CRANEBOARD is certainly not the easiest product to install and has a steep learning curve. Our veteran installers have adapted to the new product and its' unique installation needs. One thing we learned early is that you must be careful mixing CRANEBOARD with other products. The CRANEBOARD panel with its' attached foam is thicker than other systems making it necessary to "Fir out" (build out with wood or foam underneath other systems to bring walls into alignment) walls when combing CRANEBOARD with other products. Still, it can be done but there are added costs. You may ask why anyone would choose to mix products. The main reason is people wanting other color accents for gable ends, vertical panels mixed in, combining different widths of vinyl together, sunbursts, etc. These things can all still be done and are with well trained installers who know all the tricks. Installation of Craneboard really should be left to the experts for best results.

Tear Offs and Builders Wraps

Many of the CRANEBOARD jobs involve removing damaged LP, Omniwood, and Weyerhauser sidings. Since the old builders wrap is destroyed when removing the old siding, we normally replace the builders wrap. We prefer Rain Drop. We use the Rain Drop wrap for the homeowners who have major water worries. Tyvek builders wrap is what most home owners are used to seeing. (The Craneboard representative wants Rain Drop installed beneath his products.) The only fear is that water may somehow get behind the Tyvek and then how will it get out. Tyvek is breathable, so I really do not know how big an issue it is, but in a place that gets as wet as it does here in Washington, water is a huge issue. Rain Drop is like a Tyvek with water wicking fibers woven into it to channel any potential water straight to the bottom of the home. It makes for an impressive demonstration as it can rapidly water away, while Tyvek cannot. Most of our customers are choosing Rain Drop as their choice for water protection. I've recently seen a number of homes being resided without any type of underlying wrap, and while I guess this can be done, I certainly would not do my home that way. Why spend all the money needed to reside your home and then still have to worry about water that may be wind driven past your 'J' Channel or through a lap or however it may get there? We recommend the installation of a Rain Drop (Green Guard) wrap under your new CRANEBOARD.

This is a picture of a job in progress. This photo was taken from below looking up as we sided over old vertical tongue and groove cedar. To my eye, the new CRANEBOARD 7" looks far better than the vertical cedar. You can see the Green Guard Raindrop underlayment system beneath the new application of CRANEBOARD. You can click to enlarge the image for more detail. The wide width combined with the deep pronounced shadow line really looks sharp.

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 Observations from the 2004 Seattle Home Show

CRANEBOARD is certainly a very impressive product up close and personal. At the Seattle Home Show we took advantage of our CRANEBOARD displays being next to other products. While our other vinyl sided are attractive and feature many unique colors, when pressed they had a "give " to them. Many people preferred the wider look of CRANEBOARD. Our representatives seemed to take particular pleasure in slamming the CRANEBOARD displays hard to show their strength and rigidity. It made a very impressive display of structural strength. There is an impact test done with a steel pin machine driven hard into products. When a quarter is struck it literally punches the quarter a 1/4 inch into it. Regular siding is shattered and yet the CRANEBOARD is still intact though it bears the imprint of the pin like the quarter. Pretty amazing that the CRANEBOARD panel reacts a lot like steel. I'll try to get some pictures up on this site of this amazing demo. One of our guys has taken to driving over CRANEBOARD panels with his truck for a demonstration. I haven't gone that far, but you can if you want to. This year I'd have to give CRANEBOARD the edge as our most popular product. And now that the Home Show is over we are doing many CRANEBOARD jobs, so the visitors to the show were serious. We have some very big jobs going now, with one home in particular featuring over 40 foot high walls!