By REBECCA SLOAN

By REBECCA SLOAN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
WHEN JEFF AND KELLY WELLS OF KINS-man wanted to change the color of their historical home, they faced a dilemma.
If they covered their home's wooden clapboards with vinyl siding, the 182-year-old residence would no longer qualify for inclusion on the Trumbull County Registry of Historical Homes.
"Our house is on the list, and we wanted to keep it on the list, so vinyl siding was out," Jeff said.
On the other hand, the idea of painting the house didn't appeal to the Wellses either.
While they wanted to keep the property as historically accurate as possible, they didn't relish the idea of repeated paint jobs.
"If you paint a house, then you're going to have to paint it again and again," Jeff said. "We didn't want to have to do that."
While the couple was debating about what to do, Kelly's father heard an ad on the radio for a product called liquid vinyl siding.
"The ad said the liquid vinyl was sprayed on just like paint and looked just like paint after it had been applied," Jeff said. "After we found out that liquid vinyl is approved by the historical registry, and that the cost isn't more than regular vinyl siding, we decided to try it."
Happy with choice
The Wellses are thoroughly pleased with their decision.
The cheery golden hue they chose for their home is in keeping with what was in style during its year of completion -- 1823 -- and even upon close scrutiny, the liquid vinyl looks just like a coat of paint.
"We love it," Kelly said. "Besides looking good, it has better insulated the home against drafts and pests."
Liquid Vinyl Coating of Pa., a company based in Allison Park, Pa. (near Pittsburgh) applied the liquid vinyl siding to the couple's home.
Company owner Jack Behan said homeowners of older homes aren't the only ones choosing liquid vinyl.
"Since liquid vinyl can be applied to any paintable surface -- wood, stucco, block, aluminum or cedar -- it is an option for many different types of homes. People with cedar-sided homes especially like this product since cedar requires repeated maintenance," Behan said, adding, "Liquid vinyl waterproofs and weatherproofs but doesn't have the cheap, artificial look of traditional vinyl siding, so it maintains the integrity of the home."
Even better, liquid vinyl siding comes in 1,800 colors, is virtually maintenance-free, will never blister, crack, flake or peel and has a 50-year warranty.
"The only maintenance that's required is to wash the siding occasionally with a hose or pressure washer. If you get tired of the color you've chosen, you can either paint over the liquid vinyl or have a new coat of liquid vinyl applied," Behan said.
Costs
Behan said liquid vinyl costs about 25 percent less than traditional vinyl siding and about two to three times more than a paint job.
"But although having your home painted is cheaper, painting is something you will have to do again and again. Liquid vinyl is final," Behan emphasized.
Before the liquid vinyl application process, the home's exterior is thoroughly cleaned and all cracks and crevices are caulked and sealed.
Then, when the surface is clean and dry, the liquid vinyl is sprayed on just like paint.
"It took them about four or five weeks to both prep our home and apply the liquid vinyl," Kelly said.
Behan said liquid vinyl, which is a vi-mastic resin, can be applied when temperatures are between 45 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit and conditions are dry.
"Fall is a perfect time for applying liquid vinyl," Behan said.
Liquid Vinyl Coatings of Pennsylvania plans to open an office in the Youngstown area in the future, but for now, their Pittsburgh-area company services the Mahoning and Shenango valleys.
"We are the only company in the area that does this kind of work and we will travel," Behan said.
Catching on
Although liquid vinyl siding is not new (it's been around for about 30 years), it has only recently caught on in Northern climates.
Behan said the product was first popular in the South but had to be further developed to withstand the brutally cold winters of the North.
The Wellses said their new liquid vinyl siding has generated a lot of inquiries.
"We've had a lot of people stopping in and asking us about liquid vinyl," Jeff said. "They saw the sign in our yard and wanted to know more about the product."
The Wellses bought Kinsman's historical Joshua Yeomans house, near the intersection of state Routes 5 and 7, about three years ago.
Willis Smith, a prominent architect responsible for the construction of several other fine historical homes in Kinsman, completed the home in 1823.
Although the house was originally built for the members of the Kinsman family, Joshua Yeomans acquired the property in 1838.
The home has changed hands many times since then and has a fascinating history. For instance, it originally sat on state Route 7 where Nelson's Diagnostic Car Care now sits and was moved to its present location at 8179 State Route 5 in 1957.
The Wellses said they are delighted to own a historical home and plan to keep it as historically accurate as possible.
"The liquid vinyl allowed us to that. This is a product that has been used on old buildings in historical towns such as Gettysburg and Williamsburg," Jeff said.
XFor more information about Liquid Vinyl Coatings of Pa., call (800) 444-1147 or visit www.neverpaintagainofpa.com.