For the owner of a beachfront home in Pismo Beach, Calif., home maintenance and repair headaches, especially the kind you expect from living next to the Pacific Ocean, is a constant concern.
That helps explain the lengths (or better, depths) the team at Crizer Construction, led by veteran project manager Dahlan Richenberg, went to make sure this forever home lives up to its name.
“The home is right on the sand in Pismo Beach,” explains Richenberg. “The home is built with 20 steel caissons embedded 80 feet deep, with a steel I-beam structure set on top to secure the wood frame home to the platform.”
The owner, Richenberg explained, was adamant that the home must be as weatherproof as possible, and every detail of the craftsman-style exterior had to be considered.
Easy Decision
Richenberg recommended engineered polymer (cellular PVC) trim to the owner and cited the reasons why. Intrigued, the owner went online to research the material. His verdict was quick and decisive: The entire exterior would be finished with siding and trim from AZEK Exteriors products.
“He likes the low maintenance, durability, and authentic look. It had been such a long, arduous process getting the home to this point. He wants a home that stands up to harsh coastal conditions,” Richenberg said. AZEK material is moisture resistant and won’t rot, warp, or swell like wood.
Better Workability
Richenberg and his crew like working with AZEK’s engineered polymer across a variety of products, including soffits, facia, shingle siding, board-and-batten siding, and column wraps. “The guys like AZEK because it’s light and you can work with it just like wood. We’re painting the shingles and siding. Everything else we’re leaving white.”
The workability of AZEK Exterior products proved instrumental in several tricky conditions:
- Stilt Connections. “There are a lot of connections that are different than a house on a regular foundation. It was a huge advantage ordering AZEK sheets in various thicknesses and widths. We could easily mill it down to create custom pieces.”
- Porch Columns. “There are pony wall caps – these are 2x10 material and so much more durable with AZEK than wood or any other product. They were not well illustrated on the plans, so had to improvise some column wrap detailing. The AZEK material makes that easy because it’s dimensioned so well. It doesn’t split or crack and seams can be easily glued together.”
- Window Frames. “We used a biscuit joiner to give the AZEK window trim really strong corners. We’re using some of the same details for the siding and trim too.”
For the owner, the lifetime limited warranty on siding, trim and molding is just the right touch for a forever home.
To learn more about AZEK Exteriors for your next project, visit AZEKexteriors.com.
