Homeowners want protection from the outside elements without sacrificing style. Fortunately, innovations in weather protection, energy efficiency, durability, and style are bringing new building-envelope products to the fore. Builders are also benefiting from some of these multifunctional product systems that enable them to do more in less time by combining several steps into one.

Color Me Bronze ... Or Black
To provide more contrast with lighter-colored siding materials, MI Windows and Doors added two exterior laminate color options, black and bronze, for its 1620 single-hung and 1630 single-slider window lines. The colors are available only with white interiors and may also be ordered with fin, finless, and flange frame profiles. Two-tone color options are also available for the windows’ interior grids and simulated divided lites. Both window lines are designed to meet Energy Star requirements in the North Central, South Central, and Southern climate zones.
miwindows.com

Spray Away the Elements
Owens Corning Insulating Systems partnered with Aeroseal to create a single, co-branded building envelope solution from Owens Corning’s PINK Fiberglas Insulation and Aeroseal’s AeroBarrier envelope sealing system. The AeroBarrier technology, distributed via aerosol spray, is designed to seal holes in the building envelope that are invisible to the naked eye, up to any level of tightness required. As a component of this new building solution, the spray is intended to complement and enhance the performance of the PINK Fiberglas Insulation.
owenscorning.com; aerobarrier.net
Metal Matters

CertainTeed’s Matterhorn Metal Roofing product line offers the classic looks of shake, slate, and barrel tile in a form that is tough, lightweight, and recyclable. Matterhorn provides customers with the appearance of natural materials, but without the maintenance cost or the risk of algae, moss, and wood rot. It also comes with a Class 4 impact-resistance rating and a Class A fire rating and can withstand winds up to 130 mph. Matterhorn comes in 16 colors.
certainteed.com
Composite Stone Cladding

TandoStone cladding, by Tando (a Derby Building Products company), is a composite stone that’s designed for ground-level installations in any climate and complements a wide range of siding materials for on-trend mixed-material looks. It’s impervious to moisture and easy to install, according to the company. TandoStone is available in two styles: Stacked Stone, which features a dry stack profile without grout lines between the stones, and Creek Ledgestone, which emulates the rugged look of hand-picked stone with grout.tandobp.com

EZ Does It
DuPont Flexwrap EZ is a self-adhering flashing tape designed to seal small exterior penetrations. The 2¾-inch-by-15-foot tape is designed to be ideal for small electrical, HVAC, and plumbing penetrations to help improve the energy efficiency and durability of a wall system. Flexwrap EZ is designed to withstand extreme temperatures and 270 days of UV exposure, and the product reduces air leakage throughout the building envelope, the company says.
dupont.com

Tough Barrier to Entry
RainDrop 3D in Kingspan’s GreenGuard product line has a textured surface that enables any water getting past the cladding or flashing to drain away, even when siding has been nailed tightly against it. The product acts as an air- and water-resistive barrier as well as a drainage medium. The product’s drainage channels are designed to refrain from crimping, collapsing, or flattening, enabling water to drain no matter how tightly the cladding is nailed to the wall.
kingspan.com

Modern Marvel
Marvin’s Modern line is designed for minimal visual distraction. The collection’s new frame design combines a high-density fiberglass exterior, which achieves sight lines of less than 3 inches, with an aluminum interior that provides structural strength and high thermal performance. The frames are available in ebony, bronze, clear anodized/silver, gunmetal, and stone white finishes. Each is paired with matching hardware as well as a black spacer bar and sealant.
marvin.com
Stinger Stapler

National Nail has released its upgraded 18-gauge Stinger CS150B Cap Stapler for installing roofing underlayment, housewrap, and foamboard. It’s designed to be easier to load, with a longer tool life and adjustable exhaust. The tool can shoot 200 caps and 200 staples before requiring reloading and operates at pressures up to 120 psi. The Stinger CS150B uses four sizes of 18-gauge staples with full 1-inch plastic caps. A carrying case is included.
nationalnail.com
An Architectural Look for Less

Atlas has released Legend Designer Fiberglass Shingles for single- and multifamily properties. The shingles feature bold cuts and high contrast color in addition to upscale styling that conveys an architectural look at an attractive cost, according to the company. Scotchgard Protector helps guard the product from unsightly black streaks caused by algae. The company offers a 40-year limited warranty and a limited 110-mph wind warranty.atlasroofing.com

Panel Power
ProVia’s Willowbrook Super Polymer Siding is a 0.042-inch panel that comes in six profiles and 22 colors. The panel’s rollover rail guards prevent nails from being nailed in too tightly and are meant to add rigidity and durability to the panel. The post-formed lock system improves wind resistance. Drop guards prevent the panel from dropping out of place during installation. The siding comes in a cedar wood-grain finish.
provia.com
A Side Order of Durability

Chelsea Building Products is shipping its Everlast Advanced Composite Siding, touted to far outlast wood, traditional vinyl, and fiber cement. The product is lightweight yet durable, water resistant, and easy to install, thanks to its EZStack design, which allows each panel to seat firmly on the one below. A coextruded acrylic cap prevents peeling, flaking, cracking, rotting, or blistering. chelseabuildingproducts.com
Senco Staples

Senco’s heavy-wire construction staplers, the NS20XP and NS20BXP, prevent staples from moving during operation and are designed to eliminate skipping, misfires, or jams. Both staplers drive 16- and 17-gauge, 7/16-inch crown staples from 1 to 2 inches in length. For residential construction, Senco recommends the staplers for use in sheathing, framing, roof decking, subflooring, furring, fasciae, and ridge beam assemblies and notes that they may be converted to vinyl-siding staplers.
senco.com