The rapid evolution and acceptance of manmade exterior trim

tTtue DECREASINc use, of wood exteI rior trim and increase in manmade alternatives has resulted in many new products being brought to market in the last several years.

While many of these products have proven to be positive for the environment, their performance levels continue to evolve. Early wood-replacement products generated a lot of hype due to their use of recycled materials, but the price point for these products was typically higher than the mainstream and the performance and aesthetics didn't always compare to the tried and true materials. These frustrations quickly hindered the acceptance of these prod- ucts and often limited the audience to the "green" builder. Typically someone who was willing to pay more for a recycled product to accommodate their different set of building practices inevitably had to accept a different set of performance expectations.

This narrow audience for these products forced manufacturers to innovate their approach by creating offerings that not only fit into a sustainable classification, but that truly addressed the needs of the mainstream customer base of builders, remodelers and installers.

Consider the early days of composite decking. This innovative material touted extremely high levels of recycled content and lower maintenance, but its price point, installation practices, and overall aesthetics significantly reduced its immediate acceptance. Over time, manufacturers developed products that better addressed the needs and desires of a broader audience. These products have improved greatly, the value moving away from a focus on recycled materials and rot resistance to a more robust offering that includes stylish aesthetics, long-term performance, and other guards against the effects of Mother Nature.

Like composite decking, the exterior trim market has also undergone a major evolution over recent years. With many products comprising the category and multiple representative materials offered, builders and remodelers face a plethora of options. However, the choices they are making when choosing trim have changed dramatically in the recent past.

Historically, wood trim has been the preferred option, but the performance of wood can be a problem. With cupping and twisting, paint failure, bleeding of knots and stains, and rotting all prevalent issues that plague wood trim, the ongoing cost and maintenance requirements are high. These factors, coupled with the advent of new trim products made from other materials, have shifted the use of wood trim from 98Vo of the market in 1992 to 60Vo in 2007, with a forecast of less than 5OVo over the next few years.

The new trim products that have come onto the scene and contributed to the marked shift away from wood are varied and have evolved over time. Early products aimed to solve the issue of rot commonly faced with wood, but these products lacked aesthetic appeal and had many installation issues. The evolution of trim products continues and vast performance improvements have been made, yet some manmade products suffer from installation issues that ironically lead back to rot and other problems.

Engineered and hardboard trim products perform better than wood, yet still wick moisture. Aluminium coil wrap trim provides comparatively limited aesthetics. Fiber cement trim requires guards against moisture contact and poses some handling issues due to weight, shorter lengths, and workability.

More recently, the focus has been PVC trim, which outperforms many other products in workability and performance, yet comes at the highest cost of any of the options and is not typically considered green. While the U.S. Green Building Council has softened its once-harsh stance against PVC, the sustainable building authority does not consider it a green product given its long lifespan.

New altematives exist. One oroduct pushing the exterior trim marketplace forward in both sustainability and performance is a new category of exterior trim products referred to as "polyash." It is produced from a proprietary blend of polymers and fly-ash (a byproduct of the coal burning process used to generate electricity) and, as such, offers a great sustainability story. Boral TruExterior Trim has been certified by Scientific Certification Systems to contain a minimum of 707o recycled content-one of the highest amounts in any trim-and is also the only trim product to receive a Cradle-to-Cradle Certified Silver designation by MBDC.

With manmade products like this coming to market, builders and remodelers now have access to new trim options that are sustainable, easyto-install, high-performance products. Considering the new innovations, it is likely that demand for wood trim will continue to decline, while manufacturers continue to innovate and improve the performance levels of alternatives.

- Tom Zimmerman is director of sales and marketing for Boral TruExterior Trim. Reach him at (678) 639-7004 or via www.bo ra I r uexte r i or.com.

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