[00:00:00] Eric Goranson: It's around the house

[00:00:05] Eric Goranson: and it's, there's some misconceptions out there that people would go out and buy the least expensive stuff and then five to 10 years later, it's getting all chalky and it's looking bad. Your technology has come so far with composites of what you guys are doing. I just want to make sure that we make that clear to

[00:00:22] Chase Creighton: everybody out there that.

[00:00:23] Chase Creighton: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, and we're, you know, we, we do everything in our power when we're thinking about and speaking to this product internally or externally, right? That this is a, this is a category unto itself, right? This is composite. We don't call it composite vinyl. Si. This is composite col cladding because it is not vinyl si.

[00:00:40] Chase Creighton: Right. Now that being said, you know, vinyl siding, I think the stigma, right, that it does in a lot of ways when it comes to remodeling and renovating your home. There is a lot to know the league got you covered this. Around the house.

[00:00:55] Eric Goranson: Welcome to Around the House Show. This is where we talk everything about your home every single week.

[00:00:59] Eric Goranson: Thanks [00:01:00] for joining us. We're diving in today to a very fun discussion about

[00:01:05] Chase Creighton: something that I don't really know that much about, which I love.

[00:01:08] Eric Goranson: We're gonna be talking about Chase Creighton business director, vinyl and composite clouding for associated materials, comprises building products, brands that include all.

[00:01:16] Eric Goranson: Things like that. These guys have been around since 1947. Welcome brother to Around the House.

[00:01:22] Chase Creighton: Thank you for having me. Uh, you know, looking forward to the discussion and uh, you know, just appreciate, uh, the invite here. We have

[00:01:28] Eric Goranson: had like Murphy on my side here trying to get this working and I appreciate your patience with us here in the show today.

[00:01:35] Eric Goranson: I love it when technology comes around and makes it interesting

[00:01:37] Chase Creighton: so, Thanks again. Yeah. Had to Yeah. Yeah. Had to make it, had to make it worth it. . So, uh, all the challenges. Absolutely all the challenges made it worthwhile.

[00:01:46] Eric Goranson: I wanted to talk, especially about what you guys are doing in composites, cuz I'll be honest, I'll be the first to say that I was not in the eighties and nineties, a fan of the old school.

[00:01:58] Eric Goranson: I'm gonna use the [00:02:00] air quotes, vinyl sighting back in the day. But I was also not a fan. Composite decking back in the day at the same time. And the world has come a long way since then, and I'll be the first to admit it. Let's talk about what you guys are doing right now,

[00:02:15] Chase Creighton: man. Yeah, yeah. You know, I, I think, uh, you know, to your point, uh, vinyl siding, uh, vinyl cladding and, and you know, whether it's siding or, or shake, is a, is a very mature space.

[00:02:25] Chase Creighton: Yep. Right. I, I think for, uh, several decades it was kind of, uh, , maybe some new colors, some new profiles, but overall it was, uh, you know, kind of steady as she goes, right? Mm-hmm. . Um, and then, you know, in the last, uh, 20 years or so, um, you know, fiber cement or, uh, you know, engineered wood Yep. Has really, uh, you know, been introduced to the market and, um, done a, done a pretty spectacular job of grabbing up a lot of share.

[00:02:48] Chase Creighton: I think, um, you know, as, as homeowners, you know, look to. , you know, make, make choices that make their, you know, investments stand out, right? Both, uh, you know, from a performance and [00:03:00] a aesthetic standpoint. Um, those two products, uh, you. Leaps and bounds kind of ahead of vinyl siding in a lot of ways in terms of, um, you know, the, the color selection, the look and, and, and the performance.

[00:03:12] Chase Creighton: So as, as that, uh, you know, that space in the industry evolved, I think it was identified as a, you know, a blank space area, right. To, to have the. The look and performance of, you know, some of these higher end and higher price point, frankly, uh, products that are in the, the fiber cement or engineered wood space, but, you know, have the, have the cost effectiveness and the economics closer to, you know, the traditional vinyl siding.

[00:03:35] Chase Creighton: So that's what, uh, you know, Uh, our, our product, uh, ascend is, is what it's, uh, branded. Mm-hmm. , you know, uh, United States and through our distribution, uh, is really targeting, right? Yeah. That the, the performance and look of the, of the much higher end, um, you know, higher price point, fiber, cement and, and you know, engineered wood, uh, products.

[00:03:54] Chase Creighton: With the, uh, you know, cost effectiveness and, um, you know, optionality on, on that side [00:04:00] of, of the vinyl side. So it's really fill, fill in a blank space that, uh, you know, has been unfilled for quite some time. And, and kind of, you know, s straddling the best of both worlds. And I think it's also, uh, you know, important to point out from, from our customer base, which is the, you know, the contractor, the builder, not the, not the end user, the homeowner.

[00:04:16] Chase Creighton: That's who we transact with. Mm-hmm. , I think the, you know, the labor, uh, you know, it's not, not unique to the, you know, skilled trade. , uh, side of things, it's, it's a challenge everywhere. Sure. And, um, you know, some of those, uh, you know, whether it be fiber cement or engineered wood, um, there's more labor and more skilled labor involved in, you know, applying that product.

[00:04:35] Chase Creighton: So, um, that's another area that, uh, uh, you know, the composite cladding, uh, solves for mm-hmm. , which is. Less labor intensive, less, less need for, you know, very skilled trade, um, because it hangs and installs just like vinyl siding. So from a, you know, um, labor perspective to our customer based and then a, you know, optionality look aesthetic standpoint, uh, to the, you know, the end customer, the homeowner, [00:05:00] um, it, uh, you know, it, it solves a lot, um, that, that that blank space had,

[00:05:06] Eric Goranson: had not had a solution.

[00:05:07] Eric Goranson: I mean, especially, you know, right now with anything, whether it's eggs, Milk to gasoline. There's nothing getting cheaper out there. And then you look at what labor is in construction, and I don't know if anybody's had any, uh, sighting for com, you know, the, you know, fiber, cement, wood, anything else out there.

[00:05:25] Eric Goranson: Those prices are literally through the roof. And it's great to have a product out there that fits that space in between the, oh my gosh, I need to put some kind of siding on the outside of my house and I can't afford. To, okay. I also want it to look beautiful at the same time.

[00:05:44] Chase Creighton: Right, right. And, you know, and I think, uh, especially, you know, from a geographic standpoint, right?

[00:05:49] Chase Creighton: Uh, you get to the mid-Atlantic or, or Southeast, uh, parts of the, the country where vinyl siding has, has really been, um, uh, you know, [00:06:00] Outlawed for term in some municipalities, right? Yeah. So where that, that's, I think, uh, you know, a, a driving force, um, as, as, you know, as we, as we expand our, our offering on the composite side and, and look to, um, you know, what, what's the product there that, that adds the optionality, both for the builder, developer, contractor, and the homeowner to say, okay, final siding's, not, not an option.

[00:06:22] Chase Creighton: And, um, you know, a adding up, you know, another. Another product into the space, um, that really, you know, just adds more, you know, selection and, and, and competition frankly, in those, in those areas. And that's always a good thing for the market and a good thing for the consumer. Absolutely.

[00:06:40] Eric Goranson: So what sets your, your materials different than a lot of other people out there?

[00:06:43] Eric Goranson: Cuz you know, there's other players in the space, but you guys are definitely one of the big ones out there.

[00:06:49] Chase Creighton: Yeah. I think, um, you know, there, there's a variety of ways, right? You know, the, the, the composite cladding as, as we're thinking about it now is, you know, I think something that's been on anybody in our industry's mind for, [00:07:00] for a while.

[00:07:00] Chase Creighton: Sure. I think what, uh, you know, what sets us apart right now is, is a. Um, you know, where we're at in the process of, of getting it out in the market and launching. And then also b you know, the ins, it's an insulated panel, so it is a, you know, it's got, uh, insulated back. It hits the R value you need to, um, you know, it's got, uh, a lot of the, the ratings you're gonna wanna see from a performance standpoint.

[00:07:21] Chase Creighton: Um, and, and you know, we're. We're working, uh, you know, diligently on, on, on expanding the portfolio under, under this composite line, right? Yeah. So that it's a full, um, full portfolio of, from a profile standpoint, from an accent and trim standpoint, pro or, uh, uh, you know, product offering. Um, I think we're, you know, we're, we're positioned pretty well to, to take advantage of that and, um, you know, continuing to, to build that, build that product line out for our.

[00:07:47] Chase Creighton: Yeah, absolutely.

[00:07:47] Eric Goranson: And, and I, one of the things I do like about that insulation is, is for a couple reasons on the back of it, and I think that's one of the, one of the keys that I see out there is it supports the back of the product as well. Right. So it gives it that extra little [00:08:00] bit of support and durability back there, because I think we all saw when, when, when the vinyl sighting world began.

[00:08:07] Eric Goranson: Right? And again, it's just like anything out there, every product that comes. It has to go through this process of, of trial and error. The stuff hits the market and it doesn't matter if it's decking. I mean, I was talking a few weeks ago on the, on the show about my parents put in a, uh, Trex I think, and I'll use air quotes cause I think that's what it was.

[00:08:26] Eric Goranson: They put in a composite fencing that was made outta tracks and guess what? That didn't work. But as products go out there, right, it looks like it's all silly putty now because it's just what it was. Composites have come so far over the years and. . You know, I think that, I think that the, the word vinyl siding got such a bad name early on because of mm-hmm.

[00:08:49] Eric Goranson: cheap products, poor installation, and the Yeah, it was just early. Yeah, it was just early. And you had people knocking on the doors in the neighborhoods going, Hey, I'm in the neighborhood, I'm gonna put it [00:09:00] on. And that world is a long time ago. Right. But there's still that little bit of a stigma in some areas that it's like, oh wow.

[00:09:10] Eric Goranson: But really it's a beautiful product.

[00:09:14] Chase Creighton: Yeah. Yeah. And I think, um, you know, to to, to your point, I, you know, lended itself to my point earlier, it, it. You know, it's, it's such a mature vinyl siding. I'm, I'm speaking to yeah. Such a mature space, such a mature industry that it, you know, in a lot of ways it, it, it hit a ceiling a while back in terms of what you can do to, to optimize the value.

[00:09:32] Chase Creighton: And, um, so that's, that's, you know, where, where the composite product or ascend comes in. And then, you know, I, I think the laminated insulation attached to the, uh, both from a performance and. To your point, to mitigate against some of the traditional challenges or, you know, uh, negative points around, around vinyl siding and how it looks and how it performs, which comes down to sometimes install.

[00:09:54] Chase Creighton: Yeah, sometimes, you know, just the, the, the, the, [00:10:00] uh, The quality of the product. Right. Which, which has ebb and flowed across all manufacturers and all, uh, all product lines. So, uh, yeah. I mean, we're very, very excited about it. I think, uh, you know, the industry is very excited about this blank space being filled.

[00:10:15] Chase Creighton: Mm-hmm. , um, you know, not just by ourselves, I think by, by a lot of the players. And it's, you know, uh, um, It's a, it's a very exciting time, you know, to, to be a part of, uh, you know, creating a, a new category in our space, essentially. Yeah. And I love

[00:10:28] Eric Goranson: it. And there's, I'm gonna get into a soapbox for a second and this lens to what you guys are doing out there.

[00:10:33] Eric Goranson: I see so many people out there that in the late eighties put first gen vital siding on, and they're like, okay, I wanna change the color now. And then they go to paint it and I'm like, you know guys, it's time to do the upgrade. This is not the place to be cheap. Yeah. This is the time. Yeah. To go out and put on a new composite siding, right?

[00:10:53] Eric Goranson: I mean, this is Yes. Painting. You're taking a product that was never intended to be painted. And I know there's products out there [00:11:00] that made paint companies say that you can do. . The problems I've seen on social media is that people get out there and they go, oh, I, I've got a white House. I'm gonna make it dark gray.

[00:11:10] Eric Goranson: Well, that first gen sighting was never intended to be dark gray when they made the white. And then it looks like silly putty because they've now exceeded the heat rating on it because it's gonna be a hundred degree day. And they just took, yeah, against the composite. And it's like, I don't want people to go out and.

[00:11:29] Eric Goranson: You know, 1500 bucks on materials to go paint it. Or even worse, pay somebody seven to 10,000 to paint it when they could go back in there and put a brand new product on and have a brand new looking house, uh, for really not that much more. And you're starting a warranty

[00:11:46] Chase Creighton: period over as well. . Exactly. Yeah.

[00:11:49] Chase Creighton: I, I think, um, you know, we we're, we're conscious of, uh, you know, where things are at today from the remodel space, which is, we're coming on a time where, uh, a huge wave of homes [00:12:00] built 20, 30 years ago. Mm-hmm. , right? Or hitting that, that timeline of needs a new roof, needs new siding, whether it's a, you know, uh, aesthetic choice, um, by the homeowner or just.

[00:12:11] Chase Creighton: A necessary action to take. Yep. Right. I think you, you vinyl sighting you get to 30 years or so, um, in a lot of ways, whether it be the, you know, the trend and the look of, you know, what's in and what's out, or just the, the, you know, the sheer, uh, uh, Status of the product that's, you know, on the walls from 30 years ago.

[00:12:29] Chase Creighton: We're gonna hit a wave of a lot of opportunity. And a lot of people, especially, uh, you know, in the current macroeconomic economic environment, really thinking hard and long about, you know, what actions they're gonna take and what investments, um, you know, when it comes to their home. And so there's gonna be a, uh, a lot of people in that situation mm-hmm.

[00:12:46] Chase Creighton: and I think, you know, making them a aware of the product and to your, what, you know, what you just kind of laid out. The options are, spend a little less now and pay f pay for it a lot more as you, as you go. And eventually need to tear off [00:13:00] that site and you painted, uh, sooner than you, you may think anyway.

[00:13:03] Chase Creighton: Um, and just be conscious of the, the options that are out there and, and you know, what the, what the broad view is when you're making those decisions and then making these investments. And I think, uh, you know, I think for a lot of people, uh, really exploring this product is the right, right thing to

[00:13:16] Eric Goranson: do.

[00:13:16] Eric Goranson: Yeah. I, I always take that as saying, okay, you're gonna take. You know, 1992 Chevy truck with 400,000 miles on it. Maybe it's not the smartest option to go pay $7,000 for a paint job on it. It might be better just to go get another truck. . Yeah, let's start over on that. Well, color trends are huge right now, and I think that's one of the great things that you can do with.

[00:13:40] Eric Goranson: with your product as well out there is that you guys have some great colors out there as well. Let's talk about what you guys are seeing in color trends a little bit, because I'm sure you guys are seeing stuff all over the country. Something that's in the south is different than maybe in the Northeast and the West coast.

[00:13:55] Eric Goranson: What are you seeing out

[00:13:56] Chase Creighton: there with the Yeah. With directions going at that? Yeah, it's, [00:14:00] it's interesting, um, you know, to look at and we, uh, you know, um, solicited a Harris poll. Mm-hmm. . On the, you know, nationwide, on the, you know, color feedback and, you know, the choices from the homeowner side of things. Um, and, and then compared that to what we're seeing with our internal, you know, sales data over the last couple years.

[00:14:20] Chase Creighton: And those two things, um, you know, aligned with each other. And that was that the white off, white lighter color, uh, as, as a base, you know, base choice for the home, um, is. been increasing in popularity over the last few years and looks to continue that through 2023. So we see, you know, white off white and cream.

[00:14:39] Chase Creighton: Yep. Um, really being the, the trending color choice, both internally and as a result of the, uh, you know, the pole. , um, the, the Nation National Survey, we, uh, we went out and, and solicited feedback on, um, and I think that's, you know, kind of twofold. I think one is the, the broader trend of, you know, the farmhouse look right, right.

[00:14:58] Chase Creighton: Um, which is [00:15:00] the lighter color on the base and, and, and some darker trim and, and accent colors. And then also what I think is gonna even, you know, compound that is the, the macro macroeconomic environment we're in. And everybody's gonna be conscious and focused on cost. And in the, in the cladding world, right?

[00:15:16] Chase Creighton: You have, uh, you know, the lighter colors that are, that are one price point, and then typically the dark architectural premium, whatever you refer to those as, are gonna be a higher price point. So I think both for, for our customer base, again, the contractors, the, the builders, they're gonna be focused on what, uh, avenues are there to, to reduce and, and mitigate costs, which, Lighter colors, and I think the homeowners are going to be as well.

[00:15:37] Chase Creighton: So I think it's a natural trend that that is, that has happened. And I think it's gonna continue, at least for the short term, um, for a variety of reasons. One of them being the cost effectiveness of, you know, choosing a lighter color palette, um, being a driver. Yeah. So it's, uh, it's interesting to see. It's, it's interesting to see, you know, how, how close and lockstep the, the survey feedback and our internal, you know, what we're seeing is selling out in the market, um, you know, [00:16:00] align with each other.

[00:16:01] Chase Creighton: and I think that's, that's gonna continue through at least, uh, you know, at least this year. Nice. Um, yep. Yeah, it's interesting. It's

[00:16:07] Eric Goranson: interesting. And, and what are you seeing out there? You know, I think one of the biggest questions that, uh, you know, my listeners have is, okay, if I've got a, a standard house out there, you know, this isn't some 10,000 square foot thing, let's call it the regular 2200 square foot ranch or whatever.

[00:16:24] Eric Goranson: This goes in pretty quickly. This is not something that they're out there for weeks doing on the outside. What are

[00:16:29] Chase Creighton: you seeing on install time for something like that? Yeah, I mean, I, I think it depends right on, on, uh, you know, the contractor using the, the, the remodeling firm you're using. So that's obviously dependent on their own.

[00:16:40] Chase Creighton: But, uh, you know, from the time the, the products at the job site and assuming that that crew is, you know, working in, in a week's time, that that siding should be torn off. Um, and the, and the newest end clatting. On the wall, you know, a, a week-ish or so. Yeah. So it's obviously depending on a lot of variables, but it's not, um, you know, uh, it's not months and months of, [00:17:00] of, uh, of work or even, even weeks and weeks of work.

[00:17:02] Chase Creighton: If, if, you know, the, uh, the, the trade, the skilled trade is there to. , so do it. Um, it's the same, same timeframe in terms of, uh, completing a project as vinyl siding, which is, which is huge, right? Yeah. There's, you know, fiber cement in that engineered wood. That is not the case. It is a, it is a longer timeline.

[00:17:19] Chase Creighton: It is more involved. Um, so there's, there's that part of the story as well that is, hey, by, by going with, you know, the composite cladding opposed to the vinyl, it's not adding any time onto the Yeah. You know, duration of the product and you're gonna be back in your home with it finished. Um, and enjoying the, you know, New home in a lot of ways, right?

[00:17:39] Chase Creighton: Yeah. Uh, sooner. Sooner

[00:17:40] Eric Goranson: than later. So let's talk about the durability of the composites these days. What do you see in a, I mean, you guys have your warranty of course, and, and, you know, nothing is, is is bulletproof out there as far as, you know, there's pluses and minuses to every product. What's kind of your guys' sweet spot out there for

[00:17:58] Chase Creighton: that?[00:18:00]

[00:18:00] Chase Creighton: Yeah, I, you know, I think a first thing I would do to answer that is it's, it, It's a new product, right? Like we, there's not a, a whole lot of, you know, this isn't something that we have the ability to say, okay, 10 years down the road, here's a test home or anything. Sure. However, um, you know, all, all testing and all, uh, you know, for all intents and purposes on our end, this is from a performance and, you know, duration of, of, uh, that performance.

[00:18:26] Chase Creighton: Um, right in line with any of those, uh, fiber cement or engineered wood products. See, um, and in a lot of ways, and in several categories, this is a, you know, A less maintenance oriented product. Fiber cement engineer. What you're gonna need to paint that. Oh yeah. Five, 10 years time. Um, this, you know, with the fade warranty and the, and the performance specs there, um, you, you, you're never gonna need to paint this product.

[00:18:49] Chase Creighton: And it really becomes down to, you know, when, when the taste or preference changes in terms of the color and, and nothing else. Because from a performance standpoint, um, you know, you this. [00:19:00] This should be for as long as you own that home and as long as you have that cladding on it, that color's gonna perform and be there.

[00:19:05] Chase Creighton: Yeah. See

[00:19:05] Eric Goranson: that's huge. I mean that's, well, that's the difference between, you know, your product and, and the, the earlier vinyl products. Right. You know, at, at. , five to 10 years, you'd see some of those low end ones. And then, and I wanna really kind of push through this is just for the people out there that are so anti-viral siding, because there's people out there that saw these products and have taken vinyl and composites and everything, and they put 'em all into the same bucket.

[00:19:30] Eric Goranson: Right? Right. And it's, there's some misconceptions out there that people would go out and buy the least expensive stuff and then five to 10 years later, it's getting all chalky and it's looking bad. , your technology has come so far with composites of what you guys are doing. I just wanna make sure that we make that clear to everybody out there, that the world is a different place from what we saw in the nineties compared to now.

[00:19:53] Eric Goranson: And, and, uh, it's, you know, your guys, I'm sure is gonna be much more durable compared to, you [00:20:00] know, you get light hail, I mean, of. Texas one inch hail coming up to anything. You can't, I mean, fiber cement's gonna be busting off the wall too. So there's, there's obvious limitations of what you can do, but the durability is key.

[00:20:14] Chase Creighton: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, and we're, you know, we, we do everything in our power when we're. Thinking about and speaking to this product internally or externally. Right. That this is a, this is a category unto itself. Correct. This is composite. We don't call it composite vinyl. Si. This is composite. Composite cladding because it is not vinyl cycle.

[00:20:31] Chase Creighton: Right. Exactly. Now that being said, you know, vinyl siding, I think to your point, um, you know, has, has the, uh, the stigma, right? That it does in a lot of ways, but even within vinyl siding, you know, there's, there's the scale of products and quality. Sure. Right. And, and that, you know, there's, there's the low end, especially I think, you know, when we think back in the eighties and nineties and, you know, the, the more economy scale builds mm-hmm.

[00:20:54] Chase Creighton: um, yeah. It was, it was product that was lacking in a lot of ways. Right, right. But even in that vinyl space, I think it's [00:21:00] important for your audience. Right. And anybody, I would say to really. really go do the due diligence and understand what's out there in today's market. Um, and, and if you are at a, you know, in a situation where, you know, composite or the engineer would, isn't an option and you need to go the vinyl siding route, uh, I think there's been lots of strides there.

[00:21:18] Chase Creighton: And, you know, from a. From both a performance and, um, durability standpoint and the color offerings and profiles and options that are out there much more robust today. But yeah, I, I, you know, pivoting back to the composite, it is, it is a category unto itself, correct? Um, both aesthetics and performance wise and, uh, yeah.

[00:21:36] Chase Creighton: I think it's, you know, , anybody today, um, going down the path of, of doing one of these projects on their home and making this kind of investment, um, it is certainly worth, uh, you know, the due diligence and time and energy to, to really understand what's out there, do the homework, um, and, and make sure you're, you know, what you want as you go into this, uh, you know, this activity for yourself.

[00:21:56] Chase Creighton: Yeah. And for your,

[00:21:57] Eric Goranson: for your home. Well, our, our audience here around the [00:22:00] house is a great mix. We've got about, uh, you know, 60% homeowner, 40% contractor, so we kind of got the mix here. , I know there's a lot of contractors out there going, Hmm, do I want to get into the space? Do I want to go out and start taking on, you know, composite cladding out there?

[00:22:17] Eric Goranson: You guys have a pretty significant program working with contractors out there to really partner up with them to get the right training and get the products out to them. .

[00:22:28] Chase Creighton: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we have our, you know, we have company owned distribution in 106 locations currently. I think by the end of this year we're, we're planning on being at 108, so a pretty broad network of, uh, you know, our own distribution that has a inside, uh, team, you know, that is, that is tasked and educated on being able to, uh, you know, talk through and, and, and tell the story both.

[00:22:51] Chase Creighton: To our customer, the contractor builder, uh, or the homeowner, and then also a, you know, outside, uh, tra traditional sales rep [00:23:00] force, right? Yeah. That can, that can go and meet and educate and work with the dealer or the contractor, um, to make sure they understand, uh, you know, the story and the performance and, and everything they need to be armed with, um, to go in the home and sell that product and really make sure that.

[00:23:12] Chase Creighton: The entire story is told and we're, you know, actively working in a lot of avenues to, to even build that out further and develop, you know, uh, a variety of programs focused on that. So I would encourage anybody, um, you know, uh, on the contractor in the trade right. Um, all side.com. Uh, there you can go and see all the locations nationwide, get contact information.

[00:23:34] Chase Creighton: Um, and then, you know, we have a, we have a great sales team who's all over, you know, reaching out and following up on, on, you know, leads that are sent in both to our corporate office or, or, uh, calls that come into our individual branches. So, yeah, there's a, there, there's a lot of, uh, a lot of work we've done to arm our, our team, um, to arm, you know, our customer base with the tools and information necessary to, to make sure that they can, um, they can educate the, [00:24:00] the homeowner and end consumer on, on what the optionality is out there.

[00:24:03] Chase Creighton: Yeah. And you know, why we believe that, uh, you know, ascend is a, is an absolutely, uh, great, great choice to, to at. You know, exhaust all, all efforts of understanding and

[00:24:13] Eric Goranson: learning about it with Ascend, Zu, DIY option for those homeowners out there that are like, I might want to tackle it

[00:24:18] Chase Creighton: myself. Not currently.

[00:24:20] Chase Creighton: Okay. You know, we're, we're wholesale, so, you know, so I would, I would encourage them to, and, and I think especially, you know, to ensure that, uh, you know, the work is done in, in, in a sustainable, not that, not that there aren't plenty of homeowners out there capable of doing so. Um, but yes, we're. Uh, you know, wholesale only.

[00:24:36] Chase Creighton: So we, we deal directly with the, uh, you know, the contractor and builder base. Yep. Um, but I would encourage them still to, to reach out to the branch. You know, we, our, our branch is, well engage with homeowners for sure. Sure. Answer questions, um, you know, uh, make sure they have a, they have an understanding, all their questions are answered.

[00:24:51] Chase Creighton: So definitely wouldn't, uh, you know, wouldn't stop anybody or dissuade anybody from, from doing that. Yeah.

[00:24:56] Eric Goranson: Well, it's great because, you know, that's, that is the one thing about having [00:25:00] a product like this, that. What I'd call fairly install friendly. You know, that as far as having a contractor come out and do the work, right?

[00:25:07] Eric Goranson: So it's something that's, that they can easily navigate. But at the same point, you know, it's done correctly because we've all seen citing jobs that were DIY projects where the people spent all the good money and missed it by like this much, and I'm gonna say mm-hmm anywhere from an inch to four feet.

[00:25:25] Eric Goranson: You know, I can't tell you even how many times I've walked up to. Let's say it's a, um, fiber cement job and the, the caulking is falling off the side where they tried to caulk the butt seams together and it's like, like a worm down the side of the house where it's all pushed out and that kind of stuff.

[00:25:42] Eric Goranson: Uh, there's on, on detail work like that. You definitely really want to know what you're doing, getting out there, and that's what I think it's great about what you guys have for your, for your, your, you know, Teamwork with contractors out there and getting this stuff dialed in and making sure that they know the best

[00:25:58] Chase Creighton: practices with it.

[00:25:59] Chase Creighton: Yeah, yeah. I mean [00:26:00] that's, that's always, uh, you know, key for us, whether it's a new product, uh, you know, development and rollout or, you know, keeping a focus on that for all our existing legacy products is, is ensuring that, you know, our team, um, is equipped and armed. to make sure our customer base then, um, you know, has all the information they need and, and has the training they need and the references, uh, you know, that may, they may be needed along the way to ensure that there's quality, uh, you know, accurate work being done.

[00:26:28] Chase Creighton: Because whether it's siding, whether it's our siding, anybody's product, you know, from a warranty perspective and a performance perspective, the installation and the correct installation of it is kind of paramount to all of that. So that's, that's definitely a. Key thing to,

[00:26:42] Eric Goranson: you know, and especially with remodels, right?

[00:26:44] Eric Goranson: You really need to know somebody out there doing a remodel. When you've got siding, existing siding, whether you're removing it, where you're going over the top, how to deal with the trim, how to deal with waterproofing underneath it. This is a very complex [00:27:00] situation where every single house is completely different than the last one, and it's not a one size fits all.

[00:27:07] Eric Goranson: So having that pro that comes out there and goes. I've already got a house wrap under existing siding that I'm gonna go over. Cuz it actually works really well. I've, let's say they've got a house wrap with a regular T one 11 siding. Okay, perfect. That's a great base for the material, right? But maybe you've got another material that you want to tear off.

[00:27:26] Eric Goranson: Having that and having the knowledge of a professional out there to say, okay, we have to go this direction. Because you just can't get an information packet and go, okay, this is what it is. You gotta have that years of experience to know how to do it, because you can create, by putting in two vapor barriers, do all these different things.

[00:27:46] Eric Goranson: You can create big problems as a homeowner.

[00:27:50] Chase Creighton: Yeah. Yeah. I think, you know, I think you've illustrated it, uh, perfectly, which is. You know, you can, you can have the manual right. And the install guide. But when it comes to, especially a [00:28:00] remodel e each project is, is unto itself. Yeah. Right. And then there's only that, uh, experience and expertise, um, that, that really has to be leveraged there because there's.

[00:28:11] Chase Creighton: A litany, infinite amount of, uh, you know, factors, right. That, that play into any given project. And it is just very, very crucial to make sure you're, you know, you're solving for all of

[00:28:20] Eric Goranson: those. So, and that's not even touching on local building codes, cuz that's different everywhere. Right, right, right,

[00:28:25] Chase Creighton: right, right.

[00:28:25] Chase Creighton: Then there's the permits and the building codes and, and all of that. So it's, uh, it's definitely in my opinion, um, you know, I mean, a shed in the backyard is one thing. Right. But if you're, if you're recladding your home, um, that is, that is something that's, you know, Worth investing in a professional to do the work just because it is a, uh, yeah, it's very much a lot, lot of moving parts to account for.

[00:28:47] Chase Creighton: Yep. And you

[00:28:48] Eric Goranson: guys have all that, uh, compliment of trims as well that come with the product that, uh, to fit most of the situations.

[00:28:55] Chase Creighton: Yeah, I think that's one of the, you know, great things about our distribution network and our supply centers is it's, you [00:29:00] know, it's not just final siding. Vinyl windows. It's, it's all the ancillary parts and pieces, right?

[00:29:06] Chase Creighton: That come with it. Yeah. So the caulk and the nails, um, the blocks and vents, uh, you know, J blocks, light blocks. Um, all really a, anything and everything, um, needed to round out. Uh, you know, an exterior remodeling project. Um, the majority of our, our distribution centers, uh, you know, of those 106 are gonna have 90 to a hundred percent of, you know, the partisan pieces you're gonna need to get that job done.

[00:29:31] Chase Creighton: Yeah.

[00:29:32] Eric Goranson: Oh, you, you mentioned windows. You guys also have a, if I remember right, an east coast, west coast branded window as well. .

[00:29:40] Chase Creighton: Yeah. We manufacture, uh, vinyl remodel and new construction windows, so under a variety of different brands and the, and we do kind of segment our business, the east and west when it comes to windows for performance, for, you know, our geographic, uh, you know, footprint, production wise.

[00:29:55] Chase Creighton: Um, but yeah, I mean, it's a, uh, you know, uh, a full offering when it comes [00:30:00] to, Uh, you know, uh, exterior remodeling. Yeah. Um, we also fabricate, uh, manufacture metal products. So your trim coil, um, your gutter, uh, the rainwear, you know, downspouts, all of that. I mean, it is, I would check, uh, you know, the local, um, your, you.

[00:30:17] Chase Creighton: Check our all side.com and the local supply center because sometimes the offerings do vary as to, you know, the, how, how much of, of each category is, is stocked in-house there. Sure. But, but really, you know, under our umbrella and under our manufacturing footprint and distribution footprint, we can, we're, we're, you know, checking pretty much every box when it comes to the exterior.

[00:30:35] Chase Creighton: I was gonna

[00:30:35] Eric Goranson: say, you guys have a covered kind of soup to nuts on that. It's just start to finish, which is great. Yep.

[00:30:42] Chase Creighton: Yep. So windows vinyl, uh, composite obviously. And then, uh, you know, we also source for the situations where, you know, our manufactured product, uh, is just a, is a non-starter. In those unfortunate times, we also, uh, distribute, you know, we, we really look at ourselves as a distributor.

[00:30:59] Chase Creighton: Mm-hmm. . So we will [00:31:00] distribute, uh, you know, other fiber cement, engineered wood, um, all those type roofing, uh, in certain markets, uh, as well. So really try to be as. Fully, uh, fully outfitted and robust as we can in terms of what our distribution footprint can, can, uh, supply and facilitate

[00:31:16] Eric Goranson: for our customer base.

[00:31:17] Eric Goranson: Nice. On the composite clouding side, what's the warranty that you guys have out there? Because, uh, quite

[00:31:21] Chase Creighton: frankly, I didn't notice. Yeah, it's, uh, uh, I, I would say, I've mentioned All side.com. Yep. You can ascend.com as well, correct? Correct. That was North. Say there was, there's the other side of that. Yep. You can see the details.

[00:31:33] Chase Creighton: Um, but yeah, I mean, it's a, it's a, it's a warranty that's, you know, right in line with the, uh, the industry standard when it comes to that. Uh, you know, uh, fiber cement, engineered wood Limited Lifetime, you're gonna see the same, you know, uh, the same kind of coverage and performance and commitments and o uh, our obligation to the consumer, um, that you're gonna see across there.

[00:31:51] Chase Creighton: So from a warranty per. Very competitive and, and matches the industry. See, that's great.

[00:31:56] Eric Goranson: So you can spend less money, get a more affordable option, [00:32:00] but you're not reducing the lifespan of the product compared to the higher right. Cost materials.

[00:32:06] Chase Creighton: Correct? Yeah. You're not, uh, you're not sacrificing that. And you're not only, you're not sacrificing that.

[00:32:12] Chase Creighton: You are, you are gaining from a, you know, maintenance perspective, right? There's gonna be less cleaning. You're never gonna have to paint this fiber cement. You need to paint it. You know, X amount of years, that is gonna be a, that's not a question. That is, that is

[00:32:23] Eric Goranson: absolutely. Oh yeah. Guarantee it. Guarantee it.

[00:32:25] Eric Goranson: And it's just depending on what your climate

[00:32:26] Chase Creighton: is. Right, right, right. So that's really that, you know, again, that blank space and the, the. Cons that it solves for, I think the main ones being, uh, you know, the maintenance, um, and the install and the skilled trade and labor that are needed that's more focused on our customer base than maybe the homeowner, but it impacts the homeowner as well.

[00:32:46] Chase Creighton: While you're out there looking for a contractor and you want a job done, uh, and you have a certain, you know, uh, a budget time wise that you need it done in, um, it's, it, it, uh, it's, it's got a lot of positives from that aspect for.

[00:32:59] Eric Goranson: The other thing I like [00:33:00] too, that's kind of handy when you're, when you're doing, um, let's say you're doing a remodel this time of year and we'll call it early spring, just because that's kind of what it is, getting outta winter into spring, somebody comes in, they gotta do the, um, let's call it the fiber cement route.

[00:33:14] Eric Goranson: They're having somebody put in it in and it's installed, and then it's like, all right, hey, and now. You know, and most of the northern states will be back in four months to paint it. It's a very

[00:33:24] Chase Creighton: good point. It's a very good point. And that's a, that's a, that's a reality, right? I mean, that's just is you're in certain parts of the country, that's a hundred percent, uh, how that would go.

[00:33:32] Chase Creighton: Um, and yeah, that's a great, uh, example and great anecdote. I think that that is a, is a selling point here, right? Yeah. That, that extra step, that extra time to say that job is complete. Now you're enjoying your new newly outfitted home. Um, it just is, is, is cut. Uh, meaningful fraction, um, you know, by exploring and understanding what's, what's out there for composite siding.

[00:33:54] Chase Creighton: Absolutely,

[00:33:55] Eric Goranson: it makes a big difference. What have we not touched on today, man? Cuz you guys have [00:34:00] so much, you know, depth of product out there of what you guys have going. Is there stuff that we haven't talked about today?

[00:34:08] Chase Creighton: No, I mean, I think we've, I think we've covered pretty well. I mean, I would encourage, again, everybody, um, you know, to, to check out all side.com.

[00:34:14] Chase Creighton: Ascend composite cladding.com. There we go. So ascend composite cladding.com. Um, but yeah, I would encourage everybody to, you know, that's interested and, and is, and is doing a project or, or is it's contractor understanding, you know, What we offer, um, to go explore, you know, from the all side perspective, where we're at and what, uh, you know, what our distribution centers offer.

[00:34:37] Chase Creighton: Um, there is a lot more, you know, even than what I've rattled off here in terms of maybe services and, and, um, you know, what you can leverage from our distribution centers outside of just the products we offer. Um, and then from the ascend front, you know, check out that warranty, check out the color offering, check out, uh, you know, some photos of that product on the home.

[00:34:55] Chase Creighton: And I think, you know, anybody, anybody exploring a, a home remodel [00:35:00] project that involves, um, you know, new cladding on the home, which really, really think long and hard about what the options are out there. Um, and, you know, take a look at, uh, take a look at composite cladding, specifically ascend composite cladding.com.

[00:35:14] Chase Creighton: I'll get it right one more time. . Um, and, and, you know, make sure you know what the options are and what the, you know, the pros and cons are each, cuz we, we do very much feel that, uh, uh, you know, ascend. checks a lot, a lot of boxes. And, and is

[00:35:28] Eric Goranson: is, is a sound investment. And do you guys have guys have a way to, uh, help steer people to installers out through, through your website?

[00:35:36] Chase Creighton: Um, or at least dealers? Yeah. Yeah. I think right now, um, you know, we're, it's something we've really been focused on. Mm-hmm. is how to, you know, uh, funnel and, and, and. Model that lead generation. Yeah. Um, right now you can go to, uh, you know, all side.com and there is, uh, you know, some partners there and some information there, um, to, [00:36:00] to do just that.

[00:36:00] Chase Creighton: So as we, as we've, you know, full, you know, further develop ourselves on that end, um, that's, that's the best avenue right now. Is that all side.com. Cool.

[00:36:08] Eric Goranson: Yeah, I really, I really encourage people out there. Find the right contractors out there that are trained and know your product. Right. You know, that's the key.

[00:36:17] Eric Goranson: Mm-hmm. . Um, it's, it's, I always am fearful of the, you know, uh, Facebook marketplace, Craigslist next door handyman that's deciding that they're gonna try to be a, a sighting installer, plumber, roofer, or whatever else they want to be. Finding that professional is just key to getting a really great. .

[00:36:39] Chase Creighton: Yeah, a hundred percent.

[00:36:40] Chase Creighton: And especially kind of the conversation we were having earlier, you know, uh, all these trades are assigned under themselves, right? So, uh, it, it's, you know, I would encourage and very much make sure, you know, everybody's doing the diligence on that end to ensure what's the major focus of the, the home, uh, improvement project you're doing and making sure that contractor is, is.

[00:36:58] Chase Creighton: You know, right. For that [00:37:00] job. Absolutely.

[00:37:01] Eric Goranson: Chase Creighton, thanks for coming on today, man. I really appreciate it. And, uh, one more time. Where do people find you guys?

[00:37:06] Chase Creighton: Uh, well, thank you again. Uh, appreciate, uh, you know, you, you having me on. Really enjoyed the conversation. And again, um, all side.com, uh, that's our.

[00:37:15] Chase Creighton: Uh, you know, the website to check out, uh, our distribution network and, and what we offer. And then specifically for the composite cladding, it's Ascend, S a S C E N d, composite cladding.com. Perfect, man. Thanks

[00:37:28] Eric Goranson: for coming on. I'm Eric G and you've been listening to Around the House.