When Mark and Krista McCaulley decided to do a complete remodel of the family’s three-season cottage on Seven Island Lake, it wasn’t just a renovation project. It was a way to honor Krista’s late parents and create a foundation for new memories on the lake. As a builder who planned to act as his own General Contractor, Mark wanted the highest performing materials he could find.
The 850 square foot cottage was built in the 1950s and received just minor updates in the 1960s. As a result, the exterior was a combination of half-logs and T1-11 plywood siding, both painted light blue. The McCaulleys wanted to preserve the cottage’s character while bringing it up to date with aesthetically beautiful exterior materials suited to Wisconsin’s lakeside weather.
Mark, who is a project manager for a large construction company, is the GC for this project and subcontracted local firms Stapel Construction and Meadow Creek Construction to completely gut the cottage and replace the siding, as well as the mechanical, electrical and plumbing. Krista researched products for the remodel, including siding and cladding options. She was considering natural cedar, but seeing how labor-intensive cedar shake is to install, she researched highly ranked alternatives. Then she discovered Beach House Shake®, the authentic composite shingle from Tando Composites.
“At first, I strongly resisted the idea of cedar shake, mostly because I associate it with how bad it looks when it’s old and worn out. In my experience, it also takes a lot of effort to install and maintain it,” said Mark. “But Krista encouraged me to look at the Beach House Shake as an architecturally accurate alternative, and I agreed to learn more about it.”
Mark was sold by the authentic appearance of the new Beach House Shake Rustic Collection, characterized by shingles of varying thicknesses and staggered edges. The couple chose Pacifica, with the look of fresh western red cedar that fits well in the cottage’s Midwest location.
Manufactured using advanced composite technology, Beach House Shake resists cupping, warping, and moisture absorption. It also features KAPGUARD® with Kynar®, a proprietary coating that ensures that Beach House Shake will not discolor.
“I used to sell products that were Kynar-based, so I know it will make sure our new cladding holds its look for a long time in this environment without the maintenance,” said Mark.
Simple, more intuitive installation
Mark and the contractor team did Zoom training with the local Tando rep, Steve Schulz, and appreciated not having to memorize the offset to hide shadow lines like they do with natural cedar.
Paul Stapelman of Stapel Construction, LLC added, “Installation was simple. Crews easily remember the standard 0” and 16” cuts. And its rigidity also makes it very easy to snap in place.”
For the corners, they chose to make rabbeted joints, creating the natural J-channel from 5/4”-thick natural rough sawn cedar routed to 5/8” x ¾” deep to enhance the natural look. McCaulley found an exterior stain for the cedar that matches the Pacifica, so the wood blends right in.
Mark estimates that the install time was two to three times less than installing natural cedar shakes, “Not to mention the savings from dipping and staining the cedar shakes,” he said. Additionally, with construction stopping several times because of tornadoes in the area, the McCaulleys appreciated that the product is designed to stand up to whatever severe weather comes its way.
Completely won over
While it took Krista some time to convince her husband to look at the Beach House Shake Rustic Collection, he’s thrilled he listened to her.
“I was so resistant at first, and I basically just said, ‘Okay, you win.’ Now I’m fired up about it,” laughed Mark. “We’ve had neighbors and someone from the electrical company see it up close and they believe it’s natural cedar. It’s a very durable product with a beautiful finish. Krista deserves all the credit for finding the perfect siding for the cottage.”
Having found it to be an attractive, durable, and easy-to-install solution, the couple plans to use Beach House Shake Rustic in Pacifica as they update other buildings on their property.
Learn more about Beach House Shake at www.beachhouseshake.com
