Market PVC lrimboards for innovalive applicalions

By John Pace Versatex Trimboard

I\TEW PVC trimboards are inspir- I \ ing unusual applications for this low maintenance wood alternative.

Jim Montgomery, Lettieri Construction, Westhampton Beach, N.Y., got on the cellular PVC bandwagon years ago. He switched to cellular PVC for all exterior applications-windows, doors and corners, soffits, fascias, railing and balusterswhere the elements could ruin wood.

He also uses it for all sorts of new and unusual applications: window boxes, posts, at-grade louvers, trash receptacles, outdoor cabinets. He has even created new window and door jambs, replacing the ones supplied by the manufacturers.

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These exterior applications led Montgomery to another discovery: Why not try PVC trim inside the home, especially in places with exposure to moisture? Because of improvements in cell structure, PVC can look more like painted wood, even up close. Montgomery discovered more places to experiment with PVC trim-shoe moulding in bathrooms, in shower enclosures, laundry rooms, and other places where moisture ruins wood. He also used PVC for radius walls, enclosures, and inside window casings.

Sometimes it's a PVC product itself that needs some work. One of the largest James Hardie siding installers in central Virginia, Blue Ridge Exteriors, was concerned about the extra labor, extra materials, and oversized trim they needed to use to meet code requirements for roof clearance. "We needed a 2" trim to do the job, and nobody made a 2" trim," said co-owner Matt Neely.

Instead, Neely's crew would start with a 1x4 trim board, install that, and then go over it with a vinyl drip edge. It was double labor with the addition of the drip edge, which was easily broken by workers' boots, but this was still the best solution they had. When Neely had lunch with his Versatex regional sales manager, he explained the problem. About a week later, a prototype of a new design of skirt board showed up-with built-in drip edge and just the right height and angles to meet code. It could cut their labor cost and product waste for trim installation in half.

At that point, they brought in their dealer, Bradco Supply, Richmond, Va., to see if they were interested in setting up the delivery process. Blue

Ridge normally gave Bradco a week's notice, and Bradco's distributor only needed a day or two to have the products delivered to their door.

"We didn't mind being the guinea pig on this one," said David Patrick, Bradco outside sales rep. "If it catches on nationwide, we know we helped get it started."

Cunningham Overhead Door, Louisville, Ky., had been considering making the change from wood to cellular PVC for garage doors and surrounding trims. It all started with an arched opening and the relative ease with which a I x6 PVC trim could be installed without milling or heating the curved edge. Wood had traditionally been used, cvcn though it took greater time and expense to get the wood milled and shaped to the exact spec.

"Even though the PVC looked great and it took less time and money, people just hung on to wood. It was what they knew," said owner Chris Cunningham. "When we discovered we could flex the PVC trim on site, without any special tools, it took a lot of the variables out of our installations."

Cunningham then experimented with attaching PVC planks to steel garage door panels with a mix of specialized glue and fasteners. "At this point, there's a real art to building these doors," he said. "Facing steel with PVC planks really holds up, but not everybody can do it."

The process mimics old carriage doors, with rails and stiles made out of low-maintenance PVC instead of wood. Because of improvements in the smoothness of the edges of PVC trim, it's easier to give customers the classic look of wood doors, with almost none of the maintenance.

Durabrac Architectural Components, Pensacola, Fl., has been in business more than l0 years, and its product lines have evolved as PVC performances and tolerances have improved. The company takes 4'x8' sheets in widths up to l" and laminates them together to make architectural brackets, balusters, spandrels, and gingerbread trim up to 5" thick. Changes in cell structure, along with the consistency of the product from front to back and the evolution to a more satin finish, have allowed them to take all their products to a higher level.

"We've never used wood for anything-it's been PVC all the way," said owner Mike Sheehan. He has experimented with new PVC sheet products though the years, and has been influential in convincing his local dealer it was time to switch to his favorite higher tolerance product.

Manufacturers certainly have to respect levels of contact in the distribution chain. But by fostering an atmosphere of innovation and the exchange of information. everyone wins. In the same way, dealers and their outside sales forces can become more of a conduit for new product ideas.

- John Pace is president, partner, and co-founder of Versatex Trimboards, Pittsbursh, Pa. He has more than 20 years of experience in the desig,n, development, manufacture, and installation of residential and light commerciaL vinyl and metal building products. He can be reached at jpace@ ve rsatex.com.