New Building Products Regulation | HPC Training | Wisconsin Historical Society

Guide or Instruction

New Building Products Design Guidelines

Chapter 8: Preservation Commission Design Guidelines, Page 7 of 8

New Building Products Regulation | HPC Training | Wisconsin Historical Society

New building products appear every year accompanied by claims of saving money, saving energy, or making a house "look historic." Many of these products are derived from plastic, vinyl, composite, or some other type of synthetic material.

When establishing design guidelines, commission members should be aware of the following popular new products and the claims made by their manufacturers:

Super Paints
Super paints are promoted by several companies to be thicker, more durable, and have better binding characteristics than regular paint. However, these products have questionable permeability; they seal water out, but they may also seal moisture in. If property owners seek advice about paint types, the commission might suggest they avoid using a newly formulated paint until more information is known about the products effects on historic buildings.
Vinyl Porches
Several manufacturers produce porch columns, railings, and balusters made out of vinyl. While many of these products have fairly appropriate dimensions and successfully mimic the scale of historic wood porch features, they still look like plastic. As with vinyl siding, the shiny smooth finish of these porches looks nothing like real wood. If a property owner wants to install a vinyl porch, the commission should suggest that the owner use it only for rear facades or side facades not readily visible from the street. Vinyl porch materials should not be used to rebuild or replace a porch on the main facade unless the appearance of these products is significantly improved.
Composite Deck Materials
Composite deck materials are becoming widely used, especially for porch floors. These materials are composed of a blend of recycled plastic and recycled wood, so many people consider them green building products. However, as in the case of other plastic-based products, porch floors or decks made of a composite material do not successfully replicate the appearance of wood. While the use of a composite material may be appropriate for a rear deck or porch, its use for porches on main facades should be avoided unless the appearance of composite materials is improved to be more compatible with wood.
Liquid Ceramic Coatings
Liquid ceramic coatings are promoted across the country as an alternative to paint, but their long-term effects and benefits are still being studied. The use of these products requires high-pressure washing to clean the exterior siding of a building, leading to concerns about damage to the original siding, trim, and decorative details of a historic building. Another concern is the product's permeability. Many of these products claim they are permeable for water vapor, but independent testing of these claims has not been done. Complaints about these products can be found on numerous websites. Until more is known concerning the permeability and longevity of the products, the commission might suggest that property owners avoid using these products for historic buildings.