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Converting McClellan Air Force Base into the McClellan Park business park required re-siding the former base's warehouses with 600 squares of CraneBoard Double 7 siding.

For more than six decades, McClellan Air Force Base, located 5 mi. north of Sacramento, CA, was an integral component in the U.S. military's defense strategies. From its modest beginnings in 1935 as an air depot, to a site bustling with activity throughout World War II and the Cold War, McClellan played a vital role in protecting our country.

Due to a mid-1990s military base realignment and closure, McClellan Air Force Base was shut down...but not for long. As important as McClellan was to the defense of the United States, it was just as significant to the economy of the Sacramento area because it employed one of every 50 of the region's working individuals. To retain this important facet of the area's economy, plans were made to convert the former 3,800-acre Air Force base into one of the most dynamic business parks in the country-McClellan Park.

McClellan Park is a planned community of more than 16 million-sq.-ft. of industrial, research and development, office, aviation, and mixed-use facilities. Among the buildings are nearly 40 warehouses dating back to the Air Force base's infancy. After years of staging their own battles against the tests of time and weather, the warehouse exteriors were showing the wear and tear of aged industrial buildings.

McClellan Park LLC, the company charged with redeveloping the site, was forced to deal with the unappealing exterior appearance of the warehouses. Peeling paint, worn and cracked surfaces, and crumbling shingles, were just a few of the problems they encountered.

In search of a siding product to remedy the warehouse problems, McClellan Park representatives contacted Advantage Building Products, Rancho Cordova, CA. "The condition of the siding was extremely bad," said Mike Flanagan, Advantage president. "It got to the point where paint would barely adhere to the shingles, and the paint that did would crack and peel away quickly."

According to Flanagan, the representatives were seeking a product that was appealing to the eye, durable, and, most important, maintenance-free, due to the hundreds of buildings they are responsible for maintaining at the business park.

"Based on their needs, it was easy for me to recommend [Columbus, OH-based] Crane Performance Siding's CraneBoard solid-core siding as the best exterior siding product for the warehouses," Flanagan said. "Having carried CraneBoard for more than six years, I've had the opportunity to view the success of the product. It has a proven track record of standing up to natural elements, such as the sun, wind, and rain, as well as abuse initiated by other factors."

CraneBoard's superior performance can be attributed to several factors, including the product's ColorLife Fade Defense, an advanced color-protection formula using Florham Park, NJ-based BASF's Luran S technology. Containing special pigments that reflect the sun and ensure minimal weathering or color distortion, the product's colors remain fresh and true for the life of the siding. Its ability to endure the elements alleviates tasks such as scraping, painting, and staining.

Built with an insulated solid-core foam backing that strengthens panels, CraneBoard can handle manmade abuse as well. As a result of this construction, the product is 300% more impact resistant than typical vinyl siding-eliminating almost all possibility of unappealing dents. The foam backing also provides energy efficiency and noise reduction.

Through Dwayne Cody, Crane's Western regional sales manager, Flanagan and McClellan Park management agreed to have Panther Corp., Jefferson, OR, outfit a total of six warehouses with CraneBoard Double 7 solid-core siding.

Panther used more than 600 squares of siding to encapsulate the six structures. Double 7 features a configuration of two, 7-in. boards on top of one another to match the profile and look of cedar, including a deep wood-grain texture and full shadow lines. Due to the product's insulated foam backing, each board features a perfectly straight profile not found with typical vinyl siding.

The siding's construction also eases the installation process. The product's CraneSpan design allows manufacture of wider (than conventional) boards, which in turn increases the panel size. Compared with fiber cement, wood, and ordinary vinyl siding units, these panels cover more than twice the area.

"The wider boards and foam backing are very easy to install, especially on buildings with large, flat surface areas. CraneBoard goes up quickly and always provides a smooth, straight appearance," said Keeton Epps, owner of Panther Corp.

Upon completion of the six warehouses, CraneBoard received nothing but rave reviews from McClellan Park representatives.

source: CBP Magazine