In a recent exchange with Jonathan Wierengo, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Boral America, Fine Homebuilding learned that Boral has officially discontinued production of its poly-ash bevel siding. The bevel siding, a modern substitute for traditional clapboards, was one of several cementitious siding and trim products sold under Boral’s TruExterior brand, all of them made from the same mixture of refined coal-fly ash, glass fibers, and polymers. The bevel siding was a natural fit in the market, filling what might be considered the premium niche when it comes to weather-resistant siding options.

“Boral has found that it is unable to manufacture the bevel lines to both meet that demand and ensure quality that is consistent with the rest of the product line,” Tomasulo said. “Over the past six months, the Boral operations team has been working toward a sustainable solution, but has been unable to create a consistent process to increase bevel yield in manufacturing. This is strictly a yield issue, not a performance issue. Products already in the field are not impacted and remain covered under the current TruExterior warranty.”

Wierengo assured us that the rest of the TruExterior Siding and Trim lines, including trim boards, beadboard, shiplap, nickel gap, V-rustic, and channel bevel, will remain available as usual.

Fine Homebuilding first covered TruExterior in 2013, when it had far less market share than it enjoys today. Brian McCarthy, then a framing contractor in Stow, Mass., had good things to say about his first experiences with TruExterior when Fine Homebuilding reported on the material in a 2013 Tools and Materials write-up (see issue #232).

“Boral TruExterior Trim is more dimensionally stable than PVC or wood, looks better than fiber cement, and is installed with the same tools and techniques one would use with wood,” McCarthy said. “It has its weaknesses, but in the end, it’s a big step in the right direction.”

According to Fine Homebuilding brand ambassador John Hourihan, owner of Vintage Builders in Natick, Mass., there was no better option for builders focused on clients in the high-end, traditional market. “I’ve used a ton of products over my years in the business. I thought [Boral’s bevel] was the best alternative to wood with the most authentic look.”

Despite the bevel line being what Wierengo described as “immensely popular” for Boral, it seems that production snags eventually led to the decision to eliminate the product from the company’s range of poly-ash offerings.

For more on working with Boral siding, check out these articles:

Better Board-and-Batten Siding

Takeaways After Trying Out a New Siding and Trim Material

Siding — Closing in the Last Few Faces

Today’s Best Exterior Trim

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