April, 2007

Fypon PVC Column Wraps

These two-piece column wraps offer easy installation and virtually maintenance-free service.

By Staff Report

Adding a final decorative note to a porch, entry, or interior room just got a little easier—and a lot faster.

Fypon PVC Column Wraps let installers quickly add the beauty of a traditional column around existing structural support beams, either outside or inside a home. The product, which comes in two styles, tapered and non-tapered, is available in a complete kit that includes cap and base, squaring blocks, adhesive caulk, and instructions.

Greg Wolf, marketing director for Fypon, says the low-maintenance columns have been enthusiastically received in the marketplace since their introduction in July 2006. “We’ve already expanded production to keep up with demand,” he says.

Fypon conducted research with a variety of major builders when designing the column wraps, and noted their desire for an easy-to-install, virtually maintenance free product. Unlike conventional cedar or pine wraps, the PVC columns will not deteriorate because of any trapped moisture or improper ventilation.

Both versions of the column wraps are constructed with a unique two-piece design, which makes proper installation practically foolproof, and a limited lifetime warranty guarantees trouble-free years of service. The company says that its semi-assembled product can be installed in about 15 minutes, and the included special installation blocks ensure perfect alignment every time.

Made of durable PVC, the column wraps won’t rot, chip, flake, or peel, and, because they can be easily installed at the end of a building project, the finished columns won’t suffer any incidental damage at the job site.

Both the non-tapered and tapered wraps are constructed of .625 in.-thick material. (An economy plain column wrap is available in a .375 in.-thick style.) The non-tapered column kit comes with a traditional box cap and base, and it ships within five days after an order is placed. (Special fluted, recessed panel, and raised panel sizes are available via special order and ship with four weeks.)

The tapered column wraps are available for special order, ship within four weeks, and include a Craftsman cap and base. A wide variety of custom caps and bases are also available, offering many different looks for the columns.

The product cuts easily with conventional tools, and finish nailers and staplers can be used to fasten the column wrap. Coarse thread, galvanized, or stainless steel drywall screws are also suitable as fasteners. The wraps can be painted, but Fypon recommends painting cellular PVC using light colors with a Light Reflective Value of 55% or higher. (Paint with a LRV value of less than 55% voids the warranty, and dark colors will have an impact on the expansion and contraction of the material.)

Wolf says a standard column kit starts at around $90, with multiple add-on options available. Matching maintenance-free trimboard which matches the columns is also available.