Beautiful Aesthetics and a Hefty Warranty Leave Homeowners Happy
When an exterior siding contractor decides whether to add a siding product to their portfolio, they must balance the needs of their customers with the needs of their crew. Customers want beautiful curb appeal backed by a hefty warranty, while the siding installation crews, who work long days in the sun, wind and sometimes snow, want to work with products that not only leave customers smiling, but that can also be installed efficiently without overworking their bodies.
Ply Gem ELEMENTS’ exterior siding answers on both counts, according to an exterior remodeling company serving the Carolinas that recently resided a Charlotte, N.C., home with the new product.
What is Ply Gem ELEMENTS?
Ply Gem ELEMENTS is the first, truly innovative, patent-pending exterior cladding material that will change the way contractors and homeowners think about siding. Using natural materials, including sand, it is a water-resistant, lightweight and flexible composite siding that is beautiful and built to withstand whatever Mother Nature, and everyday life, throws at it.
The composite siding is virtually dust-free during cutting, which keeps crews safer and minimizes work-site cleanup. Plus, it’s 40% lighter than fiber cement siding, making it easier to carry multiple boards at one time and install.
This work isn’t easy on our team members. A lot of it is long hours, early mornings, late evenings, hot sun beating down on you, so when you’re working with lighter materials, it really improves the day-to-day comfort and stamina of our team members.
Installation Easier on the Crew
The Charlotte installation took a crew of three about 10 days, from removing the existing siding to adding OSB boards and housewrap to installing Ply Gem ELEMENTS on the two-story home belonging to Bill and Melissa Baker. The installer touted several benefits of the new product.
- Ply Gem ELEMENTS’ composite siding is lightweight, making the work easier on the crew: “This work isn’t easy on our team members. A lot of it is long hours, early mornings, late evenings, hot sun beating down on you, so when you’re working with lighter materials, it really improves the day-to-day comfort and stamina of our team members.”
- Ply Gem ELEMENTS siding is flexible, resists breaking and is easy to move around the work site: “This blew my mind. When we took a piece of Ply Gem ELEMENTS, it would fold to touch the ends without breaking. That’s impossible with any other hardboard product. Our guys can carry more pieces at a time. With fiber cement siding, you carry one at a time. That’s a game changer.”
- Minimal-dust cutting makes it safer for our crews: “We wear safety gear, but there’s peace of mind for us with less dust and particles. It’s cleaner for our homeowners. If we can cut down the dust and debris, that’s a big win.”
Beautiful Curb Appeal Garners Compliments from the Neighbors
The Bakers went with Wicker Ply Gem ELEMENTS’ siding, a close cousin to the color they previously had on the home, and the finished look is impressive.
“I didn’t want a gray house; there are a couple other gray homes on our block,” Bill said. “We get compliments all the time about how it looks. Our shutters are chocolate brown and it all ties together well.”
The installer agreed, saying he would make Ply Gem ELEMENTS one of his go-to siding products.
“The house looks great,” the installer said. “It is an impressive before-and-after visual.”