New MiraTec® Exterior Trim Adds Curb Appeal To Your Home

(HIT) - When it comes to your home, first impressions are everything. And, nothing makes a worse initial impression than exterior trim that is cracked, rotted, peeling or falling apart. Today, homeowners and remodelers are turning to advanced building materials to get long-term performance from their exterior trim.

Wood, one of the traditional trim materials, may look fine when it’s first installed, but it can split and swell, and it’s prone to knots and defects. Other materials, like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and fiber cement trim have performance limitations and may pose installation challenges, too.

Combining the beauty of wood with the technology and durability of an engineered product, MiraTEC Treated Exterior Composite Trim is the ideal selection for both new home construction and remodeling projects. It provides the perfect accent to any exterior cladding your house may have: vinyl, fiber cement, brick, OSB, stone, stucco, wood or hardboard.

With a clear cedar woodgrain texture on one side and contemporary smooth finish on the other, MiraTEC is well-suited for any home style. It is most often used for roofline fascia, soffits, window and door trim, corner trim, dentil, gables, column wraps, trim along porches and other decorative non-structural applications.

The Science Of Trim

Engineered wood products, like MiraTEC, are manufactured by physically and chemically bonding resins with wood under heat and pressure. They offer increased durability (they are harder and denser than some species of wood), are consistently straight, and are engineered to resist shrinking, checking, warping, cupping and splitting. In addition, they are widely available and pricing is stable.

The process used to make MiraTEC includes a factory-applied mildew-resistant primer on four sides. The end result is a trim board that offers a unique combination of moisture, rot and termite resistance not found in other materials.

It looks and handles like wood, and offers superior performance over PVC and fiber cement trim. For example, MiraTEC costs half as much as PVC trim and unlike PVC it accepts paint beautifully and is not affected by temperature extremes.

Compared to fiber cement trim, MiraTEC is available in longer boards (16 feet vs. 10 or 12 feet) and does not require any special installation tools, making installation easier. Plus, fiber cement costs about one-third more than MiraTEC, is harder to cut and nail. Fiber cement also absorbs over five times more water than MiraTEC (based on industry standard 24-hr. soak test), which can lead to mold and/or mildew problems if the trim gets wet enough.

What The Pros Use

Because of its durability and low maintenance requirements, home-builders across the country use MiraTEC in a variety of applications.

Vince Flores of Cal-Louis Construction in Coata Mesa, Calif., has turned to the engineered trim for several custom homes on Balboa Island, an area of Newport Beach that comprises three islands, "MiraTEC trim allows me to deliver a finished product that will withstand our constantly changing wet to dry weather conditions. Exterior trim we installed on homes on Balboa Island two to three years ago looks like it was finished last week. As builders, MiraTEC gives us peace of mind knowing that we are using the best materials we can for our clients."

According to Steve Kothman, general manager, Hanson Builders, Inc., a custom home and townhome builder in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis/St. Paul, "We use MiraTEC on all exterior trim applications for one simple reason – performance. It resists swelling and moisture better than any other exterior trim product we’ve used, and it holds paint very well."

Beyond its sheer beauty, MiraTEC is backed by an industry-best 30-year warranty that covers hail and termite damage, delamination, splitting and more.

If you’re looking to add curb appeal to an existing home or remodeling your current one, look for MiraTEC trim at most local building material suppliers. For more information about MiraTEC Trim, call 1-800-255-0785 or visit http://www.miratectrim.com.

Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information