Whether you are buying a new home or are selling your existing one, first impressions are everything. And, nothing makes a worse initial impression than exterior trim that is cracked, rotted, peeling or falling apart.

Wood, one of the traditional trim materials, may look fine when first installed, but it can split and swell, and is prone to knots and defects. Other materials, like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and fiber cement trim have performance limitations, may pose installation challenges and may not be kind on your pocketbook or the environment. PVC is made from non-renewable natural resources and cutting fiber cement releases silica, which is a known carcinogen.

Today, homeowners and remodelers are turning to advanced building materials to get long-term performance from their exterior trim. Locally, and nationwide, many homeowners have found MiraTEC® Treated Exterior Composite Trim offers the ideal combination of the beauty of wood and the durability of an engineered product. It provides the perfect accent to any exterior cladding your house may have: vinyl, fiber cement, brick, OSB, stone, stucco, wood or hardboard.

With a clear, wood grain texture on one side and contemporary smooth finish on the other, MiraTEC trim is ideal for any home style. From new home construction to remodeling and repair projects, MiraTEC is used for roofline fascia, soffits, window and door trim, corner trim, dentil, gables, column wraps, trim along porches and other non-structural applications.

Green Building Benefits
There is a strong demand for green building products. Many homeowners want to know the environmental impact of products used to build or remodel their homes, such as formaldehyde emission levels and wood sources.

At very high levels, formaldehyde is considered toxic and is an irritant to the eyes and mucus membranes. MiraTEC trim has no added urea formaldehyde. This is certified by Scientific Certification Systems, an international third-party certification organization. Wood composite products that do not contain urea resins, such as MiraTEC trim, are recognized in the building products industry as meeting the strictest formaldehyde emission levels and can contribute toward one Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credit under Indoor Environmental Quality 4.4.

No old growth wood is used to manufacture MiraTEC trim. Instead it is made from wood that is of no commercial timber value and is the byproduct of other operations. IT ALSO comes from within a 200-mile radius of CMI’s Towanda, Pa., production facility. MiraTEC trim is primed with a mildew resistant low VOC primer, which is among the most environmentally preferable of all paint products available.

Durability and Low Maintenance 
Because of its durability and low maintenance requirements, homebuilders across the country use MiraTEC trim in a variety of applications.

Dick Collier of R.E. Collier, Inc., a builder in Richmond, Va., uses MiraTEC trim for a variety of projects, including residential town homes and low-rise multifamily buildings. He has found it to be an excellent complement to fiber cement siding applications. “Prior to MiraTEC, we primarily used wood products, including cedar and pine, but we’ve found that MiraTEC is better than wood. MiraTEC is easy to install and paints well. Plus, we really like how it holds up in our weather and that it offers termite resistance.”

According to Steve Kothman, general manager, Hanson Builders, Inc., a custom home and