GemThane siding feedback from pros and homeowners

7/14/2011 at 3:57:15 PM

I have used this product many times, and I personally have always used strapping for the best results.

7/14/2011 at 6:20:38 PM

Hi Mark,

How is the installation compare to other wood siding? And if you ever got the feedback from owners about their GemThane? This siding supposed to never be repainted again compare to classic CapeCode or Maibec siding.

Thanks for info if you got.

7/15/2011 at 7:29:52 AM

It is very similar to other Wood sidings, brush the cuts, spacing etc. Gemthane siding looks good and many people are happy with it but it still is fairly new and thus hard to gage its true outcome.

Another new siding that is getting very high marks is KWP nature tech, but again fairly new. I haven't used it yet but will probably very soon.

11/4/2011 at 2:12:46 PM

Hi: I had my home and garage sided with GemThane this past summer. The paint colour was inconsistent as was the wood planing. Although I was told that my problem with the paint was considered a priority, I sure didn't feel like it was, by the time the product was shipped back to Bracebridge and returned.

I've subsequently heard a story re: a similar problem with inconsistent paint colouring. I wrote to the president but reallly don't feel that he understood what went on and the imapact. My builder was the person who said the planing is off and I can see it in the finished product, the grooves are not consistent.

11/4/2011 at 2:36:17 PM

Thanks Marg for posting.

What profile you used and color? I guess it depends on board profile and color that you choose. I decided to go ahead with it so I am doing it right now in 8" V-Joint in Tuscany color. I am estimated short so I got still to cover 1/4 of house left. I ordered second batch, lets see if they come with inconsistent color. The first batch was fine but again Tuscany is yellow color so its hard to see any inconsistency but from visual inspection nothing I could find.

The only one thing I did not know that I could order long boards all of them. The dealer did not mention but when my builder asked to get long boards then I asked for this option to have all boards 16 ft.

The second batch coming in 2 weeks.

11/17/2011 at 4:46:26 PM

Hi Alex,

Hope this isn't too late to be of any use, but just came across this post. I used GemThane when I did my cottage a while back. Worked well, and didn't have any issues during the installation.

What I like the most is that it hasn't needed any real maintenance. I did have a rather large branch smash into it last year, so I touched-up the dent just to be safe. Other than that, it looks like new after three winters.

Considering their decking product now, which apparently has the same polymer coating on it.

Chris

12/11/2011 at 10:47:30 AM

Thanks Tom for info.

No, its not too late because I did it with Gemthane, check out my picture. I was considering Gemthane deck too but its a bit expensive for the deck in my opinion. I just look at it as the siding is very important part of house structure and has to be protected but deck is not really. Now its all done and looks very nice on sunny days expecially.

My builder loved my second batch when I ordered and specifed the lenght of planks to be 18ft, Gemthane made it in a week.

I emailed Sherry from Gemthane as well to check the status, she replied me next day, great support.

I think the post from Marg was regarding issue with paint inconsistency is due wood grain finish. I can see on my siding some planks smooth and some not and I think this gives impression paint is different but its not.

1/30/2012 at 3:16:36 PM

Hey Alex,

Project looks great. I am considering them as well but was curious what kind of price per square? Did you save much in the installation or did you end up strapping it after all?

1/30/2012 at 6:34:28 PM

Jared, the best way to find a price is call Sherry from Gemthane and ask who is the closest to your location retailer. Sherry will give you phones and names via whom they deliver the product. Then you call retailer and ask the price based on your sq ft requirements, they may give you on the phone or call back with price for ln ft and sq ft.

I did with strapping because my goal was not save the $ but worry free maintenance wood siding. I don't want paint every few years unless you want to change the color of the house.

9/10/2012 at 11:23:29 AM

I had gemthane siding installed on my boathouse, and in about 3 years, the siding stain has faded and is now actually chipping off the wood leaving it exposed.

The compay has not been receptive to replacing the wood and we are wondering if anyone has had the same experience so that we can pursue this issue further.

Please let me know.

D

11/8/2012 at 1:28:35 PM

I live in Bracebridge where the Gemthane product is coated.

In June 2008, when I purchased my product, the lumber was also milled and kiln dried in Bracebridge by a company called Muskoka Timbermills.

The first product I bought was 6" V-joint in a honey brown colur.

Following this I spoke to The Gemthane salesman, and the owner of Muskoka Timbermills regarding having a custom product made for me, (12" channel). This seemed like the perfect relationship since I would be having the same mill make my custom lumber. The salesman from Gemthane encouraged this idea, stating that I would be covered by the same warranty as the rest of their products.

Here I am 4 years later, and the Gemthane product is peeling off in a number of places on my custom product. It is most prevalent in area of direct sun. It seems to be "greying" under the coating. (None of the 6" V-joint is in direct sun)

I am being told that I am not covered under the warranty because I supplied "my own" lumber, so the warranty is only 2 years in this case. To make things more difficult, the salesman that sold me on this product, no longer works there.

9/23/2013 at 7:30:29 PM

Hi Danielle. I am also considering Gemthane Has there been anything further in regards to issue.

Regards, Glenn

2/13/2014 at 11:25:31 PM

Hello,

As being a former Gemthane coating app tech .. what I have seen and done, there is no status quo. One day we do it one way ....the next day we do it different.

The company is doomed. Just saying.

8/19/2014 at 1:57:00 PM

Interesting comment by Stephen. My wife and I drove to Bracebridge last week to "see" the product and speak with Gemthane reps about siding options for our retirement house. When we arrived we noticed the doors to that facility were shut; the lights were off and no one was home :-( A quick text to their head office this week generated in the following response:

"GemThane Siding & Wood Finishing Systems (Muskoka) Inc. has reviewed the future business opportunities for the company and concluded that we must pursue new investors into the business to profitably grow and meet the future needs of our customers. The decision has been made to temporarily shut down operations effective August 11, 2014 to allow us a period of time to investigate the options for new investment into the business.

As a result no new product orders will be accepted effective August 11, 2014

Gemthane Management"

"Temporarily shut down"...I'm not a business expert, but reading between the lines, I'd say that the company is in serious trouble. Shutting down a building product line in the height of the building season doers not bode well.

8/19/2014 at 2:03:35 PM

In consideration of my last post, can anyone recommend other pre-finished wood siding products? Preferably, semi transparent.

Thanks.

8/20/2014 at 7:29:50 AM

Too bad about GemThane. We have several projects done with their siding and were about to use their decking product for several customers.

We have their siding on our home and have had it for 4 years without complaint.

Sounds like production consistency stopped being a priority.

Back to the drawing board, my customers are not going to be happy but I'm glad it happened before we purchased what is sounding like a substandard product. Shame considering they were an industry leader at one point.

Good Earth Landscaping & Construction

9/20/2014 at 12:15:00 PM

Well, it was not cheap product so not many people would pay for siding that can really last. It turns out many customers will get cheaper ones and keep painting after few years. My guess initial investment was too much for many people and they did not believe siding can last.

So lucky that I was one of customers that got it. I am looking at my West side where sun is really problem for many houses on my street for wood siding. Guess what, since 2011 and now in 2014 its like new, so glad that I got it. This is paid off just for West side of my house where others already painted other wood siding products on their houses. The East side not so long on sun during the day that is why no problem to have any other wood siding.

9/20/2014 at 3:36:06 PM

Hello Alex,

In your post about you speculate that Gemthane may too expensive for the average homeowner and that the company's current issue may be due to the higher cost of the product in comparison to "other" pre-finished wood siding options. I can tell you from recent experience that all manufacturers that offer the Gemthane type product are within a few dollars of each other. Since abandoning Gemthane as a siding option, I've received quotes from Maibec (Quebec), Frazer (New Brunswick) and Cape Cod (Nova Scotia), all offering similar products with similar warranties. Do you know of any that may be more reasonable in cost? I'm not even considering Hardie (cement), fiberglass, vinyl or fibreboard products. If there are other Canadian manufactures of pre-finished wood siding material, I'd love to learn about them.

Peter