Wilmington Cape Fear Homebuilders Association

Homeowners love to decorate their houses - inside and out. But hanging pictures on the wall in your living room is a lot easier than hanging a planter on your siding.

"Putting a nail or a screw into your siding can cause water seepage or buckling, and it will void your warranty protection," says Derek Diss, owner of Creative Vinyl Products. Diss owned a construction company for 16 years and he found that his customers were always asking him how they could hang flower pots and other decorative items on their siding. "I really didn't have a good answer for them," he says. So he invented one.

Diss manufactures and sells the siding hook, a simple stainless steel hook that holds up to 12 pounds and attaches to vinyl siding simply by wiggling it in between the slats until it clicks into place - no tools or sharp objects necessary. Because the hook is stainless steel, it won't rust or stain the siding.

Use the hook for flower pots, wreaths, holiday decorations and more. When you no longer need it, simply lift it out from between the slats.

The hooks have been so popular that Diss has branched out into other products that attach to vinyl siding, such as planters that attach directly to the exterior of your home using siding hooks. He soon plans to introduce an "S" hook version of his siding hook that can be used to attach items that need to hang flush against a wall, such as thermometers, and house numbers.

To see a video of how the hook works, visit www.sidinghook.com.

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