How to Enhance Vinyl Siding with Ply Gem Rainware, Trim and Accessories

In the homebuilding and exterior renovation business, time is money. That’s why it pays to have a partner such as Ply Gem® to be the single brand for everything you need to create striking curb appeal for your customers.With ample options for vinyl siding color, style and performance and color-matched accessories, including soffit panels, fascia, trim, vents and blocks, we simplify the process of enhancing the look of vinyl-sided homes.

This article will explore the extensive line of metal and vinyl accessories available from Ply Gem to help exterior contractors and homebuilders guide their customers on the best options for their home.
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Exterior Vinyl Shutters Complete the Look

Shutter style and color set the tone of the home’s exterior aesthetic by adding personality and giving windows a finished look. Shutters can lend a relaxed vibe or provide a more formal appearance, depending on your customer’s style preference.

The Ply Gem Shutter Collection includes three styles with a realistic woodgrain appearance:

• Board & Batten: Traditionally used on farmhouses, these shutters add a rustic, charming appeal. Best suited for use on Tuscan, French Country, Mission, Tudor and Cottage homes. Choose from three or four boards in open or closed configurations.
• Open Louvered: Steeped in the traditions of American history and architecture, these shutters create a sense of classic elegance. Ideal for Ranch, Bungalow, Craftsman and Mediterranean/Spanish homes.
• Raised Panel: Dating back to Early American homes, these shutters resemble interior wood wall panels, and their simple lines create a distinctive profile. Best used on Colonial, Federal, Victorian and Greek Revival homes.

Ply Gem shutters come in 22 designer-curated colors proudly finished with Sherwin-Williams® Coatings. Popular designer colors were chosen in collaboration with the color experts at Sherwin Williams, including the trending and timeless Evergreen Fog, Urbane Bronze and Gale Force. Additionally, Ply Gem shutters are available in a wide variety of widths and lengths to accommodate most window sizes.

Exterior PVC Trim Highlights Doors and Windows

Ply Gem trim opens up creative design possibilities to build on the shutter style by creating architectural interest around windows and doors with PVC trim. Trim comes in a classic white finish, but can be painted to match the siding color or provide a contrasting visual element.

The Ply Gem Trim offering includes:

• Mantels: Give the home a stately appearance by adding height and symmetry to windows, doors and garage doors. Add dentil trim, endcaps or keystones for additional curb appeal.
• Door Surrounds: Add elegance with door surround metals, pediments, pilasters, and pilaster bases and caps.
• Window and Door Castings: Keep out water and insects; available in smooth and fluted options that look like real wood.
• Mouldings: Protect the intersection of walls and soffit from moisture and insects while providing a finishing touch. Available in smooth or crown motif.
• Corner Posts: Give corners a clean, elegant look with smooth or fluted styles.

Color-Matched Vinyl Blocks Help Accessory Access Points Blend into the Background

Don’t let an untidy utility connection take away from your carefully curated exterior. Ply Gem vinyl mounting blocks, which can be color-matched to your siding color, make utility connections and water spouts virtually disappear while allowing light fixtures to be the true accent.

There are five types of Ply Gem mounting blocks:

1. Universal Large J-Block®: Designed to mount large light fixtures, house numbers, doorbells and mailboxes. Available with center-located or offset electrical box housing.
2. Universal Jumbo J-Block®: Made to mount oversized light fixtures, house numbers and mailboxes.
3. Meter Base: Mounts large accessories such as hose racks and electric meter bases.
4. Large Meter Base: Ideal for mounting oversized meters.
5. E-Z Block™ Surface Mounting Block: Can be used after siding installation to mount all types of accessories.

Vinyl Gable and Utility Vents Create Functional Design Accents

Fresh air ventilation through the attic contributes to a healthier home by preventing heat and moisture buildup. But while vents play a mostly functional role, that doesn’t mean they can’t also provide a design accent.

Ply Gem offers a full range of utility and gable vents in different shapes and styles to complement the home’s exterior aesthetic. And they can be color-matched to the siding to blend in or create a contrasting color pop.

Ply Gem offers five types of vents:

1. Louvered Exhaust: Used to vent dryers and bathroom exhaust fans; louver rises while in use and lowers when not in use.
2. Hooded Exhaust: Features snap-on installation and a concealed flap that stays closed when not in use.
3. Soffit Intake: Used on porches to provide attic ventilation; can be used with bathroom and kitchen exhausts.
4. Foundation: Ventilates crawl spaces; louvers can be locked open or closed and include a screen to prevent pest incursions.
5. Gable: Choose from round, square, octagonal, half-round and rectangular.

Vinyl and Metal Soffit Panels Provide Attractive Protection and Keep Air Circulating

Soffit panels line the underside of roof eaves to protect rafters from the elements, provide ventilation to the attic and keep wildlife out of the attic. They are also used on porch ceilings and breezeways.

Vented soffit panels vs. solid soffit panels

• Vented soffit panels are best used on homes with wide eaves and smaller attics.
• Solid soffit panels are best for homes with large attics that already have sufficient ventilation and on narrow eaves.

Easily viewed from the street, soffit color is also essential to creating a cohesive exterior home appearance. Ply Gem offers vinyl and metal soffit panels in a wide range of designs, colors and price points to complete the look of porches, covered decks, eaves and overhangs. This comprehensive portfolio includes different board widths and options that resemble wainscoting.

Metal Fascia Protects the Roof Structure and Creates Crisp Lines

Fascia protects the edge of the roof and creates a clean, crisp line along the roof’s edge that helps showcase the vinyl siding. Ply Gem aluminum fascia is durable and low-maintenance and comes in a variety of smooth and textured finishes designed to stand tough against the elements.

• Mastic® fascia features Alumallure® 2000 Protection, a two-coat finish that combines rust-inhibiting primer with an ultra-tough topcoat to protect against scratches, fading, weathering and corrosion.
• Variform fascia has two-coat acrylic protection with DuraPro® Textured Satin Finish.
• Ply Gem Performance fascia includes select styles with textured PVC coating for a woodlike finish and scratch resistance.

Plus, fascia comes in dozens of colors that coordinate with Ply Gem vinyl siding collections. While fascia is traditionally white, Ply Gem’s extensive color offering allows trade pros to create a custom look for their customers. Consider these options:

• Match the siding color for a sleek, modern appearance
• Choose a color that’s a step or two darker than the siding for a grounded feeling
• Use white to create a light, bright, traditional look

Don’t Forget Rain Gutters and Gutter Protection

Like fascia, rain gutters are highly visible and help define the roofline. They are also a key component to protecting the home by funneling rainwater from the roof to the ground.

Ply Gem aluminum rain gutters come in sectional and seamless options in dozens of colors to perfectly complement the look.

• Sectional Gutter: Exceptionally strong, the patented free-floating hanging system lets the gutter expand and contract with temperature changes while maintaining a secure grip.
• Seamless Gutter: Durable and made of extra-thick aluminum with no seams for a clean appearance, the seamless gutter can be customized to reduce the chance of leaking.

No gutter system would be complete without protection from leaf and debris buildup. Ply Gem offers five gutter protection options to fit any budget.

Ply Gem Offers a Comprehensive Product Line for Exterior Home Design Needs

With everything you need to create beautiful exteriors, Ply Gem can help you save time and look like a design genius to your customers. Download the Ply Gem Shutters & Accents Product Guide to get started today.