With the rise in extreme weather events, having exterior cladding that can stand up to the elements has never been more important. This fact was driven home for residents of Westby, Wisconsin, this spring following a cyclonic hailstorm in which wind-driven hailstones, ranging from golf ball to baseball size, slammed sideways into their homes. Lasting up to 20 minutes, the damage was so severe that Vernon County was approved for FEMA Individual Assistance. A local news article wrote, “Glass shards, bits of siding and trim, and just about anything that the wind could blow now litters the streets and lawns.”
Amidst all the storm damage, one home told a different story. The Dutch lap vinyl siding Mary and Don Connelly had contractors install two years ago was riddled with holes on several sides of their home. However, sitting below the damaged vinyl siding was TandoStone, the #1 brand of composite stone. Installed to achieve a mixed material exterior the TandoStone Stacked Stone in Glacier Bay had weathered the storm unharmed.
“As we were looking at the siding damage, we realized the TandoStone we had installed at the same time looked as good as new,” said Mary Connelly. “It’s a really strong material.”
TandoStone and Beach House Shake®, the authentic composite shingle, are exterior cladding products from Tando Composites. Unlike traditional siding materials, both are engineered with state-of-the-art composite technology that combines exceptional durability with the authentic beauty of natural stone or cedar shingles. Each product is also backed by a Class 4 Hail Rating, which protects against some of nature’s toughest storms. Class 4 is the highest impact-resistance rating a roofing material can receive. Although TandoStone and Beach House Shake are designed for siding and not roofing, they undergo the same testing as roofing materials to earn this rating. To pass the test, the products must withstand a two-inch steel ball being dropped from a height of 20 feet without cracking.
“Our Composite technology stands up to hail with unsurpassed durability,” explained Ralph Bruno, CEO of Derby Building Products, parent company of Tando Composites. “Thanks to our Class 4 hail Rating, our composite stone, unlike painted concrete panels, stands strong. Our dealers and installers know our composites are virtually unbreakable and never break in transit or on the job site. It is gratifying to see the product hold up just as tested and advertised. TandoStone is engineered and tested for long-lasting performance even in areas with harsh weather.”
Connelly said her 95-year-old mother has lived in Westby her whole life and has never seen a storm like the one that ravaged the town in April. While it’s a prairie town, Connelly can only recall one tornado ever touching down – in the 1980s, and it only damaged one house.
“We’ve been having more thunderstorms, damaging winds, and more flooding, and everyone is afraid of hail now,” she said.
As extreme and unprecedented weather events continue to occur in regions not accustomed to them, durable cladding offers an attractive, long-lasting solution for protecting homeowner and business owner investments.
To learn more about all Tando Composites products, visit www.tandocomposites.com.
