When we think about painting the exterior of our homes, we know that this will be a temporary solution. We all know, and for some reason accept, that today's paints do not last. Paint does not protect our homes from water infiltration, mold, mildew, or rotting. Paint fades, flakes and peels. We all can see the resulting damage to our homes from the lack of protection paint offers. The fact that we continue to paint is because we do not know of a better solution- but Vinyl Designs does.

Vinyl Designs, an award-winning Sacramento home imporvement contractor with certified installers of siding and textured coatings, as well as replacement windows and doors and new patio covers. For 25 years, Vinyl Designs has provided the finest exterior project solutions for residential homes and commercial projects from Southern California to Washington. This spring they are excited to introduce an innovative product that protects your home completely and permanently.

This revolutionary solution is called TEXCOTE COOLWALL, COOLWALL is not a whole new siding system like vinyl or fiber cement. It is on of the most advanced coating systems available on the market today. COOLWALL stops water infiltration, eliminates mold and mildew growth, stops rotting, and protects against stucco cracks. In other words, COOLWALL does everything paint cannot. It also does something previously un contemplated.

COOLWALL actually lowers exterior wall surface temperatures by as much as 40 degress F and helps you save up to 21.9% on the energy used to coll your home. Using advanced solar reflective technology, COOLWALL essentially acts as a radiant barrier.  Far thicker than regular paint, COOLWALL also prevents air infiltration, keeping what's outside out and what's inside in, which further reduces energy bills.

Like all genuine TEXCOTE products, COOLWALL uniquely combines enduring style with maximum protection against the elements, freeing you from on=going maintenance and expense while also reducing your carbon foorprint. With COOLWALL you should never have to paint again, nor will you want to. With fabulous fashion colors to choose from, COOLWALL is more then a face-lift or preservation tool. It is a permanent addition to the value and beauty of your home.

As total exterior solutions specialists, Vinyl Designs focuses on high fashion, long-wearing and energy efficient solutions like COOLWALL. With their expert guidance and impeccable craftmanship, you can make a style statement that endures.

Picking the right the contractor is critical to the success of any home improvement project. I have listed 11 criteria that need to be satisfied to insure that you get the right contractor for your project. When choosing a contractor it is very important to see how they fair in the following 11 criteria and not on price.  Though the cost of the project is important it should not be the only consideration or even the main consideration in choosing a contractor.  You are hiring someone to work on probably your single biggest investment. Something you are going to have to live with day in day out for years to come. You do not choose your food and clothing based solely on price and in your lifetime you will spend a lot more on these items than you will on any home improvement. Don’t gamble on your home. Unfortunately in most cases, price is the main factor and that is why the industry is wrought with stories of bad work, uncompleted work, and no service after the job is completed.  Believe it or not, the main reason home owners have bad experiences with home improvement contractors are because they ask for it.  9 out of 10 times when we have come in to help a homeowner fix a problem caused by another contractor it turns out the homeowner picked the contractor because he was the cheapest.  Needless to say, once the problems have been fixed that were caused by choosing the wrong contractor, the cheapest price is no longer so cheap.   A homeowner should always be looking for value not price.

The 11 Criteria a Homeowner Should Consider in Choosing a Contractor

1. Stability. How long have they been in business? Unfortunately, most home improvement companies have a lifespan of less than 5 years.  Vinyl Designs has been in business for over 24 years. We are a family owned business with two generations now working in the business.  Our stability assures homeowners that we will be there if there are problems now and in the future.
2. Licensing. Do they have all necessary licensing from the state and municipality in which you live? A lot of contractors say they are licensed but are not. It is very easy to check on the internet at cslb.ca.gov. All licenses are listed. They will tell you if there have been any problems, how long they have had this license, what type if license it is and what type of insurances they have. If a contractor is not licensed, you have no recourse through the state if a problem arises. It is not worth the risk.  Vinyl Designs is licensed in California and Nevada. Our California License # is 677226.  Our Nevada License #s are 0067852 & 0067846.
3. Insurance. The state does not require liability insurance but you should.  If the contractor does not have liability insurance this means two things and they are both bad for you.  1. If something goes bad and they do not have coverage to make you whole. You will have to use your homeowners insurance; your rates will go up and/or your insurance could even be canceled. 2. The reason they do not have the insurance is because they have nothing to protect. So if you have to sue them for damages they have caused you will not be able to get anything.  

The state does require a company that has employees to carry workman’s compensation insurance.  Unfortunately a lot of contractors tell the state that they have no employees and do not carry workman’s compensation insurance. Of course most projects cannot be performed by 1 person so they are paying their help under the table putting you at risk. If that person gets hurt you are now responsible.  Vinyl Designs carries both a 2,000,000.00 liability policy and full workman’s compensation for your protection and ours.

4. Permitting. Do they include obtaining all necessary permitting as part of the contract?  You do not know how to obtain a building permit. Nor do you know what is required and what is not. That is why you have hired a contractor to this work.  If the proper permits are not obtained you the homeowner are liable for any fines, penalties and the cost of any changes the building department may require.  Sometimes completing the work to the building department’s specification is more expensive. A reputable contractor will know these specifications these costs will be reflected in their bid.  It states in Vinyl Designs’ contract that we will obtain all permits necessary.
5. Experience. How many projects of your type have they completed? Do they have their own employees do the work, or do they subcontract out the work? Vinyl Designs has completed over 10,000 projects in our specialties.  Most of the work is done by our employees. We only subcontract out to a small group of contractors that we have trained when the volume of work dictates.  We can supply all customers with a list of referrals for them to check out.    
6. Training.  What type of industry training has the staff and installers of the company had? Different trade organizations and manufacturers offer training to make sure the products are installed correctly. Any products no matter how good will not perform correctly if not installed correctly.  All of Vinyl Designs installers have completed the following training programs. VSI, AWDI, and the CertainTeed Master Contractor Program. On top of Vinyl Designs installation training program.
7. Reputation. How are they ranked by out side sources such as the BBB and Angie’s List?  Vinyl Designs has the highest rating available from both the BBB and Angie’s list. We also have a clean record with the California and Nevada Contractors boards. 
8. Product selection.  Do they have a large enough product selection to get you what you want instead of forcing you to take what they have? Vinyl Designs has a large selection of products in every area of work we perform.  We have product lines that we have found work the best from our extensive experience, but if a customer wants a particular product we will get it for them.  Our reputation and financial stability make it easy for us to set up with any manufacture country wide.
9. Warranties.  How well do they back up the installation portion of the project? Remember, no matter how good the warranty is on the products, if they are not installed properly you will not be covered.  On top of the great manufacturers warranties Vinyl Designs backs up our labor with the best labor warranties in the industry and due to our longevity and stability, our customers know we will be around to back them up if it is ever needed.
10. Cash Flow. Does your contractor have enough cash flow to handle your project or do they need a down payment and/or progress payments to complete your project?  Remember warranties are only as good as the company that is backing them. How stable is a company that can not carry your project till completion? Vinyl Designs never requires a down payment or progress payments for any single family residential project. We have more than enough financial backing to cover all the costs of these projects with out help from our customers. 
11. Communication.  Can you communicate with the contractor? Does he or she really listen to you?  What type of communication system and schedule will they use throughout the project? Is everything in writing? Did you get copies of everything? Vinyl Designs will lay out everything that we have agreed to do with our homeowners in a clear written contract. All changes that may occur in the completion of the project will be agreed to in writing prior to the change taking place.  Progress letters will be sent to the customer throughout the ordering and installation processes of the project.  We have toll free numbers, a web site and E-mail available to all customers to make it easy to contact Vinyl Designs with any questions.  We know that most problem occur from bad communication and we will go out of our way to make sure all communication is as clear as possible.

Every one of these criteria is very important in choosing the right contractor for your experience will be a good one.  You notice price was not one of the 11 criteria.  This is because you can rest assured that if you hire a company that meets all 11 of the stated criteria they could not have done so if they did not offer a supreme value to their customers.  So the lesson is, if you do your home work and properly vet your contractor through all 11 criteria you will also assure that the price you pay is the best value possible and that is the real goal.

So it is that time of the year and the State Fair is fast approaching!! Beat the heat and come inside to building D booths 601 & 602. Vinyl Designs will once again have a booth in the fair for the  21st year in a row. Here we will have a large display of vinyl windows, siding, patio covers, and entry doors. Please feel free to come by and check out our new promotions and experience being able to see and touch the products we offer. There will always be a Vinyl Designs representative to answer all of your questions.

Today at 9am, my dad Steve was on television during the Sacramento & Co. morning show. This show highlights local buisnesses and what they do, what you can expect from them, and what products they offer. We are becoming "regulars" on the show highlighting different aspects of our family buisness.

This morning Steve showed the amazing benefits of the LowE (low emissions) glass. It was absolutely amazing to see how incredibly the glass blocks out all the heat transfer from the sun into your home. Comparing singel pane, double pane and then the LowE is the best way for you to truly see the benefits of what this glass can do for your home in terms of cooling it down.  If you missed the demonstration or would just like to see it again  you only have to wait til tomorrow. All of the times we are on the show, the following day you can access and watch at www.sacandco.net.  Please take a moment to do some research on our buisness and on the energy efficient windows, siding, patio covers, and entry doors we offer.

Another bonus to watching the show is that we offer special incentives. Currently, the government is offering up to 30% off your contract with a tax credit and until July 30, 2009 Vinyl Designs will match that discount. This means that we are giving you a 60% savings. This is the best time to call and see what we can do for your home!

We are very pasionate about making you a customer and helping you to beautify and cool your homes!

Hey everyone, Steve, my dad, will be on television Tuesday, June 30, 2009. He will be on channel 10 @ 9am during the Sacramento & Co. show. He is gonna be talking about the summer heat and the overwhelming importance energy efficient windows plays in our homes cooling. If you mention this blog or watch the show and call in to Vinyl Designs, we will pay 1 month of your utility bills up to $250.00. So mark your calendars to watch my dad on tv June 30th!!

Even though vinyl siding has out sold every other form of exterior siding in the US material for years, it still has a negative image in many areas of the country.  In my opinion this is due to three main factors, 1. bad installation.  2. inferior product lines  3. false claims’. 4 not properly maintained. These four elements have combined to take a  product that when properly installed, can offer a homeowner the most energy efficient, low maintenance, and "Green" exterior available and scared them away.

The Vinyl industry must take the brunt of the responsibility for this situation.  Manufactures of vinyl siding have traditionally never taken an active roll into monitoring the installation of the product. They will basically sell to anybody.  No training is required, no proof of experience is required, no proof of financial stability is required; if you can pay they will sell it to you. Sometimes no proof of a contractor's license is even required.  As with any home improvement product proper installation of the product is essential.  The properties that make vinyl siding such a good choice also make it very different that the other options. Just because you have installed wood, brick or stucco does not make you an expert in vinyl. Proper installation of vinyl siding requires training and experience,which is expensive, thus the contractors that invest in this training must sell at a higher price.  When homeowners make the price of the improvement  the main factor in purchasing the product and manufacturers sell to contractors with no training or financial stability, poor installations are inevitable.  Once a bad installation has been completed, it stands as a billboard for the product for years and years and will give thousands of potential homeowners a negative impression while a proper installation will mostly go unnoticed.  

Due to price pressures and lack of long term thinking on the manufactures, contractors and property owners, the manufactures have made inferior lines of vinyl siding along side the great lines of vinyl siding in order to cut costs and capture market share.  With vinyl siding, the quality of the product's ingredients which contribute to its ability hold up from year to year at effect cost, can not be seen in the finished product.  All vinyl sidings basicly look the same except for shape. What that means is to the average person, all vinyl sidings are the same so if they see an installation of inferior vinyl, all vinyl is bad.  

The nextl factor is false information.  Vinyl siding has been attacked by so called environmentalist with false claims for years and the vinyl industry has remained silent.  They have done so due to the large market share they have had. Unfortunately, if lies are repeated often enough, it has a tendency to be perceived as the truth.  The funny thing is, vinyl siding is a great choice for the environment.  First of all, vinyl siding is almost always sold with insulation.  It makes the property much more energy efficient.  It is 100% recyclable at the end of its life.  It is a by product of natural gas and salt. It never needs to be re-painted thus reducing toxic chemicals from being introduced into the environment    Under the US Green Building Council and its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, insulated vinyl siding can earn more points than any other exterior covering.  Thus it is the "Greenest" option.

Vinyl siding is a low maintenance option but it is not a NO maintenance.  Unfortunately since vinyl siding requires such little maintenance most homeowners do absolutely nothing.  All we ask is our customers periodically hose it down and if any of the siding becomes damaged, give us a call so that we can repair it free of charge.  If these simple steps are followed, vinyl siding will continue to look as great as when it was first installed. The siding comes with a great warranty that covers almost anything.  But the siding can not make the call to report an issue, 

At Vinyl Designs, we firmly believe that properly installed top of the line insulated vinyl sidings are the best option for any homeowner that wants a freshly painted lap or shake siding look without the constant maintenance.  They want their home to be as energy efficient as possible while using as green a product as they can afford.  In order to accomplish this goal, Vinyl Designs has had every one of its installers trained by VSI (Vinyl Siding Institute).  VSI has the only nationally recognized installation training program. We have also had each and every installer qualified as Master Contractors under the CertainTeed training program.  We will only us the highest line of Vinyl siding offered by the manufacturer.  This is why we partnered with Associated Materials and their Preservation program.  I feel so strongly about our products that I have had these products installed on my home.

If homeowners would take some time to check out the new insulated siding options we are confident there old impressions will be shattered.

Stephen Kuhlke

President

Vinyl Designs Inc.

Vinyl Designs Inc. has been granted the exclusive rights to sell furnish and install Associated Materials’ (AMI) top of the line Preservation Collection High – Performance siding in the Northern California territory.  Unlike all of the other products manufactured by Associated Materials, the Preservation Collection is offered through an Exclusive Dealer Network called the Dealers of Distinction.

Why did AMI take a different approach with this product?  The answer is a products performance on the home is a direct result of how it is installed.  Preservation siding is not an ordinary residential building product. Intensive research and development give the homeowner unsurpassed beauty and uncompromising quality. So it makes since that the homeowner can only get Preservation products from dealers who meet the same standards. AMI calls these dealers “Dealers of Distinction”.  These dealers were chosen because of their long experience of quality home design, customer service and installations.

What makes Preservation Siding so different from the rest?  First lets start with the exclusive ClimaShield thermal support system.  This insulation backer material is made from exclusive MPS technology and is molded to fit the contour of the siding perfectly.  A unique manufacturing process ensures superior insulation and resistance to impact and weather.  Heat and pressure cross-link the polymer molecules on the surface to envelop ClimatShield interlocking panels in a high density, waterproof skin to keep water out but at the same time allows your wall to breathe and let interior water vapor to escape. This prevents “Sick House Syndrome”. On the back side of the ClimaShield panel exclusive drainage channels direct moisture away from interior walls preventing dry rot.  The material is pretreated with PerformGuard, a proprietary ingredient that prevents termites from nesting behind your siding, yet is non-toxic for humans and pets. This system makes your siding 5 times more impact resistant  and has an R value that is 5 times greater (5.2 R-Value) than the most commonly used siding systems.  No other siding has the exclusive ClimaShield Thermal Support System.

The second step in the system is the Preservation High Performance Siding its self. Preservations unique patented UltraBeam design advanced nail hem and locking system provides for extreme rigidity for superior siding performance.  The nail hem is double thick and the mid panel butt is ¾” deep. This design makes Preservation lay flat and straighter than any other vinyl siding available. It also protects against wind damage up to 200 mph. To ensure the highest level of quality only the finest raw materials are used to create the unique XTD Formulation. These ingredients include:

Ultra Pure PVC Resin                          The primary ingredient of Preservation Siding.  It is a resin that is durable, easy to clean material that won’t rot, warp, shrink or swell.  It is impermeable to water and humidity, so it will not sustain damage from rain, snow, melting ice, salt air or constant dampness typical of waterside settings.  These properties make it the perfect material for protecting the exterior of any home.

Ti-Shield Titanium Dioxide                  The most degrading factor to any exterior siding is the daily exposure to the sun’s scorching rays and UV degradation.  It is this factor that causes wood to develop a grey, weathered look not rain.  Ti-Shiel titanium dioxide (TiO2) helps prevent Preservation Siding from the harmful effects of the suns ultraviolet rays.

StableMate PVC Stabilizers                Preservation siding does not need much care once it is installed, but during processing the PVC compound must be protected from heat degradation to assure utmost quality. StableMate provides that protection.  Once your Preservation siding is installed, StableMate helps prevent ultraviolet damage through heat buildup.

DuraShield Impact Modifiers              These super-tough, all-acrylic modifiers give Preservation siding superior impact resistance.  This enables you to not worry about putting ladders against your siding or the effects of hail, sleet or small debris that bombard your siding during severe storms.

ColorThru Pigment Concentrates       Preservation siding offers you a wide choice of beautiful, popular colors.  The best part is, you’ll never have the routine maintenance of staining or painting to keep those colors looking new and fresh.  ColorThru pigments go clear through the panels. Years of wind and weather won’t wash away the colors. All you have to do to restore that rich, just-installed look is rinse Preservation occasionally with a garden hose.

Once all the ingredients are blended, the state of the art manufacturing process

and advanced quality control techniques produce a siding that is thicker than any other vinyl siding product on the market with realistic look of wood details and virtual maintenance freedom.              

The Preservation line comes with an impressive line of independent tests to prove its quality.  Preservation siding voluntarily submits to UL (Underwriters Laboratories) yearly testing and quarterly inspections to assure that Preservation Siding system with ClimaShield is UL Classified to ASTM E84.  Preservation has earned the Energy Star Home Sealing.  This label identifies energy efficient products that meet strict guidelines set by the EPA and the DOE. VSI (Vinyl Siding Institute) sponsors independent unbiased testing testing to certify that a siding meets or exceeds the rigorous battery of tests know as ASTM D3679 as well as D6864.  All Preservation lines of sidings have been VSI Certified.

Thanks to the third party testing and certifications process, homeowners can be assured that  Preservation siding installed by Vinyl Designs Inc. will meet or exceed the industry standard of quality and performance. In addition, they are assured that Preservation Siding will maintain a uniform color, lay straight and withstand the effects of normal seasonal temperature fluctuations.

There is no exterior siding product on the market that can make your home more energy efficient and lower maintenance costs while giving your home that warm freshly painted wood appearance forever. And to back up our claim, the product comes with a Life time non-prorated limited warranty for both material and labor.  This is not the same old vinyl siding.  I believe so much in the product I have had it installed on my home.  See pictures of it at our web site, VinylD.com.  

Stephen Kuhlke

Vinyl Designs Inc.

As the countdown to March 22 (first day of spring) approaches, are you thinking about home improvement ideas? Vinyl Designs would love to help you increase your home value, reduce your energy bills, and actually pay your energy bill. Yes you did read that correctly- here are Vinyl Designs, we are going to pay 1 of your energy bills up to $250.00. Purchase windows with us, give us one of your energy bills and a representative will hand deliver a check to you for the amount of the bill or up to $250.00. I don’t know about you, but I could definitely use a break. We strongly believe in our products and the benefits they will have, and that is why we are willing to do this for you- our customer. For more details please give us a call and anyone here can help you. Start the season off right with beautiful new windows, and a little more peace of mind. 

The new American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009’ awards a homeowner up to 30% tax credit (cap at $1500.00) for replacing home with vinyl replacement windows. Here at Vinyl Designs we are all very excited about the current stimulus package released by our government. We strongly encourage everyone to take advantage of this tax credit. Replace your windows and receive a tax credit, that’s right a tax CREDIT. You have the opportunity to get up to a $1500.00 credit next year. That means that if you owe $500.00 in taxes next year, you will not pay anything and get $1000.00 back.

Need some non biased advice on where to turn for your everyday service needs? The staff at Vinyl Designs highly recommends Angie’s List. I

n the current market, we have learned that the internet is a pain-free way for customers to research, communicate and give feedback regarding work they have or are interested in doing.  Angie’s List offers hundreds of non biased reviews and rating on thousands of service companies in your particular area. This website is completely member driven, and the companies do not pay to be on the List.