Foundry Adds Mountain Ash, Rustic Slate to Grayne Shingle Siding Lineup

Foundry Grayne shingle siding, vinyl siding

Foundry has added two new colors—Mountain Ash, a sandy white, and Rustic Slate, a bluish gray—to its Grayne shingle siding line. Each color was selected based on research by Renee Labbe, a leading color foresight strategist.

Foundry Grayne shingle siding, Rustic Slate, vinyl siding
Rustic slate

Consumer preferences today are landing on both ends of the color spectrum—whites and darks—with less demand for the in-between. Mountain Ash and Rustic Slate respond to these trends without feeling like a fad—they’re colors that will remain classic for years to come.

Foundry Grayne shingle siding, Mountain Ash, vinyl siding
Mountain Ash

Mountain Ash and Rustic Slate also are a perfect complement to Grayne shingle sidings’ distinctive graining patterns and sharp, crisp edges, which create natural depth and shadow lines for the authentic look of natural cedar without the associated maintenance. The new colors are available in the 7.5” Red Cedar profile.

Click here for more information on Grayne shingle siding.

Cost vs. Report: Manufactured Stone Brings Largest Return on Investment Among Remodeling Projects

Remodeling 2020 Cost vs. Value Report

Remodelers and homeowners seeking the biggest bang for their buck will find it with manufactured stone veneer, according to the Remodeling 2020 Cost vs. Value report.

The annual Cost vs. Value Report examines which remodeling projects deliver the highest perceived return in resale value. In 2020, manufactured stone (such as Boral Building Products’ Versetta Stone), was the retrofit project with the highest ROI at the national level—95.6%, an increase from 94.9% last year. The only other project with an ROI in the 90% range was garage door replacement, coming in second at 94.5%.

The 95.6% ROI for manufactured stone is based on replacing a 300-square-foot continuous band of existing vinyl siding from the bottom third of the street-facing façade with manufactured stone veneer, sills, corners, and address block, along with outlining the entry archway and adding a keystone and a soldier course on either side.

Manufactured stone also offered the highest ROI of all categories in five out of nine regions: Pacific (Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California), with a whopping 119.5% return; Mountain (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico), with a 100.0% return; South Atlantic (Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida), at 94.0%; West South Central (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana), at 91.1%; and East North Central (Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio), at 88.0%.

Exterior Facelifts Continue to Deliver

As with the 2019 report, the 2020 Cost vs. Value study found that exterior projects dominated all others, capturing nine of the top 10 spots for ROI. Following manufactured stone and garage door replacement, those projects comprised fiber cement siding replacement, vinyl siding replacement, vinyl window replacement, wood deck addition, wood window replacement, steel entry door replacement, composite deck addition, and asphalt roofing replacement. Only minor kitchen remodels ranked as high, at 77.6%.

“The reason for high returns on exterior projects, and especially façade facelifts, stems from the valuations set by the real estate community,” Remodeling reported. “In order to make the best use of the Cost vs. Value tool, a remodeler has to think like a real estate broker. ‘Curb appeal’ and ‘first impressions’ are central to a real-estate professional’s estimation of resale value. Granted, a home’s exterior will only persuade potential buyers to see more, and first impressions can vary from one individual to the next. But the impact these impressions make is critical in setting the stage for what a buyer is willing to pay for a home.”

To read more analysis and see results, including those broken down to metro area, visit the Remodeling 2020 Cost vs. Value portal on Remodeling’s website.

Cost vs. Value Report note: © 2020 Hanley Wood, LLC. Complete data from the Remodeling 2020 Cost vs. Value Report can be downloaded free at www.costvsvalue.com.

Trends and Products From the 2020 International Builders’ Show

International Builders' Show 2020

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 Homebuilding continued its mission to #KeepCraftAlive.

Versetta Stone stone siding, manufactured stone veneer

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.

Kindred outdoor living fire bowls

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.

And for more “TNAH,” check out Products magazine’s summary of 7 Design Ideas to Steal From The New American Home.

Photo courtesy Jeff Davis Photography (c) 2020

• 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.

Kleer Lumber, beadboard, cellular PVC trim

• 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.

Boral TruExterior Reversible Shiplap Nickel Gap

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. 

Foundry Grayne shingle siding

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