Innovative Products: TruExterior Reversible Shiplap-Nickel Gap

When you think of the labor shortage, you think of remodelers not having enough skilled hands on a jobsite to get the job done in the amount of time they’d like it to take. You think very little—if at all—about manufacturers that have to curb production, because even though demand for their products is strong, there isn’t enough labor. Still, it’s a problem that manufacturers were ready to talk about at this year’s International Builders’ Show. In fact, it’s a problem that helped influence TruExterior’s newest innovation to its existing poly-ash siding line: reversible shiplap-nickel gap profiles. 

There are two reversible options: one variety has the smooth Nickel Gap on one side and wood-grain Shiplap on the other; the other reverses which side is smooth and which has the wood-grain. “One reason we created this new siding profile was so that dealers could carry less SKUs,” says Ben Drury, TruExterior brand manager for Boral Building Products. “But we also wanted to make a single panel that is more versatile for contractors.” 

TruExterior used a rabbeted edge to create the reversible Shiplap-to-Nickel Gap style (and vice versa). It keeps the reversible siding from looking “reversible” without sacrificing functionality. 

“You can drill close to the edge with no mushrooming, no cracking. It cuts like butter. It’s easy to mill,” Drury says. “And with the rabbeted edge, the spacing on each side of the board is authentic.” 

As a part of the existing fly ash line—which uses a reclamation process involving coal that results in boards made from 70% recycled material—the new profiles have the same install process, can be painted in any color (including dark hues), and will be sold at the same price point as TruExterior’s existing boards.