Design | Remodeling

Have you ever wished you could have an elegant new roof like your neighbors? You may have a case of “roof envy.” Don’t worry, there’s an easy – and surprisingly affordable – cure.

Second-generation roofer Stacy Stines remembers when his father started the family business in 1978 with a focus on using real wood shakes for roofs. Over the years Stines has seen a change – and a growing preference among homeowners for longer-lasting polymer roofing products.

Developers and building industry professionals eager to construct and remodel projects with long-lasting roofing products are turning to low-maintenance polymer roofing tiles. With their 50-year warranty, slate and shake tiles from DaVinci Roofscapes® are becoming a popular choice for restaurants, hotels, banks, and other commercial projects.

Fypon, LLC, the industry leader in synthetic millwork products, now offers the “Stone & Timber” collection of decorative products created to accent homes featuring stone, stucco, and timber as major design themes. The durable pieces feature either a realistic stone or woodgrain texture on all exposed surfaces.

Builders, remodelers, and homeowners looking for a unique way to accent a single or double garage door now have a decorative low-maintenance option with Fypon® PVC Trellis Systems. Available in two sizes to accommodate either single- or double-car garages, each trellis system kit can also be used in alternative settings, such as over home entryways, garden sheds, and free-standing garages.

Leading vinyl window and patio door manufacturer Simonton Windows now offers an award-winning Lead RRP (Renovation, Repair, and Painting) YouTube™ video to educate homeowners on the dangers of homes built prior to 1978 with lead-based paint. The informative one-minute message can be viewed here.

Builders starting new home projects can now earn three additional points (for a total of 13 potential points) toward National Green Building Certification when using energy-efficient Superior Walls® insulated precast concrete foundation panels. Superior Walls is the first and only foundation manufacturer whose products are approved to contribute points toward certification of a building under the National Green Building Standard™.

Simonton Windows, one of the nation’s leading suppliers of quality vinyl windows and patio doors, has introduced the new Asure™ line of energy-efficient replacement windows and patio doors. Designed to maximize the amount of natural daylight that enters the home, Asure products are available in Double Hung, Slider, and Picture window styles, along with a variety of popular geometric styles and patio doors.

When builders from around the world came to Orlando, Florida, in February for the 2012 NAHB International Builders’ Show® they had the opportunity to tour the Cool Energy House Project created by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Building America program. Throughout the home, a variety of energy-efficient Simonton Windows help keep this home cooler in the summer and comfortable in the winter.

For students at Ranken Technical College, there’s no such thing as a “normal” classroom setting. These students, who are studying the fields of construction, plumbing, and HVAC and electrical skills, spend their time in the St. Louis community building homes to gain hands-on training.