The Polymeric Exterior Products Association (PEPA) expansion, which was born from the former Vinyl Siding Institute, has led to a broader polymeric exterior industry coming together under one tent to learn more about each other and join forces to promote common goals.
During the transformation, which currently includes siding, roofing and fencing manufacturers, both current and new PEPA members have reached one conclusion: the future for polymeric exteriors looks bright.
Interviews with PEPA member leaders from each category confirm this positive foresight.
Vinyl Siding
Steve Booz, Vice President, Marketing
Westlake Royal Building Products
When it comes to claddings, Steve believes that you only need to look at vinyl siding’s rich history of growth and innovation to know that the future looks promising.
“I’ve worked in vinyl siding for 30 years, and I can tell you that the product developments have come a long way, and our industry’s products remain the most cost-effective.”
The developments Steve emphasized include:
- A wide range of styles
- Varying product grades to match the homeowner’s budget
- The product’s increasing sustainability benefits
- The product’s ability to expand and contract with changes in the weather
However, the color innovations in Steve’s mind are most impressive. “I remember way back in the day when we had 16 shades of beige and one grey. But through chemistry and innovation, we’ve been coming out with bold colors – even black! The color palate expansions have been the biggest innovation to meet consumer demands, and I’m certain we will be seeing even more colors and patterns in the future.”
Steve noted that the biggest trend in homebuilding today — mixing different styles and colors, including contrasting styles — will continue well into the future. The vinyl siding industry will be there to meet future demand by continuously improving products in greater varieties of styles and colors.
“You will continue to see more composites and mixed materials in the market, but they still won’t match the vinyl siding in overall performance – durability, fuel efficiency, curb appeal and sustainability.”
While vinyl siding is America’s #1 cladding that can be found on one of five homes (or one of three if you’re talking about homes with horizontal siding, Steve emphasized), he believes that vinyl siding will be seen in more U.S. homes – especially in the western states where vinyl siding has the lowest market share. “There’s a good story in the Pacific Northwest,” he said. “They like the product – it’s ideal for that climate.”
Steve maintains that the current vinyl siding market “fitness” strongly indicates future growth and expansion. “The vinyl siding industry has been stable over the last five years. “We’re doing well with the national builders. This consistent performance suggests predictable growth in the future.”
Steve also made an excellent point that vinyl siding’s benefits for the consumer are directly related to projected consumer trends.
“There is a growing demand for affordable, high-quality homes. People want more freedom and a more environmentally friendly world,” he said. “Vinyl siding has a great sustainability advantage and a lot of homeowner appeal, including no more weekend projects except for the occasional washing with your garden hose.”
Polymeric Roofing
Katie McCarthy, Marketing Manager
EcoStar LLC
Katie will tell you that – like vinyl siding – the polymeric roofing industry has a strong heritage of color and style development.
“We started with black, but since the early 90s, we’ve been adding new color lines, which led to offering unlimited custom colors and styles,” Katie said. “In recent years, we’ve produced different shapes that mimic slate, cedar shake, concrete and clay profiles. You will see synthetic roof products that closely emulate natural cedar shake. And since no two pieces of wood are the same, the synthetic tiles are designed to mimic the variety of colors and patterns that wood has. Over time, the synthetic roof weathers to look more like their natural counterparts, so it gets better with age. It's fun to see how long it takes for people to realize it’s not natural slate or shake.”
Katie says the synthetic roofing tiles offer the same benefits regardless of shape since they’re made from the same material. There are also unique regional styles that one would never imagine to be made from polymers, like Spanish barrel roof tiles or Concrete Flat tiles.
One benefit is the durability of the roofing products, which includes fire rating and impact resistance. According to Katie, polymeric roofing products can have Class A or C fire ratings (which can help grow new business in the western states due to fire hazards); and Class 4 Impact ratings for resistance (ideal for storm-ridden areas).
“Class 4 is the highest impact rating,” Katie said. “Our industry’s product success can be demonstrated when you examine areas devastated by hailstorms. Amidst all the damage, you will find homes with polymeric roofs that are pristine.”
Katie points out that polymeric roofs are also recyclable. “Polymeric roofs are recyclable [where programs exist] at the end of their performance life, and some of these products are made from up to 80% post-industrial recycled material. I expect that this type of roof product will increase in variety and quantity in the future.”
Katie believes that joining PEPA contributes to blazing a trail to future success. “We’re looking forward to working with our competitors towards shared goals to advance the industry. For example, Florida insurance companies are talking about requiring homeowners to tear off their roofs every 15 years to qualify for their policies. Working together, we can be a solution for the insurers and the homeowners.”
Katie said uniting with PEPA will help polymeric roof product manufacturers tell their success stories to larger, more targeted audiences.
Katie said uniting with PEPA will help polymeric roof product manufacturers tell their success stories to larger, more targeted audiences.
“Unlike vinyl siding, polymeric roof product prices are higher by industry standards. But the more people we can get to focus on our sustainability, durability and life cycle cost savings, the closer they will come to investing in polymeric roofs to safeguard the future of their homes. “
The development of new colors, styles and products is another sign of future prosperity.
“We know the material is good and continuing to release new aesthetic designs will never get old,” Katie said. “Concrete and clay styles were added by companies like ours in the last few years. Our synthetics are an ideal alternative for historic preservation projects, especially since they offer more benefits than traditional roof materials. And since many polymeric roof manufacturers like us are ‘custom houses,’ we can design different molds specifically for unique projects.”
Vinyl Fencing
Kaleb Hahn
Group Product Manager, Fence & Rail
PlyGem Fence & Rail
Cornerstone Building Brands
Kaleb is a mechanical design engineer by trade, who has focused much of his career on injection molding. He has been in plastics since he graduated from Iowa State University in 2011. He sees a promising future for vinyl fencing in the following areas:
- Innovations in manufacturing formulations that allow for more colors, styles and greater performance
“There’s been an evolution to richer color palates and emulated styles, especially wood grains,” Kaleb said. “Black is big now. If you’re going for a modern farmhouse look, you could install a black ranch rail. And some want privacy fencing in black to coordinate with black railings on decks. Composite fencing is fairly new, but we are a more affordable option over our aluminum competitors. With our enhancements in durability, we’re taking away geographic sensitivities. White fencing, for example, is working in arid and mountain areas where they haven’t worked well in the past.”
There is a strong demand for low maintenance across all building products, and vinyl fencing has always been a leader in this category.
“Wood fencing has routine maintenance needs, like pressure washing, staining and clear coating to minimize deterioration that will likely occur within 10 years. You never have to maintain a vinyl fence, and it will last 30 years, but we market on maintenance, not lifespan.”
- Market adaptability
“Vinyl fencing has always adapted to the ebbs and flows of the housing market. Fencing is one of the first projects people want to do in a good market,” he said. “We may be the last project when costs are up, but we’ll find opportunities in new construction. And it varies with region – we’re very resilient.”
- A growing demand for greener building materials
While vinyl fencing has suffered the same misconception as vinyl siding and other polymeric exteriors as “a cheap plastic,” Kaleb argues that vinyl fencing – like the rest of the polymeric exterior sector – is eco-friendly and has a compelling story to tell.
“Vinyl fencing has 0% manufacturing waste and is completely recyclable [where programs exist] when it reaches the post-consumer stage – many years later. In our industry, 10% of the material we use is recycled when we start production, but it can be higher depending on the situation and who your customer base is. We’re using recycled vinyl siding to make a higher-grade fencing product.”
- Vinyl fencing goes up quickly
“Nobody can beat our ease of install. We have puzzle pieces that interlock with no fasteners required. But we must fill the big demand for labor to keep this competitive edge.”
- The PEPA advantage
“PEPA is a strategic ally and bringing in fencing and railing is a huge plus,” he said. “PEPA will be a powerful asset in helping us fight ‘the race to the bottom’ from cheaper, low-quality imports. Nobody is standing behind an impact certification for imports, and there’s a lack of uniform product quality in the vinyl fencing industry. PEPA’s success with certifications, code work, environmental assessments and advocacy will help us aim to reverse this harmful trend while stewarding new growth.”
With the industry’s color enhancements, durability, ease of installation and eco-friendly features, Kaleb is excited to pursue future growth opportunities by joining forces with PEPA.
“Homeowners want low maintenance, longstanding materials that offer cost-effective upgrades with a better carbon footprint,” Kaleb said. “Vinyl fencing products continue to see traction and will see more in the future. And our products continue to evolve.”
A Brighter Future That Starts Now, Together
It’s reassuring for the PEPA team to learn that the association’s new members and their respective sectors share the same commitment to quality, innovation and sustainability that helped vinyl siding become a leader in the claddings category.
With this shared commitment and passion for working together, PEPA envisions a brighter future with more resilient, sustainable homes — with a polymeric solution for each exterior.
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Don Browne is a writer, entrepreneur and local legislator who believes that the power of words can change the world. He provides unique writing services for clients in the construction, health care, IT and hospitality sectors. He has a passion for small business and start-ups, as well as writing about Irish history, family and corporate biographies. As a homeowner and father of four who is passionate about community development, Don looks forward to writing more about the exciting possibilities of creating traditional neighborhoods and more sustainable communities using modern materials.