What does “Factory Trained” installers mean?

date 27 Mar 2009 | category General Home Improvment

How is it that all home improvement companies seem to have these amazing “factory trained” installers.  How about the companies that have “certified” installers?  Is that better than “factory trained”? 

“Factory Trained” can mean that an installation manual from the manufacturer …

HardiePlank Pricing

Whether it’s at a home show or a prospective customers house I’m always asked, “how does the price of HardiePlank compare to vinyl siding?”  I wish I had a standard answer for that question but I don’t. 

We have a customer …

Replacement Windows

date 12 Mar 2009 | category Replacement Windows

My wife has a co-worker who wants to replace her old drafty windows with new energy efficient windows.  She has gotten many quotes, but has the same complaint about all of them.  Grids cost extra and they all only wanted …

Are your wood rails and columns rotting?

date 09 Mar 2009 | category Replacement Rails

Replacing your rotten rails and columns is a simple and cost effective job that can dramatically improve your homes “curb appeal”.  In a lot of cases it’s only the rails that need to be replaced and it’s even more cost …

Beaded siding and colonial style homes

date 06 Mar 2009 | category Hardieplank Siding

Roughly 90% of the HardiePlank siding we install at Blue Ridge Exteriors is beaded.  That’s because Central Virginia is primarily a beaded siding market because of the influence of Colonial Williamsburg architecture.

Some vinyl siding dominated home improvement companies brag about …

“Will Match Any Written Offer For Equal Quality”

date 03 Mar 2009 | category General Home Improvment

In February 2009 I counted no less than 5 vinyl siding and window companies that have this in their ad in the Richmond VA, market. When you see this in an advertisement for a home improvement company what exactly does it …

HardiePlank siding 5 1/2 times thicker than vinyl siding

date 17 Feb 2009 | category Hardieplank Siding

The “thickest” vinyl siding on the market today is made by Alcoa and is .055 mls thick.  Duraplank plastic siding is next at .054 mls thick.  Builders grade plastic siding is typically .042-.044 mls thick.  The difference you may ask?  Less …

Plastic siding by any other name is still plastic

date 12 Feb 2009 | category Plastic Siding

The latest “innovation” in plastic siding is to give it names that hide what it is actually made of.  Plastic siding with names like Crane Board and Duraplank can be misleading to consumers who aren’t familiar with siding products.

Come on!  Wrap your …

Plastic and tin cans

date 11 Feb 2009 | category vinyl siding

Does vinyl siding look like real wood on the house?  Maybe if you squint your eyes, cock your head and forget the skinny reveal it will look like real wood.  Before having vinyl siding installed on your house I suggest that …

Don’t cover up your siding problems with vinyl siding

date 05 Feb 2009 | category vinyl siding

Vinyl siding is installed over your existing siding.  If you have any rotten surface wood you would hope that it would be replaced with fresh lumber before you new siding is installed, but what about the sheathing (wood) that is …