New Curb Appeal Products for 2011

MILLS RIVER, N.C. – Ready to spruce up your home’s exterior this year? Several recently-introduced products are designed to add curb appeal to your house while making maintenance hassles disappear.

Start by looking at the top of your home. If your roof appears old and dingy, or if it’s leaking or wearing thin, then it’s time to research options for a roof replacement. Start by considering synthetic slate or shake tiles by DaVinci Roofscapes (www.davinciroofscapes.com). The company offers 49 roof colors along with 28 standard color blends. Recently-hired national color expert Kate Smith is available to assist homeowners in deciding what color roof to install on homes.

“Selecting roofing colors that complement the rest of the home’s exterior can be challenging for some people,” says Smith, CMG and owner of Sensational Color. “A DaVinci polymer roof has a 50-year warranty. That’s a long-term color investment. That’s why we’ve developed an on-line color design program to offer support, tips and one-on-one color counseling to help homeowners maximize their roofing investment by selecting a color they can live with for many years.

“Homeowners shouldn’t be afraid of color. Contrasting colors, complementary colors and color accents on a home, when done right, can all add tremendously to the curb appeal of a house.”

Once you’ve selected a roofing color — whether it’s a Harbor Gray blend or solid dark clay – it’s time to move down the exterior of the home to the windows. The Decorum collection by Simonton Windows (www.simonton.com) provides a variety of custom exterior color options for durable vinyl replacement windows to complement the outside colors on a home.

Available in Brick, Chocolate, Bronze, Cream, Driftwood, Pine and Tan, the eye-catching colors can be married with impressive glass packages to create energy-efficient units. And, there are interior frame options of authentic Antique Cherry, Maple and Contemporary woodgrains. Color-matched sculptured grids and hardware complete the new window offering.  Just imagine a brick red low-maintenance vinyl window frame set against the pure white clapboard siding on a Federal-style home in New England. With this picture in mind, you can immediately understand the growing trend of selecting colorful window exteriors to enhance the home.

That imaginary home wouldn’t be the same without a red front door with crisp white trim pieces surrounding it to create a stunning entryway. Therma-Tru (www.thermatru.com) and Fypon (www.fypon.com) have teamed up to create entryway solutions for every homeowner.

The introduction of Therma-Tru’s new Classic Craft Canvas Collection entry door series means homeowners can select an energy-efficient front door, paint it red and gain the low-maintenance benefits of fiberglass. The smooth, paintable surface of the door, which features wide center panels and rich embossment details that rival high-end custom wood doors, provides security and durability in the home.

Try flanking the door with a set of easy-to-install decorative Fypon urethane pilasters. Next top off the door with a crosshead and pediment, and you have an eye-catching entryway. Resistant to moisture, insects, rot and humidity, both the urethane trim and entry door are the ideal low-maintenance solution to adding curb appeal to the home.