Contractors who understand Gentek's steel lineup eventually run into an important question:

"Where exactly does Cedarwood fit?"

It is not simply SteelSide in different colors.

It is not SteelTek Supreme with another name.

And it should not be introduced merely because the homeowner says they want steel.

Gentek positions Cedarwood® Steel Siding around something much more specific:

The appearance of natural cedar combined with the strength of steel.

Gentek uses its patented Color Fusion process to blend warm browns and natural hues in non-repeating patterns, creating variegated coloring intended to closely resemble genuine cedar.

That makes Cedarwood a specialized design product—and contractors should sell it that way.

What Makes Cedarwood Different?

Start with the appearance.

Gentek describes Cedarwood as an ultra-premium steel siding product designed to reproduce the organic beauty and color variation associated with natural cedar.

The key technology is Gentek's Color Fusion coating process.

Unlike a traditional solid-color siding panel, Color Fusion blends multiple warm and natural tones into non-repeating patterns.

Current Cedarwood product details can be reviewed directly through Gentek's Cedarwood Steel Siding page.

Customer #1: “I Love Cedar, but I Don't Want Actual Wood.”

Listen for statements like:

• "I love stained cedar."
• "I want something that looks natural."
• "I don't want a flat, single-color exterior."
• "I'd love wood, but I don't want to maintain wood siding."
• "I want the house to feel warmer."

That homeowner should see Cedarwood.

"You just said something that makes me want to show you a very different steel product. Cedarwood is designed specifically to create the variation and warmth of natural cedar rather than a traditional solid-color siding appearance."

Now Cedarwood has entered the appointment because it solves a design request.

Customer #2: “I Don't Want My New Siding to Look Like Everyone Else's.”

Cedarwood can also fit the homeowner who wants individuality.

Many siding systems intentionally strive for a consistent solid-color appearance.

Cedarwood's entire design idea is different.

Color Fusion produces non-repeating patterns designed to create the natural color variation found in cedar.

"If you want the exterior to have more natural variation instead of every panel appearing to be exactly the same solid color, Cedarwood is worth seeing."

That can be a much stronger sales position than simply calling it another premium steel siding.

The Five Cedarwood Colors Are the Product Story

Gentek currently lists five Cedarwood colors:

The boxes above are organizational only and are not intended to reproduce Gentek's actual colors.

With Cedarwood, five colors should not be viewed as a weakness compared with another product offering nine or twelve colors.

These are specialized wood-inspired finishes.

"Cedarwood isn't trying to give you twenty solid siding colors. These five finishes are specifically designed to create different natural cedar-inspired looks."

Sell the intent of the collection rather than the number of choices.

Customer #3: “Can I See the Actual Product?”

With Cedarwood, physical samples are mandatory.

A small digital color square cannot communicate the non-repeating Color Fusion effect.

Gentek itself recommends making final color decisions with actual physical product samples because screens can alter appearance.

Your sales kit should include larger Cedarwood samples whenever practical.

"Don't choose Cedarwood from my tablet. I want you to see the actual material because the color variation is part of what you're buying."

This is especially important for a product whose strongest feature is visual variation.

Take the Sample Outside

Cedar-inspired finishes need natural light.

Hold samples against:

Then step back.

"Let's look at this from the distance you will normally see your house. We're choosing an exterior composition, not inspecting a two-inch color chip."

Customer #4: The Rustic, Craftsman or Lodge-Inspired Exterior

Cedarwood deserves consideration when the architecture calls for warmth and natural coloration.

Potential design conversations include:

• Craftsman-inspired homes
• Lodge or cabin-inspired exteriors
• Homes with natural stone
• Exteriors with warm brick tones
• Homes with timber or wood-look architectural details
• Homes where a stained-wood aesthetic is part of the design goal

Do not turn those into rigid rules.

Cedarwood can work on many architectural styles when the color and proportions are appropriate.

The question is whether the natural, variegated appearance strengthens the architecture.

Customer #5: The Home With Stone

This can be an especially interesting Cedarwood application.

Stone often contains several natural tones rather than one perfectly uniform color.

Cedarwood's variegated Color Fusion finish can give a contractor an opportunity to pull several of those natural tones together.

"Instead of trying to match one exact color in your stone, let's see whether Cedarwood's variation helps connect several of the natural tones."

That is a design conversation worth testing with real samples before committing to the material.

Cedarwood Has Two Current Profiles

Gentek currently offers Cedarwood in:

Current profile information is available through Gentek's Cedarwood product page.

That means Cedarwood is not the product to introduce when the homeowner specifically requires:

• D5 steel siding
• Steel Board & Batten
• A large range of solid colors

Those requirements should move the contractor toward another Gentek steel family.

Cedarwood's 1/2" Butt Adds to the Appearance

Gentek highlights Cedarwood's 1/2" butt height as part of the product's dimensional appearance and shadow-line story.

Turn the actual panel sideways.

"The color variation is only part of the appearance. Look at the half-inch profile depth. Across the wall, that helps create stronger shadow lines so the siding has real dimension."

Cedarwood should be sold as a combination of color, texture, profile and shadow—not color alone.

Underneath the Cedar Look Is Galvalume Steel

Once the homeowner likes the appearance, explain what is underneath it.

Gentek identifies Cedarwood as using a Galvalume AZ-50 steel core.

Gentek also emphasizes the rigid steel panels' dimensional stability and resistance to the wavy appearance associated with expansion and contraction.

A simple homeowner explanation is:

"The reason we're talking about Cedarwood instead of natural wood is that underneath this cedar-inspired appearance is a rigid Galvalume steel siding panel."

Appearance creates the desire. Steel helps deepen the value.

Do Not Sell Cedarwood Only as “Tough Steel”

If the salesperson spends five minutes discussing hail, steel strength and dimensional stability before explaining Color Fusion, they have buried the product's most distinctive feature.

Lead with what makes the product unique.

Cedarwood vs. SteelSide: Which Customer Fits Each?

Contractors can review SteelSide through Suburban Wholesale & Supply when building this comparison.

Cedarwood vs. SteelTek Supreme: Which Customer Fits Each?

Contractors can compare SteelTek Supreme through Suburban Wholesale & Supply's SteelTek Supreme resource.

"If the cedar appearance is what you love, Cedarwood deserves the conversation. If your priority is Kynar PVDF, Board & Batten or a broader range of solid colors and profiles, SteelTek Supreme may fit better."

Different premium customers can require different premium products.

When Cedarwood Is Probably NOT the Right Recommendation

Contractors build credibility by knowing when not to recommend a product.

Do Not Confuse Color Variation With Inconsistency

This conversation matters with Cedarwood.

The non-repeating appearance is intentional.

Explain that before the material is ordered.

"This product is designed to vary. We do not want every panel to look identical because the goal is to reproduce the organic color movement of natural cedar."

A homeowner who expects perfectly uniform coloring may not be a Cedarwood customer.

Use the Gentek Visualizer—but Finish With Physical Samples

Gentek includes Cedarwood in its visualization tools.

The Gentek Visualizer can help a homeowner understand the overall design direction and compare siding with roofing, windows, doors and trim.

But the visualizer should narrow the choices—not make the final Cedarwood color decision.

Cedarwood Warranty: Know the Current Written Terms

Contractors should be especially disciplined here because Cedarwood's current written warranty is not identical to every other Gentek steel product.

The current Cedarwood warranty document available from Gentek provides:

Review the current Cedarwood Steel Siding warranty rather than borrowing warranty language from SteelTek Supreme, SteelTek or SteelSide.

The Cedarwood warranty also states that hail claims require the homeowner to first pursue homeowners insurance and that authorized hail coverage applies to replacement materials only, subject to the written warranty terms and required payment.

Never assume all Gentek steel siding warranties are identical simply because the products share a manufacturer.

A Simple Cedarwood Customer-Fit Scorecard

The 30-Second Cedarwood Introduction

What Should a Salesperson Never Say?

Do Not Put Cedarwood in Every Good-Better-Best Presentation

Cedarwood is too specialized to become a generic "best" column.

A homeowner who wants a clean Dover Gray steel exterior may gain nothing from seeing Tawny Oak Cedarwood.

But a homeowner who says:

"I wish we could get the appearance of stained cedar without using wood."

should absolutely see it.

Relevance is more powerful than showing every product in your truck.

A Better Gentek Steel Product Map

This is a more useful sales framework than trying to rank every Gentek steel product from cheapest to best.

Compare Cedarwood Steel With Suburban Wholesale & Supply

Cedarwood is a product contractors should see in person.

Suburban Wholesale & Supply carries Gentek steel siding solutions and helps professional contractors compare SteelTek Supreme, SteelTek, SteelSide, Cedarwood and Universal steel siding for specific project requirements.

Contractors throughout Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline, Rock Island, East Moline, the Quad Cities, Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois can work with the Suburban Wholesale team to compare product samples, colors, profiles, accessories, warranty information, current availability and material packages.

Visit Suburban Wholesale & Supply in Davenport with your project photographs, measurements or homeowner design goals and let our team help determine whether Cedarwood belongs in the presentation.

Cedarwood should not be shown to every steel customer. But when a homeowner says, "I love the look of cedar," a contractor who understands Cedarwood has a completely different conversation available.

Sources & Contractor Resources