For those living in the stately historic districts of St. Charles, Missouri, replacing the siding on their home poses several challenges, from keeping true to the original character and fitting in with neighboring homes to meeting strict standards set by the Landmarks Board. For the homeowner clients of Chuck Koehler, owner of Gateway Exteriors in nearby Wentzville, two other key elements played a pivotal role — low maintenance and matching the home’s existing dark blue color.
“I showed them Newport Blue in Mastic’s SolarDefense vinyl siding. They loved it,” said Koehler, who has been in business for 36 years. “The fact is dark colors fade, whether it’s painted hardwood or painted fiber cement board or regular vinyl. To get the deep, rich color they want in a low-maintenance option, it has to be SolarDefense.”
New Solar-Reflecting Technology
With SolarDefense technology, homeowners don’t have to worry about the challenges that can come with darker colors, including sun fading, warping and distortion, according to Koehler. Ply Gem, North America’s leading manufacturer of vinyl siding, worked with researchers, material specialists and its own technical product experts to develop and innovate a vinyl siding option that blends PVC with advanced polymers.
The team combined a new, breakthrough color formula and an advanced cooling compound with a strong, heat-resistant base layer. In short, instead of absorbing the sun’s heat, SolarDefense reflects the damaging rays, helping to keep panels cooler on the hottest days and protect them against fading and warping.
The SolarDefense technology features a proprietary combination that includes a new color formula, advanced cooling compound and exceptionally stron, heat-resistant base layer.
“It’s an advantage to be able to offer these deep, dark colors to homeowners. The new SolarDefense technology makes it possible and the no fade warranty seals the deal,” said Koehler. “Mastic has really opened up the market more. They’re leading the way on this.”
Blending New With the Old
The 3,600-square-foot, two-story home built in 1900 features dentil molding, columns on the front porch and several gables.
“We used a lot of Mastic trim,” said Koehler. “We covered all the trim around the windows in aluminum. We hid the J channel so it looks like all of the siding is going behind the aluminum. That allowed us to keep the original look with the vinyl siding.”
To complement the Newport Blue, the homeowners chose white for the window and door trim, corners, skirt board and soffit.
The installers hid the siding's J channel behind white vinyl and aluminum trim for a neat, clean appearance.
“The historic board required the homeowners to keep the original scallops. We painted those,” said Koehler, who worked with the Landmarks Board through the project approval process. “It’s actually a nice combination of the old and new.
”No Fade, No Distortion Promise and VIP Limited Lifetime Warranty by Ply Gem Mastic ensure the homeowners will continue to enjoy their beloved Newport Blue for decades to come.
“I’d tell installers and homeowners to give SolarDefense a try. It costs a little more but it’s well worth it. There’s an ease of mind with it because it holds up well,” said Koehler. “Take a look at this historic home. It turned out beautifully.”
To learn more about SolarDefense, request a free sample and brochure and visit mastic.com. Be sure to ask your local Mastic distributor about special promotions available to you and your homeowners.