PRESS RELEASES

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Exterior Portfolio® by Crane, known throughout the United States for its popular low-maintenance, energy efficient and aesthetically pleasing exterior siding options, is expanding its distribution network to Canada through building materials supplier Broadleaf Logistics. Builders and homeowners tired of the maintenance hassles of wood and fiber cement now have attractive alternatives available to them with the CraneBoard® Family of products from Exterior Portfolio, including CraneBoard 6, CraneBoard 7, and CraneBoard Board & Batten. With its clean lines and architecturally correct cladding designs, the CraneBoard family features Solid Core™ insulation backing, offering the benefits of moisture management and energy savings. In addition, all siding options are available in a variety of attractive colors – designed to enhance a home’s curb appeal, increasing value.

While fiber cement siding has unsightly caulked seams that require ongoing maintenance, CraneBoard 6 and 7 have a seamless appearance and a deep 3/4-inch profile with no visible nail heads. CraneBoard Solid Core Siding features two distinct wide panel configurations: Three, six-inch boards (CraneBoard 6) or two, seven-inch boards (CraneBoard 7) on top of one another to match the profile and look of cedar. Each board features insulated Solid Core backing for increased energy efficiency, greater impact resistance, improved sound deadening, and a perfectly straight profile.

With CraneBoard 6 and 7, builders and installers can be assured of a quick, easy installation. While fiber cement is very heavy, CraneBoard 6 and 7 are lightweight and do not require expensive tools for installation. Impervious to moisture, these products can be installed in a variety of weather conditions, and unlike fiber cement, they can be installed while wet.

Complementing the horizontal wide panel options is CraneBoard Board & Batten Siding, the industry’s first solid core board and batten siding. This vertical siding features an architecturally correct double 10-inch design, replicating the look of real cedar board and batten siding, but without the maintenance hassles. It saves energy through its interlocking panels, which provide continuous uninterrupted beauty while protecting the home from the elements like air infiltration and wind-driven rain.

CraneBoard Board & Batten’s shadow lines don’t distract from the home’s exterior claddings or overpower the design of the home. Since its nailing hem is vertical and is covered by the next batten, the panels lie flat and uninterrupted on the wall, allowing for true hidden seams. A Batten Mold finish trim is also available to complete the home’s exterior and provide a complete look.

To give homes a polished, yet handcrafted appearance, Exterior Portfolio provides homeowners with the broadest line of insulated accessories on the market. Architectural Essentials™ Accessories provide homes with distinctive finishing details while also insulating the areas of the home most vulnerable to energy loss. Focusing on three categories of trim products – Window & Door Trim, Corners and Decorative Trim – Architectural Essentials are engineered to fit smoothly with any design style from Exterior Portfolio.

All CraneBoard cladding features a No-Nonsense Life of the Home Warranty and energy efficiency all in one. CraneBoard cladding products keep homes warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Its Solid Core backing has an R-value of up to 4.0. With more insulating power than ordinary siding, CraneBoard gives homeowners up to 20 times the R-value of fiber cement and up to 4 times the R-value of ordinary vinyl siding with a standard backer board.

The Solid Core insulation provides stability and aids in straightening walls and creating long-lasting beauty, unlike narrower profile products such as fiber cement siding and cedar, which tend to follow the walls’ dips and contours. CraneBoard is 300 percent more impact resistant than ordinary vinyl siding and 240 percent more impact resistant than fiber cement. It also reduces noise up to 45 percent.

In addition to increased energy efficiency, the CraneBoard Family of products are engineered with SmartCore™ insulation system. Through SmartCore, the wall space is able to “breathe.” Moisture vapor evaporates naturally as it passes through the panel. Any excess moisture is guided out through ridges in the insulation called SmartTrack™, the ultimate insulation management system.

The CraneBoard family of products is available in 17 attractive colors including new Regatta Blue, Cabin Brown, Lighthouse Red and Evergreen – part of Crane’s new Costal Shores™ Collection – that are formulated for lasting maintenance freedom that will not crack, and painting is never required. For more information in Canada call 800-366-8472 or visit www.exteriorportfolio.com, or visit the Broadleaf Logistics Web site at http://www.broadleaflogistics.com/ to find Broadleaf distributors throughout Canada.