A: The underlying technology is completly different. All other pre-finished siding on the market uses latex (water-soluble) paint, whereas GemThane™ Siding uses a marine-grade polyurethane resin. Paints simply dry, that is to say, the finished film results simply by evaporation. Our polymer formulations cure by a chemical reaction, resulting in a tough shell that looks ordinary but has extraordinary performance properties. It is extremely resistant to erosion, impact, driven rain and climatic extremes. The coatings used in the manufacture of GemThane™ Siding are so waterproof, they could be used to line your swimming pool! The coating resists unsightly knot bleed-through. The impervious surface is easy to clean and can be aggressively power washed year after year. Everything from dirt to unpleasant spider webbing washes right off because the surface is so non-absorbent.

The formula also contains ceramic nanospheres, yielding a phenomenal difference in protection against impact, abrasion and erosion. We've been using nano-technology since 1999 and it is just now being adopted by the auto industry to make exterior clear coats more chip and abrasion resistant.

Another difference: note that the coating on the back is very thick. The trade name of that amber clearcoat is ArborSeal™. On our top-of-the-line siding product, (called the Performance Plus grade), ArborSeal™ is about twice as thick as the coating on an airplane or automobile. This eliminates the need for strapping and reduces installation costs dramatically. Our economy grade siding, Value Plus, is available when you are strapping regardless for some reason (see "What is strapping and why is it necessary with other products but not GemThane™ Siding?").

Read all FAQs