Fooled by faux
Other Columnists
When passersby look at the new roof on the recent
addition Mark and Carolyn Lamarr put on their center hall Colonial, it doesn't
seem any different from the others in their Garden City community of
slate-roofed homes that are more than three quarters of a century old.
But it is. That's because it isn't slate - it just looks like slate.
The roofing shingles on the $125,000 addition are actually made of a
lightweight rubberized composite that comes with a 50-year warranty and costs
less than half of what a real slate roof would.
More and more, homeowners like the Lamarrs as well as builders and
contractors are "going faux," selecting synthetic building materials that look
and feel like the real things - wood, stone and slate, for example - but are
more durable or less expensive, or both, than their natural counterparts. "Some
products look so real you have to go up and knock on them and say to yourself,
'Wait a minute,'" said Brian Rosenstein of S&H Building Material Corp. in
Medford.
The list of such products includes polyurethane foam that can be carved to
copy intricate architectural millwork and plaster ceiling medallions, cultured
stones that appear as if they were lifted out of a Rocky Mountain river bed,
and fiberglass doors with grain patterns that look so much like red oak you
have to touch them to be sure. And, thermoplastic rubber roof shingles like the
ones the Lamarrs used that resemble slate.
For the Lamarrs, the faux slate shingles were a logical choice. Natural
slate tiles to complement the existing roof on the rest of their house would
have cost nearly $20,000. Asphalt shingles would have been less expensive, "but
we just couldn't do that . . .," said Mark, the hockey director at Cantiague
Park ice rink in Hicksville. "It just wouldn't have looked right."
Instead, they decided to fake it and went with a roof of Lamarite, a
rubberized composite by Tamko that cost nearly $7,000 - about four to five
times more than the asphalt option but less than natural slate. And they
maintained the aesthetic integrity of their house as well as that of the
neighborhood of homes built by the Mott brothers in the 1930s.
Looks also mattered to Peter Caradonna of Stony Brook. That's why the
architect called his choice of exterior siding on the historic cross-gable
farmhouse he remodeled a few years ago a "no-brainer."
He picked fiber-cement siding - Hardiplank lap siding and shake shingles by
James Hardie Corp., an industry leader in the faux material that looks and
costs almost the same as cedar. "The home goes back to the 1890s," he
explained, "and we set out to reconstruct the original design."
Caradonna, whose architectural firm is in Setauket, dismissed wood because
of its high maintenance and weak performance against insects and the humid Long
Island summers. "Vinyl was out, too, because it emits toxic gasses when it's
improperly disposed of in the ground or when it burns. And I wanted a material
that passes what I call the five-foot test," he said.
To translate, Caradonna's test means the fiber cement looks so real it
can't be distinguished from wood until you get within five feet. And even then,
most people who touch the synthetic lap siding and cedar shingles still can't
be sure. Besides, he said, "with fiber cement, you know it's going to last."
Which, of course, is important to builders and contractors, who also are
embracing these products. Contractor Mike Cannavale of Diversified Contracting
in Bellmore has been using EverGrain, a synthetic lumber, to build decks the
past few years. "Unlike wood, it has a consistency in color and size,"
Cannavale said. "It doesn't crack or splinter, and homeowners like it because
it is virtually maintenance-free."
Natale Borriello of NBC Corp. in Woodmere has built three covered porches
using TenduraPlank, a tongue-and-groove synthetic porch lumber. Although it can
be brittle and crack during installation in cold weather, Borriello loves the
way it looks when finished. "I'd definitely use it on my own house," he said.
"It looks absolutely wonderful."
On a larger scale, two new developments feature fibercement siding. The
Holiday Organization of Westbury is using a line of CertainTeed fiber-cement
siding on all 102 homes in its Hamlet Estates of Jericho. And Pulte Homes of
Medford is covering the exterior of the 189 villa-style and semiattached houses
in its Westhampton Pines with Hardiplank siding. "When builders start using
these materials," said S&H's Rosenstein, "it's a sign they've become
acceptable, that they are durable, reliable and low-maintenance."
NEW AGE MATERIALS FOR MODERN HOME CONSTRUCTION
CULTURED STONE
Also known as artificial stone and brick veneer, these materials are
created by pouring lightweight concrete into molds made from real stones and
brick. Manufacturers can copy natural stone and a variety of brick styles to
the tiniest detail. Because shapes and sizes of stones used to make molds are
hand-picked, the artificial versions are easy to piece together. Cultured stone
is used as exterior siding, in fireplace surrounds, landscape borders,
security fencing and to decorate interior walls. It's lighter than natural
stone, so there are significant savings in labor. The cost ranges from
one-third to one-half less than natural materials.
FIBER-CEMENT SIDING
This high-end siding - made of cement, sand and cellulose fiber cured with
pressurized steam - mimics wood planks, cedar shakes and vertical panels. The
fiber helps prevent cracking, a common problem in concrete, and provides
dimensional stability so the material can bend without easily breaking.
Although it costs almost the same as premium cedar wood siding, fiber cement
resists fire, insects and moisture and is impervious to UV rays. Most
manufacturers offer several styles, including a cedar shake, and all have
limited warranties.
FIBERGLASS DOORS
These emulate wood but are more durable than the real thing. Entry doors
made of compression-molded fiberglass often include a polyurethane foam core,
which provides five to seven times greater insulation than solid wood doors.
Manufacturers offer wood-grain texture and color, including oak and mahogany.
Unlike wood, fiberglass does not warp, shrink, swell, rot, crack or split.
SYNTHETIC LUMBER
Primarily used for decking, this blend of plastic and wood fibers was
introduced in the mid 1990s. Colorless and without a grain pattern, the
material had the appeal of day-old coffee. But homeowners were intrigued by
synthetic lumber's resistance to insects, rot and decay. The new wave of
materials looks more like wood, with cedar- and mahogany-like colors and raised
grain textures. Some planks feature a different grain pattern on each side,
and some manufacturers also offer matching rail systems. The result is a deck
that costs about the same as high-grade cedar but lasts years longer. These
materials are not maintenance-free; occasional cleaning is required. Some newer
synthetics are designed for specific uses. TenduraPlank, for example, is a
tongue-and-groove plank for flooring on covered porches only.
SLATE-LIKE ROOFING
Thermoplastic rubber is the primary ingredient used to copy the look of
slate roofing tiles. Lamarite, by Tamko, and Majestic Slate, by EcoStar, are
two of the more popular copycats. They're lightweight and can be nailed to wood
trusses and cut with utility knives. Although they cost three to four times
more than common asphalt shingles, the faux versions have 50-year warranties. A
range of colors from dark grays and mulberrys to slate green as well as a
variety of shapes are available. By the way, real slate tiles cost about seven
times more than asphalt shingles, and, in some cases, roofs have to be
reinforced because of the extra weight.
POLYURETHANE FOAM
Molded to recreate wood, stone, plaster, metal and other building
materials, polyurethane is popular indoors and out. Because it doesn't rot,
warp or splinter, its decorative touch can be seen as exterior millwork on
fascia boards, soffits and window and door trim. Indoors, it provides
architectural elegance as crown moldings, fireplace mantels, ceiling medallions
and wall niches. Ultralight polyurethane cuts easily and can be painted. In
most cases, it's applied with construction adhesive and finishing nails.
CELLULAR PVC TRIMBOARDS
Cellular PVC (polyvinyl chloride) lumber is a light, smooth-finished
material that handles like a soft wood but resists cracking, splitting and
denting. It is made by a foaming extrusion process that injects tiny air
bubbles into the middle of the shape. It can be painted and milled and is often
used as trim board and corner pieces for fiber-cement siding. Some
manufacturers have a bead board, which can be used in wainscotting, soffits and
exterior ceilings.
SYNTHETICS SUPPLIERS
Here's a roundup of some of the faux materials out there waiting to fool you.
PVC TRIMBOARDS
AZEK Trimboards
801 Corey St.
Moosic, PA 18507
www.azek.com.
KOMA
3310 Stanwood Blvd.
Huntsville, AL 35811
www.komatrim boards.com
Trimplank
Royal Mouldings
135 Bear Creek Rd.
P.O. Box 610
Marion, VA 24354
www.royalmouldings .com
FIBER CEMENT
Cemplank Inc.
P.O. Box 99
Blandon, PA 19510
www.cemplank.com
CertainTeed Corp.
P.O. Box 860
Valley Forge, PA 19482
www.certainteed.com
James Hardie
26300 La Alameda, Suite 250
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
www.jameshardie.com
FIBERGLASS DOORS
Jeld-Wen Inc.
P.O. Box 1329
Klamath Falls, OR 97601
www.jeldwen.com
Magnum Entry Doors
110-34 Corona Ave.
Queens, NY 11368
800-851-0550
Peachtree Doors & Windows
4350 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.
Norcross, GA 30091
www.peach99.com
Therma-Tru Doors
1687 Woodlands Dr.
Maumee, OH 43537
www.thermatru.com
MANUFACTURED
STONE
Cultured Stone
One Owens Corning Pwy.
Toledo, OH 43659
www.culturedstone .com
Eldorado Stone
P.O. Box 489
Carnation, WA 98014
www.eldoradostone .com
Coronado Stone
11191 Calabash Ave.
Fontana, CA 92337
www.coronado.com
POLYURETHANE
FOAM
Balmer Architectural Moldings
271 Yorkland Blvd.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M2J 1S5
www.balmer.com
Foam Visions
960 Johnson Ave.
Ronkonkoma, NY 11779
www.foamvisions.com
Fypon Ltd.
960 W. Barre Rd.
Archbold, OH 43502
www.fypon.com
Chemcrest
Architectural Products
830 King Edward
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3H 0P5
www.chemcrest.com
ROOFING TILES
EcoStar Inc.
104 Terrace Dr.
Mundelein, IL 60060
www.ecostarinc.com
Lamarite
c/o Tamko Corp.
220 W. 4th St.
P.O. Box 1401
Joplin, MO 64801
www.lamarite.com
SYNTHETIC
LUMBER
Trex Co.
160 Exeter Dr.
Winchester, VA 22603
www.trex.com
TimberTech
894 Prairie Ave.
Wilmington, OH 45177 www.timbertech.com
WeatherBest
c/o LP Corp.
414 Union St.,
Ste. 2000
Nashville, TN 37219
www.weatherbest.com
EverGrain
Epoch Composite Products Inc.
P.O. Box 567
Lamar, MO 64759
www.evergrain.com
ChoiceDek
Weyerhaeuser Co.
P.O. Box 9777
Federal Way, WA. 98063-9777
www.choicedek.com
Tendura
P.O. Box 827
Troy, AL 36081
www.tendura.com
Geodeck
Kadant Composites Inc.
8 Alfred Circle
Bedford MA 01730
www.geodeck.com
CorrectDeck
Correct Building Products
15 Morin St.
Biddeford, ME 04005
www.correctdeck.com
