBM Journal’s annual report:
Simple styles: Ornamentation is out, clean lines are in, driven in part by the continued love of Craftsman and Modern Farmhouse styles.
Dark colors: Homeowners remain drawn to dark colors, particularly dark blues and grays. Often, these hues are in contrast to white siding or the other way around. TruExterior answers this call, with the ability to be painted any color.
Durability is central: “Poor quality of wood, increasing material costs, lack of skilled labor, extreme weather events, and growth of consumer knowledge … are all having an impact on the direction of product development,” LBM Journal reports. “But perhaps the greatest driving factor is product durability.”
Labor shortages playing a role: Strains on labor are driving contractor demand for cellular PVC products, like Kleer Lumber, because they’re easy to install while still delivering the look homeowners desire.
Education is key: For dealer salespeople, it’s crucial to have a deep understanding of products in order to be a resource to customers and to help them solve exterior challenges. “Know more about your products than your customers do—and even about the products you don’t sell,” Drury advised. Good displays also are important, including vignettes showing how products and materials go together across the façade, particularly as demand for multiple textures remains strong.
To read more trends and insights into today’s trim market, view the LBM Journal article in its entirety here.
Attendee numbers—and attendee attitudes—remained strong at
the 2020 International Builders’ Show Jan. 21-23. NAHB
reports that nearly 65,000 attendees converged on Las Vegas, just a few
thousand short of last year’s total. When combined with the co-located Kitchen
& Bath Industry Show, attendee numbers soared to about 90,000. Not too
shabby considering it was the show’s second consecutive year in Sin City.
“The strong attendance at this year’s show reflects the
positive outlook for the home building industry and the enthusiasm that our
attendees have for the future,” NAHB Senior Vice President of Exhibitions and Meetings
Geoff Cassidy said in a statement. “Attendees continue to seek the innovative
products, education sessions, and networking opportunities that only IBS can
provide.”
If you weren’t able to attend, read on for a look at the
trends, news, and highlights from the show floor and beyond.
IBS Trends:Easy Installation, Dark Windows, Smooth Siding
Visit enough booths and talk to enough people, and trends
start to emerge. Here’s a bit of what our team saw on the show floor:
• Labor: The labor shortage continues to dominate conversations about builders’ and remodelers’ biggest business challenges, and manufacturers touted products accordingly. (Be sure to check out our Versetta Stone stone siding, which installs like a traditional siding panel with nails and screws.) In addition, the Home Builders Institute and The Home Depot announced a half-million-dollar grant to fund student training in home construction careers. Meanwhile, Fine Homebuildingcontinued its mission to #KeepCraftAlive.
• Black windows: Like last year, black window frames were everywhere. We also noticed an uptick in black window trim—coinciding with a decline in white window trim. (If you’re jumping on board this trend, be sure to consider TruExterior trim, which can be painted dark colors, including black.)
• Bookend colors: Along with dark accents, exterior
siding, stone, and trim products are trending to both sides of the scale—lots
of darks and, in direct contrast, lots of whites. Warm neutrals were scarce to
nonexistent.
• Smooth siding: Smooth siding appears to be on trend as more manufacturers jump on board. Love texture still? Try our new TruExterior Reversible Shiplap/Nickel Gap, which comes in both smooth and wood-grain.
• Outdoor living: No surprise, outdoor living is here to stay, and manufacturers are responding with more options than ever to deck out the space with all the comforts of the interior. As just one example, our sister company, Kindred Outdoors+Surrounds, launched at the show with fire bowls, fire pits, fireplaces and surrounds, and outdoor kitchens.
For even more prognosticating, check out NAHB’s latest trend report, released at the show. Top “most likely” features include walk-in closets, low-E windows, and laundry rooms.
Show Houses Reveal Consumer Preferences
Each year, a handful of showhouses offer a look at what
today’s homeowners are, or will be, looking for, from the practical to the
extravagant. This year was no exception:
• The New American Home, the show’s centerpiece demonstration home combined wow factor with “ahhh” factor, with water and fire features, flooring that resembles drifting sand, and a soothing color palette. Professional Builder walks you through it here.
• The designers behind this year’s The New American Remodel leveraged advances in home performance technology to help demonstrate to showgoers how to achieve true net zero. Follow along with Professional Remodeler.
• The pre-fabricated, multi-million-dollar Sekisui Showhouse home renovation concept showcased Japanese homebuilding innovation to highlight the future of building. Las Vegas Review Journal provides a peek.
New From Boral
Boral Building Products’ portfolio of exterior products
means you can find the perfect whole-house solution for any home, any design,
and any budget. Check out our newest options to inspire your work:
• Versetta Stone Northern Ash: The easy installation and beautiful look you love about Versetta Stone stone siding in a dramatic new hue. This bold head-turner meets consumer demand for darker colors and accents on the exterior. See it here.
• Kleer Lumber Extruded Beadboard: Our new beadboard is extruded as one piece and sealed on all four sides to eliminate the open cells that may be prone to dirt intrusion—ensuring a brilliant white out of the box and on the jobsite. Learn more here.
• TruExterior Reversible Shiplap/Nickel Gap: Two looks in one! The newest profile in our high-performance TruExterior Siding & Trim lineup comes in two formats: one features smooth Nickel Gap on one side and wood-grain Shiplap on the other; the second has wood-grain Nickel Gap on one side and smooth Shiplap on the other. Check it out here.
• Foundry Grayne Shingle
Siding Colors: Foundry’s Grayne shingle siding now comes in Mountain Ash, a
sandy white, and Rustic Slate, a bluish gray, both a perfect complement to the
sidings’ distinctive graining patterns and sharp, crisp edges.
When Michael McKinley’s 25-year-old home was destroyed by fire from an ember landing on its cedar roof, the architect turned tragedy into opportunity. He set out to redesign his new modern farmhouse utilizing state-of-the-art materials, including fire-resistant products like Boral TruExterior Siding & Trim and Boral composite roofing, and incorporating the knowledge he had gained over three decades as a designer.
“We’re 25 years into the future and, no matter how well you did it then, it’s not the same. All the factors change,” notes McKinley, principal of Michael McKinley & Associates in Stonington, Conn.
At 3,100 square feet, the new four-bedroom/three-bath house is about a quarter smaller—a size much more in tune with the empty-nest lifestyle McKinley and his wife, Kathy Calnen, now enjoy—yet lives larger.
Light-filled bathroom with Douglas fir tub.
“I’ve fine-tuned my skills in terms of design, becoming a lot more creative with smaller spaces, and thus more efficient,” the architect says. “That’s a key part of the home’s sustainability story.”
Having lived on the property for 25 years, the couple understood the character and movement of the sun and tailored the design accordingly. “The new house is a complete expression of the behaviors of the sun,” McKinley says. “The path of the sun leads you from the kitchen, around the living room, pivoting over the double-sided fireplace, and to the south/southwest-facing conservatory where we’re going to grow trees. This is both a spiritual experience and an energy saver in terms of heat and light.”
Custom farm table.
Along those lines, McKinley and Calnen were intentional in the selection of energy-efficient, sustainable products, including a geothermal system, a solar array, and radiant floor heat. An elaborate drainage system collects rainwater from the roof; water is stored in an underground cistern for use in the garden where Calnen grows enough vegetables to feed the couple as well as to help stock the local food bank. A farm table in the kitchen, positioned near the door to the gardens, has its own sink and bins for ease of use.
Traditional Meets Modern
Rather than the coastal shingle style of the previous home, McKinley opted for a modern interpretation of the traditional farmhouse, a nod to the surrounding landscape dotted with farmsteads and historic remnants of orchards.
McKinley’s blending of historic and modern includes a roofscape featuring multiple gables and pitches; the windows are configured traditionally, but with large, operable units that give a subtle nod to the expanses of glass typical of modern homes.
TruExterior Siding in the Nickel Gap profile, installed vertically, delivers a modern farmhouse appeal.
McKinley took a similar approach to the cladding, selecting Boral TruExterior Siding in a Nickel Gap profile—but oriented vertically and precisely installed symmetrically across the façades. To eliminate horizontal joints, installers incorporated an overlap, a more traditional feature that transforms into an elegant, solid look, almost like concrete, as you move closer. As the siding reaches higher on the wall, it merges with the horizontal plane of the overhangs, also made with TruExterior. “It’s quite the geometry study,” says McKinley, noting that the overhangs are exaggerated in some areas and kept to a minimum in others.
For the roof, Calnen created a custom blend of Boral Inspire Classic Slate, using Olive, Ash Grey, Evergreen, and Red Rock to create an authentic look. Inspire Classic Slate’s textured surfaces and deckled edges are modeled from authentic natural slates, imparting a controlled uniformity that epitomizes natural slate roofing.
The decision to use TruExterior siding and trim and Boral roofing was about much more than the aesthetics, however. It was an intentional choice made in part to ensure the home was more fire resistant than the previous dwelling.
Inspire Classic Slate roofing carries a Class A fire rating, a Class 4 Impact rating for hail, and a 110-mph wind uplift rating.
Made with poly-ash, a proprietary blend of fly ash and polymers, TruExterior Siding & Trim are certified by the California Building Commission for inclusion on the Wildland-Urban Interface Zone (WUI) Fire Area Products Listing. The product line is part of a relatively small group of cladding materials approved for WUI-designated buildings. TruExterior also resists insects, which will help the homeowners avoid the boring bees they encountered in the wood siding of their previous home.
Under-construction image during homeowners’ color selection process.
Calnen tested two colors on the walls—a barn red and a warm white—and ultimately selected warm white, a further nod to the modern farmhouse style. It’s one more touch on a home that combines comfort with performance, authentic design with durability.
The dawn of a new year—and a new decade—naturally brings out the predictions for what trends will dominate the landscape. But when it comes to color, it’s not always that simple. While some colors heat up and cool down quickly (perhaps bold hues sparked by pop culture), for the most part, shifts in color preferences happen more gradually, easing in and fading out over a number of years or even decades.
Still, it’s important to know what’s happening, so we checked in with strategist and trend forecaster Renee Labbe, Director of Foresight Strategy at Broadside Studios, to find out what we can expect in exterior color trends during the upcoming year and beyond.
New Neutrals
Neutral hues that began trending three, five, even eight years ago are still around as early adoption has merged into mass market appeal. And “neutral” doesn’t simply mean beiges and grays, it can mean subtle colors that are quite muted. Where colors in the ’80s and ’90s were heavily saturated, today classic yellows and creams and oranges lean closer to neutrality on the color wheel. Similarly, white is still a leading house color, but it’s a softer white, a trend Labbe says we’ll see more of this year. She also expects the appeal of contrasting whites and blacks to continue.
One of the reasons for a shift toward neutrality is lifestyle: Americans have become overwhelmed by technology and social media, resulting in sensorial chaos. Neutral tones are less busy and not as distracting, allowing the eye to rest and the brain to relax.
This is also likely the driver of home style trends like the Gabled Modern. This style represents simplicity, with limited use of color, material, and ornamentation, creating a sense of peace and a contrast to the “pinnacle of success” approach that has dominated real estate in recent decades.
“Design imitates emotion,” Labbe says, noting that society is shifting as we emerge into a new decade focusing on solutions instead of division. “Neutrality is necessary as we slow down our focus. The healthy palettes start to trickle in.”
Foundry Staggered Shake in Harvest Wheat
The Rise of “Healthy” Color Palettes
Indeed, the popularity of neutrals will influence increasing interest in colors derived from nature, though Labbe says it’s too soon to know how the hues within those colors are going to evolve. “I think healthy palettes are part of a bigger trend toward ‘entanglement,’” she explains, “where we see the built environment and the natural environment literally beginning to grow into each other.”
Changing Grays
While gray has been a mainstay for a number of years, classic gray is starting to fade from favor. Instead, it’s finding its way into other colors, such as an undertone for brown that makes the rustic hue more suitable for contemporary designs without losing its warmth. Tinted grays also are becoming more important, Labbe notes, such as gray with a hint of blue or green.
Foundry Perfection Shingle in Vintage Taupe
Reds Fading
Labbe says red undertones for exteriors, such as siding, roofing, brick, and pavers, have been downtrending and will continue to downtrend, in favor of undertones that create a more neutral feel. For example, a brown that had a lot of red undertone will now see a gray undertone replace it; a tan would be less warm and more muted (gray undertones).
Black Shifting
Similarly, though classic black has been popular for progressive neighborhoods, Labbe predicts some blacks with a bit of tint, such as brown-black or bluish-black.
Above all, it’s crucial to use color correctly. A color is rarely completely “out,” but in her research Labbe often sees popular colors integrated in the wrong way. For example, combining three different grays on a contemporary house will come off stark and cold, but pairing a smooth gray stucco with wood elements can create something warm and beautiful. Gray with tan is another effective combination.
As you design your homes and develop your streetscapes, consult with a color expert who can ensure you’re selecting hues that are on trend yet timeless and are integrated in combinations and configurations that elevate, rather than detract from, your exteriors.
The 2020 International Builders’ Show (IBS) is right around the corner, being held in Las Vegas Jan. 21-23. Check out our must-dos as you prep your schedule.
Get Educated
As usual, the IBS conference is packed with helpful sessions, from trends and design predictions to small business strategies. Here are a few that caught our eye:
In addition to browsing the 2020 International Builders’ Show exhibit floor and attending knowledge sessions, one of the best ways to see what’s hot in home design are the handful of show houses on and off site. This year, these include:
• The New American Home: Always an attendee favorite, this year’s New American Home is located in the Ascaya community in Henderson, Nev. Designed to be a tranquil sanctuary, the home boasts a modern aesthetic, with clean lines, minimal décor, abundant light, and flat rooflines against a mountainous desert backdrop. See a sneak preview here. Sign up for a tour on site at the convention center.
• The New American Remodel: The New American Remodel has transformed a 2,170-square-foot, one-level 1977 home into a 7,523-square-foot two-story masterpiece showcasing innovation, exceptional design, and net-zero construction. Click here for a preview. Sign up for a tour on site at the convention center.
• Show Village: Located in the parking lot outside the Las Vegas Convention Center, this year’s Professional Builder Show Village will comprise four innovative modular homes addressing the issues of affordability, lifestyle sustainability, and labor. Catch a sneak peek here.
• 55+ Housing Community Tour: Take a tour of two of Las Vegas’ up-and-coming 55+ communities, visiting models, sales centers, and community amenities. Click here for details and registration/tickets.
• Builder Chowa Concept Home: This show house “brings together Japan-based Sekisui House and its wholly owned home building company, Woodside Homes, to introduce technologies, best practices, and a new approach to improving society through housing to the U.S.,” says Builder magazine. “This house will engage with a growing preference for homes that support health and well-being, highlighting the balance between indoor living and outdoor life, between technology and privacy, between comfort and simplicity, and between themselves and their community and the natural environment.” Click here for more information.
See What’s New From Boral Building Products
There’s lots to see at our booth, C4519, this year!
• Check out TruExterior Siding’s new reversible Shiplap/Nickel Gap profile
• See new colors of Foundry’s Grayne shingle siding
• Experience the Versetta Stone wall featuring our dramatic new Northern Ash and new accessory colors
• See new accessories for Tapco Tools’ professional brakes
• Watch installation demonstrations by trim wizard Mike Sloggatt
Plus, get inspired by exterior vignettes and displays comprising new and classic products from multiple Boral Building Products brands.
When Marc Brahaney, owner of Lasley Brahaney Architecture & Construction, began remodeling his own home, an 1870s Gothic Revival, he knew preserving its unique character would be essential. In an article in a recent issue of The Journal of Light Construction, Brahaney detailed how he meticulously restored the home’s front porch to its original design using TruExterior poly-ash material.
“From the outset, I knew replicating the porch’s original moldings and trim would be a challenge; some of the Gothic-inspired shapes I needed were fairly large and chunky,” Brahaney told the magazine. “Reproducing them from rot-resistant wood (plastic products were not an option) would be difficult and expensive, so I reached out to Keith Coleman of DURATION Moulding & Millwork. Duration specializes in milling and siding from Boral [TruExterior] stock (a poly-ash material resistant to both moisture and termites). … After speaking with Keith, I concluded that milled Boral would be the best product to use, both for durability and to match the home’s unique trim work.”
DURATION crafted numerous elements of the porch using Boral TruExterior, including the columns, pilasters, decorative scroll work, crown, custom fascia, and dentil fascia. DURATION’s expertise in creating historically accurate profiles ensured the house maintained its landmark status while upgrading to a more durable material.
Elsewhere on the home, DURATION Moulding & Millwork also fabricated massive 5- to 6-inch window sills and two-piece casing to replicate the home’s original window trim.
DURATION Moulding & Millwork works exclusively with TruExterior. The material offers workability similar to wood, providing versatility to produce or replicate nearly any standard and custom design. Its authentic appearance ensures an accurate look suitable for even the most discerning historical projects.
The winter months bring cold temperatures and wet conditions—but typically not a break from work and deadlines. If your job keeps you out in the elements no matter the weather, here are a few pieces of gear that can help keep you comfortable.
High-Vis Rain Gear
Blaklader’s 4312 Hi-Vis rain jacket features a wind- and water-proof polyurethane coating; a high, fleece-lined collar; a storm closure with buttons; welded seams; and a removable, adjustable hood. The jacket’s high-vis yellow body and reflective tape on the body, sleeves, and shoulders ensures visibility.
Heated Jacket
The M12 Heated Axis Layering System from Milwaukee is designed to withstand the heaviest rain and snow conditions. The M12 Heated Axis jacket provides the primary source of heat; powered by Milwaukee’s M12 RedLithium battery technology, the jacket distributes heat across core body areas. Workers can then layer an outer shell—a Hydrobreak Rain Shell (designed for extreme wet conditions) or a Gridiron Work Shell (designed for extreme cold).
Cold-Weather Headgear
New to Ergodyne’s N-Ferno line of cold-weather gear, this soft-cuffed Beanie Hat includes a bump cap insert for added head protection. The hat is made with 100% soft dry acrylic with 40-gram 3M flex stretch insulation for both warmth and comfort. A zippered compartment holds the removable bump cap.
Cold-Weather Gloves
Ironclad’s Cold Condition Waterproof Gloves are rated to 20 degrees and are guaranteed waterproof. Still, the low-profile gloves offer high dexterity, and their Duraclad reinforcements are eight times more durable than leather, the company says. A cuff puller helps get the gloves into position faster, and reflective stripes provide visibility in low-light conditions.
Fleece Underlayer
Made with a blend of polyester and fleece with knit-in channels, 3 Dog Fleece Base Layer pants from Duluth Trading Company provide more warmth without a lot of bulk, along with breathability and moisture wicking. Features include a 1-1/2-inch non-chafing waistband, a seat panel that prevents bunching, and a functional fly.
