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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Boral Building Products has added a reversible Shiplap-Nickel Gap siding profile to its TruExterior Siding & Trim poly-ash line. The new profile 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. A rabbeted edge ensures panels fit together perfectly to create the authentic spacing—the tight joint appearance of Shiplap on one side and the nickel-sized space of Nickel Gap on the other.
Previously,
contractors could select TruExterior profiles in non-reversible smooth or
wood-grain Shiplap and in smooth Nickel Gap. The addition of textured Nickel
Gap answers growing customer demand for wood-grain options. What’s more, the
reversible format combines with four different widths and two standard lengths to
offer 16 profile combinations. This means dealers can stock fewer SKUs while
builders can design more varied streetscapes with a single panel.
“Our new
reversible Shiplap-Nickel Gap profile makes it easy for builders and remodelers
to create beautiful, on-trend exteriors that are both eye-catching and high
performing for a look that truly stands the test of time,” says Ben Drury,
Brand Manager for Boral Building Products.
Like all
TruExterior Siding, the new profile is made with Boral’s proprietary blend of
polymers and fly ash, which provides for a high level of dimensional stability
for reduced expansion and contraction, and durability for resistance to
warping, cracking, and splitting. As a result, the siding 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.
Shiplap and
Nickel Gap are part of TruExterior’s Craftsman Collection, which comprises six
historically and architecturally accurate profiles that replicate the look and
feel of traditional wood siding. The panels cut and install with traditional
tools and offer workability similar to wood.
The reversible
Shiplap-Nickel Gap profile comes in 4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-inch widths.
Perhaps not surprising to anyone active in the housing industry, outdoor living continues to dominate as one of the most sought-after features of home exteriors.
Outdoor Living Spaces Remain Popular
In AIA’s Q2 2019 Home Design Trends survey, released in late June, 68% of architects said interest in outdoor living space among their clients is increasing, up slightly from 67% in 2018. The upward trend includes the blending of spaces, of which interest rose 5 percentage points to 57% in 2019.
Earlier
this year, in the association’s Q1 survey, architects indicated outdoor
kitchens also continue to remain popular, with 49% reporting increasing
interest in those spaces versus 45% in 2018.
Despite
craving more outdoor space, lot sizes appear headed down, with -28% of survey
respondents reporting an increase in lot size for 2019.
Home Sizes Shrinking
According to architects, overall home size is on the decline, with a -8% differential between designers reporting increasing vs. decreasing, a drop from 7% in 2016. However, there’s a distinct difference when broken down by home type: the survey found a 15% differential of architects saying size for custom and luxury homes is increasing, while -31% indicated the same for entry-level/affordable homes.
On a more
unexpected note, demand for open floor plans declined from 56% in 2018 to 45%
this year. Single-floor living, however, remained relatively steady around 50%.
Low-Maintenance
a Must
Late last year, AIA’s Q3 poll on other exterior trends found durability and low maintenance the No. 1 popular feature, with 60% of architects reporting increasing interest. This trend is ideally suited to a number of Boral products, including TruExterior Siding & Trim, which offers the look and authenticity of wood with long-lasting durability resulting in minimal regular maintenance, and Grayne engineered composite shingles, featuring the warmth of real cedar with no painting or staining required.
TruExterior siding
Elsewhere
in that quarter’s survey, architects pinpointed Contemporary home styles as the
most popular, with 41% of respondents indicating increasing interest.
Among the most popular neighborhood and community features were infill development (63%), higher-density development (56%), an increase in tear-down projects (55%), and mixed-use facilities (54%).
Grayne engineered composite shingles in Aged Grey
To see the
full AIA Home Design Trends survey, including an archive of previous quarterly
results, click here.
One of the hottest trends in exteriors right now is mixed-texture façades, in which stone, varying colors and textures of siding, and trim combine to create unique looks that set homes apart, highlight key features, and vary the streetscape.
With multiple brands under one portfolio, Boral Building Products makes it easy to mix and match cladding and trim to create one-of-a-kind exteriors that stand out while also standing the test of time. Even better, you can see what the home will look like before making a commitment with our new Virtual Remodeler tool. Simply upload a photo of the house, or use a similar home from our image gallery, select products and colors from Boral’s collection of brands, and get a real-time view of how the home will look. Give it a try here.
Looking for inspiration? Here are a few ways builders, remodelers, and designers are blending textures to create one-of-a-kind exterior facades:
Colors don’t have to be boldly different to make an impact. The brown-gray tones of the Foundry Split Shake siding, stone, and garage doors create layers of visual texture that unfold slowly on this home.
A small section of light-gray stone, along with the juxtaposition of horizontal and vertical TruExterior siding, give this L-shaped home a unique pop for a modern take on the popular Farmhouse look.
Combining Versetta Stone and Grayne engineered siding with a unique porch roof adds visual interest to this seemingly simple, smaller home.
Bumpout accents with TruExterior siding and stone block set this home apart from the plain stucco next door.
Foundry siding combines with rich stone and gable accents to evoke a cozy vibe.
Vertical and horizontal TruExterior siding, along with cedar-like shakes, create a visual feast across this all-white exterior.
Versetta Stone in the Ledgestone profile plays both a primary and secondary role in this exterior by Canadian Stone Interiors.
The look of mitered corners never goes out of style: The continuous line around the house delivers a professional, finished appearance, and the overall classic look appeals to American homeowners’ love of historic, timeless exterior facades.
But mitered corners have also always been a challenge when it comes to siding installation. It’s a tough application to master even with wood, and it is extremely difficult to pull off with some fiber cement products. Fiber cement offers a 5/16” lap, which doesn’t leave much material to work with and creates a difficult angle to boot. And some material is simply too brittle for the application.
Mitered Corners with TruExterior
TruExterior Siding, on the other hand, is an ideal option for creating mitered corners. Because it boasts a similar workability to wood, TruExterior can be cut on angles using the same techniques. Unlike fiber cement, TruExterior siding sits flat against the wall, so installers can measure to the corner of the wall, set the saw at 45 degrees, and not worry about other calculations or accommodations.
TruExterior Siding helps produce flawless mitered corners.
Made with a proprietary blend of polymers and fly ash, TruExterior Siding also offers benefits over wood products for mitered corner applications: Because wood is prone to shrinkage after installation, it may start to gap and require more gluing and pinning. TruExterior Siding is more dimensionally stable and less prone to movement, so it’s easier to put up and can be trusted to stay put without unsightly gaps. In addition, TruExterior does not require sealing of end cuts in the field, further speeding up installation time.
As with all mitered applications, a level playing field is essential. Take your time during installation to keep each row of siding straight and level to ensure corners don’t look crooked or otherwise off-kilter.
The numbers are in: The 75th annual International Builders’ Show marked its largest draw in a decade, with more than 67,000 attendees. Combined with the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, collectively referred to as Design & Construction Week, more than 100,000 people flocked to Las Vegas Feb. 19-21. We felt the enthusiasm at the Boral booth, where a steady flow of builders, remodelers, and designers were eager to get inspired, learn about products and trends, and gather new strategies to positively impact their business.
Couldn’t make it to the show? Here is just a handful of the noteworthy trends and products.
Exterior Trends: Dark, Vertical, and Blended
In touring the Builders’ Show floor, the Boral team spotted a few common design threads, including several we highlighted earlier this year.
Dark colors: The preference for dark colors has been building for the last few years, and that was clear at nearly every exterior product manufacturer’s booth, from black window frames to rich brown trim to deep blue siding panels. If you’re loving this trend, too, check out TruExterior® Siding & Trim, whose superior dimensional stability makes it an ideal choice for darker hues.
Blended textures: Demand for multiple textures on facades isn’t waning. At Boral, our Color Harmony inspiration boards demonstrated how our portfolio of products lines, including Versetta Stone, TruExterior Siding & Trim, Kleer® Lumber, and Mid-America Components®, combine to create eye-catching, unique facades and streetscapes.
Vertical siding: Whether a traditional board-and-batten for Farmhouse-style exteriors or a more simple approach for modern-style homes, vertical installations attracted a lot of attention during IBS.
Smooth siding: Even with the push for authenticity, smooth siding was prominent in many displays. In fact, we saw many instances of contemporary panels and traditional wood grain siding used in combination.
Industry Experts Weigh In
As usual, journalists from around the industry were out in force at the Builders’ Show reporting on the latest trends and new products. A few of the highlights:
LBM Journal: NAHB Announces Best of IBS Product Winners
From solar shingles to a WiFi-enabled circuit breaker, see whose innovative product introductions caught the experts’ eyes.
Professional Builder: The New American Home
Always a show-stopper, this year’s demonstration home boasts jaw-dropping views and an outdoor living area that rivals Sin City’s hottest rooftop bars.
New From Boral
Boral Building Products showcased our breadth of exterior products at the Builders’ Show, including several new options to spruce up your facades:
Virtual Remodeler: This online home design tool makes it easy for contractors and homeowners alike to create eye-catching exteriors. Users simply upload a photo of their home (or choose one from an online gallery) and then select from Boral’s siding, trim, and shutter lines to update the image in real time. Color Harmony palettes are available to further simplify the process. Learn more about the Virtual Remodeler here.
Versetta Stone Carved Block: We’re giving our popular stone siding a contemporary edge with this new larger-format profile that’s reminiscent of split-face stone. Carved Block features the same easy-to-install format pros love: simply nail or screw the panels to the wall—no mortar required. Choose from dark gray Midnight or creamy Sea Salt. Click here to learn more.
Kleer Lumber 10” Post Wraps: Our KLEERWrap cellular PVC post wraps, which conceal treated posts for a beautiful, finished look, are now available in a 10” version. Even with their robust size, these wraps install with just one person—simply apply adhesive to the three-sided piece, secure around the post, snap the fourth side into place, and fasten. Complete the look with accompanying cap and base moldings. See the wraps here.
Boral Building Products has launched the Virtual Remodeler, an online home design tool providing contractors and homeowners with a simple way visualize how their facade will look with different profiles, textures, and colors from the company’s comprehensive lineup of siding and trim products.
With Virtual Remodeler, launched during the 2019 International Builders’ Show, users upload a photo of an existing home or select a similar house from an online gallery. Using the program’s product interface, the user then selects from Boral’s siding, trim, and shutter lines, including Versetta Stone®, Kleer® Lumber, TruExterior® Siding & Trim, and Mid-America Siding Components®; the image updates in real time, revealing how the exterior will appear with each product and color selection. To further ease the process, the home design tool includes Color Harmony coordinating color families, each of which can be further changed and updated to suit the homeowner’s tastes and needs.
“Designing a home with fantastic curb appeal requires navigating an endless array of options, from the shape of the siding to the color of the trim to the size of the shutters. Boral’s new Virtual Remodeler tool eases the process for homeowners—and their remodelers—by helping them visualize how products will look on their house, much more than a small sample ever could,” says Becky Duffy, Director of Marketing for Boral Building Products. “Remodelers can ensure customers are happy with their home exterior before products are ordered and installed, leading to fewer surprises and greater satisfaction when the project is complete.”
Virtual Remodeler users can save multiple projects to work on later and compare. For a small fee, pros can have their image professionally mapped by Boral, which will increase the accuracy of the rendering’s appearance. And once a finished look is chosen, Virtual Remodeler will generate a product list for easy ordering through Boral dealers and distributors.
When it comes to the outside of the home, what does this year hold? A few familiar looks as well as some emerging exterior trends. Here’s what to expect:
• Outdoor living: Demand for outdoor living spaces isn’t abating. In AIA’s annual Home Design Trends survey, architects named the outdoors as the No. 1 specialty room increasing in popularity.
• Low maintenance: This one will also sound familiar—home buyers, particularly younger buyers, simply don’t want to deal with painting, staining, and cleaning their façades and decks. In fact, the AIA survey lists low maintenance as the top product feature increasing in popularity. Expect composites and other low-maintenance materials for decks to continue to grow alongside demand for easy-to-maintain siding materials like TruExterior Siding & Trim, Kleer Lumber, and Grayne engineered siding.
• Darks and lights: Move over, earth tones. Consumers are increasingly drawn to the contrast of dark-colored siding against bright white trim. Trying to achieve this look? TruExterior Siding’s dimensional stability makes it an ideal fit for the darkest of paints, while Kleer trimboard’s TruEDGE technology and UV inhibitors ensure the trim stays brilliant white for years to come.
• Black trim: When trim isn’t white, look to black and dark browns. (Try TruExterior Trim, which can be painted dark hues, including black, without concerns about expansion or warping.) Also increasingly popular—the streamlined, sophisticated look of black window frames.
The sleek look of black window frames against white or light trim is very in.
• Grays (for now): Gray is still a go-to hue, but its popularity could finally be waning. Boral Senior Product Manager Trisha Wagner reports seeing more reds creeping in and believes it may be one of the colors to affect gray’s go-to status.
• Match game: The coordinated look of a matching entry door, garage door, and window trim is in.
• Blending textures: The varied streetscapes created by blending stone and siding textures across the façade continue to dominate. As in 2018, the transitions between textures are a bit more seamless than in years’ past. Versetta Stone siding makes this trend easy, with a panelized format that installs with screws or nails.
Blending stone and vertical and horizontal siding is an ideal way to boost curb appeal and make homes stand out from the rest.
• Authenticity: Also returning for 2019 is demand for historic looks brought by siding profiles such as nickel gap, shiplap, and board and batten.
• Modern farmhouse: Like it or not, the modern farmhouse style is sticking around for at least a little longer. Some designers are tiring of the look, but it’s still going to be popular among homeowners both inside and outside the house. “White [board-and-batten] siding delivers a ‘homey look’ and can provide texture and interest to an otherwise flat façade,” the Washington Post reports.
The use of fly ash as the primary component in Boral TruExterior products is about more than sustainability: Fly ash is what helps make TruExterior a high-performing, dimensionally stable, long-lasting product for a range of exterior applications.
Scientists and researchers in Boral’s Innovation Factory, which takes its physical form at a laboratory in San Antonio called the Discovery Center, spent years developing Boral TruExterior, including seeking the ideal raw material that would provide the look of wood with properties superior to not only natural products but what was available in manmade products.
The answer lay in fly ash, a byproduct of coal-combustion power generation that typically is sent to the landfill but in recent years has been discovered as a beneficial material for products including brick and concrete. Our scientists discovered a number of properties that contributed to fly ash being the ideal raw material.
Ideal Attributes
First, fly ash offers an ideal shape and size for balancing inexpensive inorganic material with expensive polymer adhesives. When manufacturers create the base material for their product, which for siding is a mixture that flows into molds or is extruded, they typically combine several ingredients, one or more of which is a glue or resin to hold everything together and fill in the “gaps” between the ingredient particles. In the case of TruExterior, fly ash is bound with a polymer. Ideally, formulations use as much inorganic material as possible, and therefore less polymer filling in the gaps, to keep costs down. Fly ash is ideal because it is spherically shaped and comes in several particle sizes. The spherical shape, rare in natural materials available in such abundance, exposes less surface areas for a given volume to be covered by a polymer. And with many different particle sizes, smaller fly ash particles will fill in the gaps between larger particles, much like if you poured sand into a jar of pebbles. Both of these properties mean less polymer is needed to fill the space and coat the particles.
Fly ash under the microscope reveals its unique spherical shape.
The spherical shape also helps the material flow more easily.
From a performance standpoint, fly ash material is inert and inorganic. And because it is stable, it doesn’t react significantly with the environment, which is what helps TruExterior Siding & Trim remain dimensionally stable amid changes in moisture and temperature.
The scientists in the Innovation Factory were able to harness these discoveries and create a completely new category of building products—poly-ash. The resulting siding and trim products in the TruExterior family offer the look and workability of wood, while offering exceptional durability; resistance to cracking, rotting, splitting, and insects; and a high level of dimensional stability during periods of moisture and temperature change.
Finally, the use of fly ash does offer an important sustainability story: Seventy percent of TruExterior products use the recycled material, which would otherwise be bound for the landfill.
To learn more about the benefits of TruExterior Siding & Trim, click here.
The creation of TruExterior Siding & Trim, with its industry-leading combination of performance and aesthetics, was the result of years of research, development, and testing. Today, that work continues at Boral’s Discovery Center in San Antonio, Texas, where chemists, engineers, and other scientists are continually studying existing products while innovating to uncover the next big thing in building materials.
For example, to ensure TruExterior performs as promised in both cold and hot climates, our scientists studied (and studied and studied) the product’s reaction to thermal extremes using several high-tech machines. These machines include:
• Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA): This machine decomposes a material thermally. As the machine ramps up the heat, scientists monitor the material’s weight as its organic compounds break down, either producing or consuming gases. From the weight change and temperature, the active reaction can be extrapolated. For the end-user, this ensures a siding product won’t produce toxic gases or other hazardous compounds in extreme temperature situations, such as fires.
• Calorimeter: Similar to monitoring calories in food, this machine tracks the energy of chemical reactions. By understanding the processes involved in the formation of a material, scientists and engineers can optimize them to create the best possible finished products at competitive prices.
• Thermochemical Analysis: This machine observes how a material reacts under thermal stress by heating the material up and cooling it down. Our scientists use this machine to calculate a material’s coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), i.e., how much it expands and contracts in the heat and the cold. This test was essential in the development of TruExterior, which experiences very little thermal expansion and contraction.
• Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC): This machine is used to study what happens to polymeric materials as they are cooled and heated. By tracking changes in heat rate as energy is applied, the heat capacity, glass transition temperature, heat of melting, percent crystallinity, and other properties can be evaluated. These are carefully controlled to create an end-product that won’t adversely react under heat or cold.
Ready to put our efforts to the test? Request a sample of TruExterior Siding & Trim here.
The home at 604 Second St. in Brentwood, Calif., is looking a little spiffier these days—but it hasn’t lost its historic charm. The Bungalow-style house was the latest renovation project for James and Morris Carey, aka The Carey Brothers, a remodeling team and hosts of the On the House radio show and podcast. The pair sought to update the house to modern standards while still preserving the look and feel of its storied past.
And what a story it has: The original two-bedroom structure was built in a nearby mining town in the early 20th century, likely from a kit. At some point, the house and a few others were relocated to Brentwood’s now quaint downtown.
The brothers’ goals for modernizing the 1,177-square-foot home were significant yet thoughtful: add 341 square feet to make room for a third bedroom and to convert one existing bedroom into a master suite; replace the deteriorating front porch; repair the foundation; redo the plumbing, heating, electrical system, and insulation; and completely remodel the bathrooms, kitchen, and laundry room.
604 Second Street before renovations
The team also replaced nearly every exterior component, including the windows and doors, siding, trim, decking, railings, roofing, and patios. Finally, they removed the single-car detached garage and added a 960-square-foot freestanding garage that also includes an office and storeroom.
The home’s original wood siding had extensive rot and pest damage, and its removal was further necessitated by the need for earthquake retrofitting and waterproofing upgrades to the core structure. The Carey Brothers selected TruExterior Siding & Trim for the cladding because it offered the authentic look to replicate the original façade along with high performance and low maintenance.
“We sought to find an attractive, durable, and cost-effective alternative for this special project, and we discovered TruExterior Siding & Trim,” James Carey says. “Their V-Rustic siding profile matches to a T the siding that was originally used to side this charming home’s exterior.”
The homeowners liked it too: “The thing I like about the siding is that it exactly matches the old-time siding that was on our house,” says Mike McClennan. “And it’s made from eco-friendly products. Being a recycled material that gives the old-time look that we wanted, it really fit our project wonderfully.”
To learn more about the use of TruExterior on 604 Second Street, watch this short video:
See more products and videos about the renovation of 604 Second Street here.
From water to energy, when it comes to codes and standards, you often can look to California for not only the most stringent requirements but also those regulations that are likely to trickle out to the rest of the country. And fire is no exception.
With its high propensity for severe wildfires, California has some of the strictest regulations on the products, systems, and assemblies that can be used for buildings. Specifically, homes and buildings within the state’s “Wildland-Urban Interface Zone” must comply with Chapter 7A of the California Building Code:
“The purpose of this chapter is to establish minimum standards for the protection of life and property by increasing the ability of a building located in any Fire Hazard Severity Zone within State Responsibility Areas or any Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fire Area to resist the intrusion of flames or burning embers projected by a vegetation fire and contributes to a systematic reduction in conflagration losses.”
To aid with product specification of WUI-compliant materials, the state created a Building Materials Listing program. Aligned to provide members of the building, architectural and engineering, and fire safety communities with a reliable source for ignition-resistant building materials, the BML program was originally designed to mandate that all fire alarm systems and devices be approved by the SFM prior to marketing and sale within the state of California. Each product approval is based on an evaluation of test results, which include an analysis of product performance and reliability features.
All thicknesses, widths, and profiles of the TruExterior Siding & Trim product line are certified by the California Building Commission for inclusion on the WUI Products Listing. 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.
All thicknesses, widths, and profiles of TruExterior Siding & Trim, including Shiplap, are WUI-compliant.
TruExterior’s proprietary blend of polymers and fly ash brings about a number of benefits—including some that go against installers’ long-held knowledge about what siding can do and how it needs to be installed. For example, did you know you don’t need to seal end cuts in the field? Did you know you can paint TruExterior black without any special treatments?
Because the siding is the first of its kind in the market, we devote a lot of time to helping installers learn about the material and, in some cases, un-learn old installation requirements. Here are a few of the most common questions about TruExterior. If you have more, don’t hesitate to reach out! Find your local dealer here.
Q: Do I need to use a special blade to cut TruExterior?
A: TruExterior cuts and installs using standard tools. We do recommend carbide-tipped blades and bits, as they last longer. TruExterior may dull the blade for cutting other materials that require a sharper edge, so some customers have found it easiest to simply have a blade dedicated to TruExterior.
Q: What type of fasteners can be used with TruExterior?
A: TruExterior products can be installed using standard nail guns or screws, and standard trim nails work well. Like with any siding installation, use high-quality, exterior-grade fasteners suitable for the conditions of the application.
Q: When installing, do I need to leave space for expansion and contraction?
A: TruExterior products are extremely stable during periods of temperature and moisture change*, so no special measures are necessary to limit or control movement. (*Please see Boral TruExterior Trim and Boral TruExterior Siding Limited Warranties and Product Data Sheets for proprietary test results.)
Q: Can TruExterior Trim be mitered?
A: Yes! TruExterior Trim takes a miter cut easily, and, unlike many other trim products, fasteners can be nailed or screwed through the miter joint.
Q: Some siding products require a drip edge and flashing; do I need to do that with TruExterior?
A: Because TruExterior Siding & Trim has such a minimal moisture absorption rate, there is no need for drip edge or flashing. That said, in some cases it may be a requirement for the warranty of the adjoining or adjacent product or may even be a best practice for water management in high moisture areas. TruExterior can even be placed below grade and have direct masonry contact!
Q: Do I need to prime TruExterior?
A: TruExterior products come with a factory-applied primer. Because TruExterior products absorb virtually no moisture, ends and field cuts do not need to be primed or sealed.
Q: Are there any special instructions prior to painting?
A: Make sure the boards are dry prior to painting and that surfaces are free from dirt and debris. Because TruExterior has a high level of dimensional stability, there is no need for special paints when using a darker color. Use any high-grade exterior paint of any color. Be sure to follow your paint manufacturer’s guidelines.
Q: Do I need to use adhesives when installing TruExterior?
A: No. However, exterior-grade acrylic caulk and adhesive may be used to smooth out joints or miters prior to painting.
