Hardie Siding Products and AZEK Trimboards are two of our favorite building materials. They are sustainable, long lasting and look great.
From the AZEK website:
AZEK® Trimboards, the #1 brand of trim, with its unequalled combination of Uniformity, Durability, Workability and Beauty has changed the way the industry looks at trim. AZEK trim products have the look, feel and sound of premium lumber without any of the maintenance issues associated with wood products, meeting the increasing demand for exterior trim which stands up to any climate.
Easily worked with regular woodworking tools, AZEK products can be milled, routed, turned on a lathe as well as heat-formed to create curved or radius trim profiles. The perfect choice for non-load bearing exterior trim applications , such as beadboard porch ceilings, soffits, window/door trim, fascia and much more.
With an unmatched 25-year warranty, AZEK resists moisture, insects and will not rot, cup or decay. AZEK trim products do not need paint for protection, however, have excellent paint adhesion and can be painted to achieve a custom color.
Living Well Link of the Week: AZEK Trimboards
great website i especially like the idea of fixing up the old gas stations on the saw mill river parkway. very cool old buildings which deserve to be saved.
one gripe what is sustainable about cellular pvc? azek koma versatek etc..?
Jim:
AZEK is sustainable in terms of longevity and durability. AZEK provides a 25 year warranty and, if installed properly, I expect the product will last much longer than that.
You are correct in questioning the sustainability of the process of creating a PVC product though. Thanks for your comments.
BTW: We like cedar too!
Mark
Hello Mark - one piece of advice to the blog readers regarding AZEK - as you know, unlike FYPON, AZEK is not recommended to be painted a dark color, as the heat gain / expansion will cause issues over time.
I recently caught this in the manufacturer’s literature and switched to FYPON for a current project so that I could paint the trim boards dark brown to fit in with existing buildings on campus.
Thanks for the great blog!!
Yes. Michael, that is true. AZEK recommends that you do not paint the material with dark colors. My understanding is that the heat generated by the direct sunlight absorbed by the dark colors may cause the material to move or deform.
I recently installed AZEK on my own home and have used the opportunity as a case study. All the AZEK is painted dark red, almost brown. So far, 12 months into the experiment, no problems. I will post my findings as time ticks by.
Thanks for reading Living Well and for bringing this issue to my readers’ attention.
Is there an effective way of hiding the heads of the stainless steel fasteners when attching AZEK trimboard besides painting the entire trimboard? Thanks for any suggestions.
Bob:
I am not aware of any hidden fastening techniques for AZEK. If you are using stainless nails, you can leave them exposed. We have always filled and painted, as we do when we use wood.
A possibility may be to use flexible white caulk to fill the holes left by the fasteners.
If you find any alternative solutions, please be sure to share with us.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
Mark
Mark,
I quess that I don’t like the look of the stainless steel heads showing — it is not a clean look. What has been your experience with painting AZEK? Does paint adhere well and does it last? I’ve tried a few different paints on some sample AZEK boards and for many of the paints, I can scrape the paint off with my thumbnail even after 4 or 5 days of drying. This makes me nervous to paint the AZEK. When you paint the AZEK, what do you use to fill the holes?
Thanks agian for any help you can give me,
Bob
To Michael
May 14th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
I’ve been using AZEK for about 4 years and alot has changed. This below was taken directly from AZEK.com.
AZEK® TRIMBOARDS DESIGN OPTIONS SOAR WITH NEW SHERWIN-WILLIAMS COLOR TECHNOLOGY
August 6, 2006
Moosic, PA — AZEK® Trimboards, the number one brand of trim, can now be painted dark colors thanks to The Sherwin-Williams Company’s VinylSafe™ Color Technology. “With mainstream acceptance of AZEK trim products, this color technology will further enhance the design options of AZEK products for the architect, builder and the homeowner,” said Ralph Bruno, President, AZEK Trimboards.
Until this new technology was available AZEK products, like most exterior trim products, could only be painted light or pastel colors. With Sherwin-Williams’ VinylSafe Color Technology, however, AZEK Trimboards can be painted in 100 colors, including dark grays, deep greens and chocolate browns. With Sherwin-Williams’ Sher-Color™ advanced computer matching technology, custom color matches can be created at one of 3,300 Sherwin-Williams stores, located throughout North America.
Available in a white matte color, AZEK Trimboards has excellent paint adhesion, although it does not require paint for protection. Since there is no moisture cycle with AZEK products, paint lasts longer on AZEK Trimboards than on wood. When used in conjunction with Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint® Exterior Paint, VinylSafe Color Technology is warranted for 25 years, as is AZEK Trimboards product line.
“This paint selection is the most extensive palette on the market for vinyl-based products,” said Steve Revnew, Director of Marketing, The Sherwin-Williams Company. “AZEK Trimboards created an innovative product category and our VinylSafe Color Technology takes it a step further.” Contractors and homeowners now have two trusted brand names, as they choose colors for their homes. For architects and designers, the marriage of AZEK Trimboards and Sherwin-Williams VinylSafe Color Technology opens up a world of design styles that typically use darker trim colors.
Bruno added, “As an example, if a customer has a Craftsman home that calls for dark brown painted trim, they can reap the benefits of AZEK trim products,” he said. “Not only can you mill, rout, miter and even heat form AZEK products, you can now have a broad range of colors with Sherwin-Williams VinylSafe Color Technology.”
AZEK Trimboards is the only brand of trim to hold a building code report (ESR-1074). It is used for all non-load bearing exterior trim applications, such as soffits, fascia, window and door trim and beadboard ceilings. Low-maintenance and easily worked with regular woodworking tools, AZEK Trimboards resist moisture and insects and will not rot, warp or decay. AZEK Trimboards are available at more than 1,700 professional lumberyards throughout the U.S. and Canada. For additional information, call 1-877-ASK-AZEK (275-2935) or visit http://www.azek.com. For more information about Sherwin-Williams VinylSafe Colors, call 1-800-524-5979 or visit sherwin-williams.com.
Since AZEK is impervious to moisture. It can take up to 30 days for the paint to fully cure. Was dried the paint will never peel or chip. It will oxidize off.
Good Luck!!
To: Bob
Jul 13th, 2007 at 8:37 pm
Try using Trimbonder. This was taken from azek.com.
AZEK® TRIMBOARDS “BONDING” PARTNERSHIP FEATURES SUPERIOR SOLUTION FOR FILLING NAIL HOLES AND MORE
August 15, 2006
Scranton, PA — AZEK® Trimboards and Devcon® have “bonded” in an exclusive marketing partnership that will enable authorized AZEK dealers to offer Devcon TrimBonder™, a new, structural acrylic adhesive perfect for filling nail holes and gaps. TrimBonder features a durable, permanent bond for AZEK trim and other substrates such as wood, urethane and aluminum. TrimBonder is UV stable and waterproof, withstanding harsh weather without shrinking, discoloring or yellowing. Unlike other filling and bonding products, TrimBonder can be applied with a standard caulking gun.
AZEK Trimboards, the number one brand of trim, resists moisture, rot and insects and is the only brand of trim with an ICC-ES Building Code Report. It can be easily milled, cut, routed and even heat formed to create curves and arches. AZEK Trimboards are available in standard trim dimensions as well as in sheets, cornerboards, beadboard and rustic Frontier texture for low-maintenance and lasting beauty.
TrimBonder is an excellent solution for filling nail holes and gaps in AZEK trim applications. It can also be used for joining sections of AZEK trim, columns or cornerboards, laminating AZEK Sheet and bonding aluminum cleats to AZEK trim. It works great for assembling ornamental pediments, pilasters, gingerbread and cupolas, as well as outdoor structures such as arbors, trellises and pergolas. And, it adheres to concrete and fiber cement.
Requiring no special applicators, TrimBonder can be applied with a regular caulking gun and comes with a mixing nozzle to dispense the two-part adhesive quickly and easily. It has a typical working time of 5-8 minutes and a fixture time of 18-20 minutes at 72° F, attaining functional cure in 2-4 hours. It has excellent impact, peel, shear, and weather resistance. Like AZEK Trimboards, TrimBonder accepts latex paint, although paint is not required for either material for protection.
For information about TrimBonder, visit an authorized AZEK Trimboards dealer or contact David Bongiorni, Marketing Director, Devcon, at 1-800-933-8266, TEL: (97
777-1100, FAX: (97 
774-0516, email oeminfo@devcon.com, or visit their website at http://www.trimbonder.com. For more information about AZEK Trimboards, call 1-877-ASK-AZEK (275-2935) or visit http://www.azek.com.
Kyle:
Thank you for your comments. They are very informative. I look forward you your thoughts and comments more often.
Mark
Would you recommend azek sheets for garage walls nailed to studs? If so, what would you use for the joints?
Austin:
AZEK is a great material for garage walls (a bit on the expensive side though). My associate, John Whalen, used it in his Montauk House for the mechanical room walls and floor. It looks great, its waterproof and is very durable.
I think John just used butt joints, but an AZEK 1-1/2″ x 1/4″ batten strip covering the joint or a reveal, using a 1/2″ x 1/4″ strip set between the panels, would give you a clean finished look.
Austin:
Be sure to check local code too. AZEK is not a fire rated material. The IBC requires a fire rated wall between the garage and living space.
By the way…John corrected me this morning. He did not use AZEK on the mechanical room walls…only the floor.
Try checking out Kleer Lumber. It is a cellular PVC trimboard that packs a lifetime warranty and a class A fire rating. Kleer’s quality is unmatched. Azek allows sizing to be off a full 1/16 of an inch and Kleer’s variance is 1/32 of an inch. Then only cellular free foam board with such stringent quality controls.
Thanks for your thoughts Lane.
Yes, Kleer is a nice product as well. We’ve used them both and have not found much of a difference once installed.
I appreciate your comments and hope to see more in the future.
We are experiencing a project that the Azek fascia is showing significant lengthwise contraction, leaving the joints opened up. they did not use the 45 degree lap joint, but a butt joint instead. Will the 45 degree joint solve the problem. PVC is well known for its cold / hot expansion contraction issues and it would seem this is similar. What is the maximum fascia length if this is the case?
Rick:
You will find installation guidelines for AZEK at http://azek.com/installation.php.
Mark