Gentek steel siding systems and when to sell them.
52 articles
Contractors who offer only one siding category can force every homeowner into the same solution. Learn how offering steel and aluminum alongside vinyl can help your company create more credible recommendations, improve good-better-best presentations, serve more homeowners and differentiate your sales process.
Read More →Combining horizontal steel siding with steel Board & Batten can create a stronger, more intentional exterior when the profile changes follow the architecture of the home. Gentek currently offers horizontal steel profiles across SteelTek, SteelSide and SteelTek Supreme, while Universal and SteelTek Supreme provide 12" vertical Board & Batten options. This Contractor Academy lesson shows contractors how to build a clean two-profile design without making the house look busy or over-designed.
Read More →Steel siding can become extremely cold during an Iowa or Illinois winter, but that does not mean a steel-sided house automatically becomes colder inside. Interior comfort depends on the complete wall assembly—including insulation, air sealing, thermal bridging, windows and installation quality. This Contractor Academy lesson teaches contractors how to explain steel siding and cold-weather performance accurately without making unsupported energy-efficiency claims.
Read More →Steel siding can become warm in direct summer sunlight, especially in darker colors, but that does not mean a steel-sided house automatically becomes hotter inside. Interior comfort depends much more on the complete wall assembly, including insulation, air sealing, windows, attic insulation and HVAC performance. This Contractor Academy lesson shows how to answer one of the most common homeowner objections to steel siding accurately and confidently.
Read More →The right Gentek steel siding profile should complement the architecture of the home, not just reflect what a contractor happens to have in the sample bag. D4, D5, 8" horizontal siding, Dutch Lap and 12" Board & Batten all change the scale, shadow lines and visual direction of an exterior. This Contractor Academy lesson shows how to match Gentek SteelTek, SteelSide, Universal, Cedarwood and SteelTek Supreme profiles to the house in front of you.
Read More →Gentek Universal Steel Siding fills a specific niche in a contractor’s steel lineup. Its current product directory centers on a Double 5" Dutch Lap profile and a 12" vertical Board & Batten profile, both using PVC-finished Galvalume AZ-50 steel. This Contractor Academy lesson explains where Universal fits alongside SteelSide, SteelTek, SteelTek Supreme and Cedarwood—and why profile choice may be the strongest reason to recommend it.
Read More →Gentek Cedarwood Steel is not simply another steel siding option. Its patented Color Fusion finish creates non-repeating, variegated cedar-inspired coloring across five distinctive wood-tone colors, giving contractors a specialized option for homeowners who want the visual character of stained cedar with a Galvalume AZ-50 steel core. This Contractor Academy lesson explains which customers fit Cedarwood, when SteelTek Supreme or SteelSide may make more sense, and how to sell Cedarwood based on appearance rather than treating it as generic steel siding.
Read More →Gentek SteelTek and SteelSide are both Galvalume AZ-50 steel siding systems with PVC finishes, strong dimensional stability and similar warranty positioning—but their current profile lineups are not identical. This Contractor Academy lesson shows contractors how to choose between SteelTek and SteelSide based on profile needs, architecture, color, project design and local availability instead of treating the two products as interchangeable.
Read More →Gentek SteelTek Supreme and SteelTek are both legitimate steel siding systems, but they should not be presented as interchangeable products. SteelTek uses a heat-fused PVC finish and a simpler two-profile lineup, while SteelTek Supreme upgrades the finish to Kynar PVDF and expands the design offering to four profiles and a broader color palette. This Contractor Academy lesson shows contractors how to decide which product belongs on a particular project—and how to explain the difference without automatically assuming the more expensive product is always the right answer.
Read More →SteelTek Supreme should not appear at the end of a siding presentation as simply “the expensive steel option.” Contractors can position it as a legitimate premium upgrade by first establishing a strong base siding solution, demonstrating exactly what changes with SteelTek Supreme, designing the homeowner’s preferred exterior, and then isolating the additional investment.
Read More →SteelTek Supreme gives contractors four distinctly different profile choices: D4 Clapboard, D5 Clapboard, 8" Single and 12" Board & Batten. This Contractor Academy lesson shows how to present each profile based on architecture, proportion, shadow lines and design—not just read dimensions from a brochure.
Read More →Steel siding is a strong premium option, but it is not the right recommendation for every homeowner or every project. This Contractor Academy lesson explains when a contractor should step away from steel, recommend another siding system, or slow the sale down before creating a mismatch between product, property and customer expectations.
Read More →We keep limited quantities of Gentek steel on hand and special-order the rest. Call to check stock before you promise a homeowner a start date.