Become builders' source for exterior trim trends, ideas and sales

By Patrick Shabal Korraa Trim Products

HILE most people consider trim a purely decorative element, it would be difficult for builders to sell a home without any exterior embellishment. Visually, trim plays an important role in outlining the lines of a structure and breaking the monotony of large areas of siding and roofing. It is fair to say that tasteful application of trim is a sure way to build a home of distinction, by creating or highlighting interesting architectural features.

Numerous books chronicle the evolution of exterior trim and detail shapes and scale specific to historic architectural styles. However, in reality, many modern buildings are a dilution of, or even a blend, ofstyles.

For this reason, dealers need to keep up with current trends. It's also important to offer time-saving products and installation tips, so your customers can devote more time toward fine detail and finishing touches-and still remain competitive.

Of course, keeping up with the latest trends and dispensing helpful installation tips requires knowledgeable staff members. The list below will help you form and keep a top-notch team:

Insist that your inside and outside sales staffread technical bulletins and your suppliers' literature, and take note of anything that looks new.

. Ask your factory reps, "What's new?" every time they visit.

. Keep a notebook with pages for each vendor. Keep note ofquestions that customers routinely ask and ask vendors to supply answers from the manufacturers. When the manufacturer responds, circulate the responses by email to all of your colleagues and keep copies of all responses for future reference and staff training.

. Be cooperative with suppliers/distributors to make sure your literature and samples are up to date.

. Organize and encourage the participation of vendors in your events and host clinics at your facility. Expect factory reps to help reinforce best installation practices and provide educational and inspirational materials.

Encourage customers to use labor/time savings products (e.g., one-piece corners/watertable, premanufactured column wraps, beaded sheet).

Once your systems are in place and your staff is up to speed, it's time to start sharing information with your builder/contractors. Here are some suggestions:

Add secondary "shadow" boards to cornice/frieze, fascia and bandboard.

. Apply decorative mouldings to complement flat trim boards/sheet.

. Use scribing techniques common to interior carpentry to make clean transitions between trim and other siding/architectural elements.

. Simple start-stop fluting, easily accomplished with a router/router table, can add visual appeal to any piece of flat casing, column or pilaster.

Install only return cut and coped trim and mouldings. Why go to the expense of using premium materials and abruptly terminate your runs with square cuts?

While this has by no means been a complete summary of every current topic or innovation in the world of exterior trim, hopefully you now have some good strategies and ideas to help you and your builder/contractor customers deliver homes of distinction.

- Patrick Shabat is national sales and marketing manager for Koue Trim Products, manufacturer of non-structural, PVC exterior trim in sheet, board and extruded moulding profiles. He can be reached at (800) 330'2239.