Siding Choices…Something For Everyone-Ryan Carey Minnesota Exteriors Sales Manager

 There is nothing else you can do to change the entire exterior look of your house more than a siding remodel. Choosing your contractor is step one in this process. Looking at years in service, Better Business Bureau rating, and warranty are all very important. We’ll make this part easy for you…Minnesota Exteriors has been a family business since 1947, we are A+ rated by the BBB, and we have a lifetime workmanship warranty! Now that the hard part of choosing a contractor is over, let’s get on to the fun part: picking out siding! With the amount of choices available, making a decision can be a daunting task for any homeowner. At MEI, we don’t try to cram one option down your throat like some companies do. We take you through all the options and find the perfect siding for you. VINYL One of the most popular options today is vinyl siding, due in part to its affordability and its lack of needing continued maintenance. Minnesota Exteriors carries Heartland vinyl siding, which boasts two of the best rated siding panels by Consumer Reports. The number one rated overall panel is CedarMax, which is the thickest vinyl available backed by a form fit foam insulation. This adds strength and insulation value to the panel. CedarMax even guarantees in their warranty a 20% home energy savings! CedarMax also comes in wider expsosures than the typical 4” vinyl that is the most prevalent today. You can choose a 6” or 7” exposure that mimics more of the composite boards that we’ll talk about later. Heartland HeartTech siding is the number six rated overall panel with the distinction of Consumer Report’s “Best Buy” rating. You would be hard pressed to find someone that beats our price on a vinyl siding job when we are pricing out HeartTech. It is a quality panel at a fantastic price! Vinyl is for you if your main concerns are price and low-maintenance with a sharp clean appearance. There are many colors and styles available, but keep in mind the darker shades are more expensive because extra fade protection needs to be added to these panels to retain their color. Vinyl shakes and half-rounds are also made if you would like to dress up some front gables or bump-outs. STEEL AND ALUMINUM Steel siding is vinyl’s more rigid older brother. Steel and aluminum have been around for a long time and have many of the same advantages as vinyl with a few extras. First, let’s talk about steel. Rollex and Edco are the brands of steel siding we use, giving you many styles and colors to choose from. Both use high quality PVC finishes to protect the panels from fade and dents. One advantage steel has over vinyl is its rigidity. Vinyl panels will stay straight with a form fit foam backer; otherwise they have a slight cup from lap to lap. Rollex also makes aluminum siding, which has lost some popularity over the years as many homeowners have opted for steel in the battle of metal siding. Aluminum is a softer metal, which makes it easier to dent. However, it is a nice option to have a metal siding that is less expensive than steel but still has rigidness and low maintenance. Steel or aluminum siding is for you if you like the maintenance free idea in a product that has a stronger structure to it. Steel and aluminum have many styles and color options, as well. The choice between vinyl, steel, or aluminum siding in many cases comes down to the homeowner liking the look or feel of one over another. That’s why we always encourage anyone getting a siding estimate in the Twin Cities area to come by our showroom and see them all in person. We’re also happy to give you addresses to see them on houses in your area. COMPOSITE BOARDS Composite board siding is definitely on the rise in the Twin Cities market. They had a bad name in the 70’s and 80’s as panels made of sawdust and glue sprang up as a cheaper alternative to wood. You could say they led directly to the boom of vinyl as homeowners weren’t happy with siding panels swelling and deteriorating on their house and wanted to move to maintenance free material (though many preferred a traditional painted board look). However, since that time composite boards have greatly changed their formulas to stand up to the drastically changing climate we live in here in good old Minnesota. Just as you need a hearty (or slightly insane) person to live here, you need just as hearty of a composite board to survive on your house. Minnesota Exteriors proudly installs a wood composite siding called LP Smartside and a cement composite board siding from the very popular line of James Hardie products known as “Hardie Board.” Both hold up to moisture and our climate while keeping the traditional look of painted wood. They can be ordered primed for you to paint or we can get them prefinished in any color you can imagine. These are the strongest panels available in holding up to a hail storm. Vinyl can crack, steel and aluminum can dent, but the composite boards will very rarely be affected by storm damage. Thankfully, all panels are covered by homeowner’s insurance. We at Minnesota Exteriors know insurance restoration well and we’d be happy to help you if the hail finds your house, but that is a conversation for another day. The point I’m trying to make is that with composite boards you most likely will not need to file a claim on your siding. Your roof is another story…did I mention we do free insurance inspections? Ok, enough about that. Composite boards are for you if you love the traditional look and a strong product. Many styles are available and any color can be used. Shakes and trim boards are very popular for accents. You will need to have it painted again some day…it comes prefinished with a 20-yr paint warranty. Some people love having the ability to change the color of the house in the future without residing. If that is you, come into our showroom and compare the composite boards which we would happily quote for your “New House at Your Old Address!” This only scratches the surface; please call us with any other questions or have one of our reps out for a NO PRESSURE free estimate. Also, keep in mind we can take pictures of your house and superimpose some different looks and colors using our software to give you some more ideas. Thanks again from Minnesota Exteriors!

Next Page »

Marvin Infinity Window Training in Warroad, MN

Minnesota Exteriors Sales Manager and Sales Reps Go North

By Ryan Carey, MEI Sales Manager

Infinity from Marvin Replacement Windows have been the talk of the industry since their inception.  We were excited to learn more about this fiberglass product and how it would benefit our window installation customers at a training for Marvin Infinity Windows in Warroad. Minnesota Exteriors sales reps Dan Geis, Bob Guzzo, and Rodd Olsen came along with me to check it out.

We met with other sales reps from around the country that also sell Infinity windows at MSP and took Marvin’s plane up to Warroad.  Once we arrived, trainer Jay Berry greeted us and brought us to a restaurant that serves fresh walleye right out of Lake of the Woods. This was quite a treat for all the other reps, travelling from California to Virginia
and many states in between.  Jay Berry told us about the history of Warroad and how the Marvin family has been an integral part of the community for nearly 100 years.

In times when many talk about corporate greed, there could not be a more refreshing story than Marvin’s commitment to its employees and to the Warroad area.  When the company’s building burned down in the 1961, many larger communities with larger employee bases offered Marvin incentives to rebuild in their city. Warroad is a small town that is very isolated in its position along the Canadian border and Lake of the Woods, but the Marvin family refused to abandon the town that made them the company the were. A new factory was built in Warroad and the Marvin family continued to help out the employees financially while they waited for the factory to be operational.

With the recent downturn in the economy, Marvin stood as one of the only window manufacturers that didn’t lay off workers.

Hours were cut back and managers took pay cuts, but Marvin did not want to lose any of what they considered their greatest asset: their employees.  The Marvin company received national recognition for this fact, as president Susan Marvin was interviewed on Fox News and President Obama mentioned Marvin Windows in a speech as a positive example to be held for all American companies.

In the next two days, we learned about the benefits and strength of Infinity Fiberglass Windows and were truly amazed by the product.  Even more amazing is the Everwood Pine interior.  It can be stained like wood,but doesn’t deteriorate with moisture. We encourage those in the market for windows to stop by the newly remodeled Minnesota Exteriors showroom, where we have a “fish tank” display with an Everwood Pine window sash submerged in water.  We also have full Infinity window displays in our showroom along with all the roofing and siding displays one would need to see for a full exterior remodel.

We were actually sad to leave Warroad after the training.  We were taught well, fed well, and treated well.  We made some great new friends from around the country and even made a successful trip to the local casino!  Thanks again to Jay Berry, Molly Carr, and the Marvin family for making the trip such a great experience.  We look forward to coming back soon!

 

Next Page »

Minnesota Exteriors Honored with Multiple Trillium Awards

Every year the Builders Association of the Twins Cities recognizes the leading area builders and contractors for their fine work.  On October 15, 2011 the BATC Awards of Excellence Gala was held to celebrate those achievements.  The evening marked the 44^th annual Reggie Awards recognizing excellence in home building and the 22^nd annual Trillium Awards recognizing the suppliers and sub contractors involved.

Minnesota Exteriors, Inc. was honored with two Trillium Awards for the fine exterior work completed on homes built by TJB Homes, Inc. and K. A. Witt Construction, Inc.  The first award was in the $245,000-$269,999 category and featured prefinished James Hardie fiber cement siding and trim, and Rollex aluminum soffit and fascia.  The second award was in the $285,000-$304,999 category and showcased the installation of James Hardie fiber cement siding and fiber cement shakes, Heartland vinyl siding and Rollex soffit and fascia.  Both homes were featured in the recent Fall Parade of Homes. 

This is not the first time that Minnesota Exteriors has been recognized for superior workmanship.  In 2008 MEI received two Trillium Awards for outstanding exteriors in conjunction with TJB Home, Inc. and Andreen Construction.

Next Page »