PVC siding is the outer covering of the house for weatherproofing and decoration, also as a substitute for siding with other materials aluminum, wood or fiber cement. It is made out of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This kind of siding is also known as Vinyl siding.
The various ingredients of vinyl sliding add opaqueness, color, gloss, flexibility, impact-resistance, durability which in turn culminate to give the house a stunning look and outer quality.
History
PVC siding came into the cladding industry in 1950s when it was first produced by a private company in Ohio using mono-extrusion and various manual techniques to blend colors. Since then the product has evolved in a humongous manner with great advancements in techniques that has not only fastened its production but also bettered its range of colors and impact resistance. Last decade saw PVC siding grow in popularity in the USA to become the most commonly used siding product.
Modern manufacture
Vinyl siding in today’s world is produced through co-extrusion. Couple of layers of PVC are put together through this process. The top layer, mainly used for shelter purpose, is about a third of the thickness of the siding. The capstock includes titanium dioxide to shield the house from UV rays. The rate of fading of vinyl is less than that of normal paint and it also depends upon the shade of color being used. The lower layer is known as the substrate and has ground limestone in it to reduce the cost and maintain fluidity in the process of extrusion. Other ingredients such as butadiene and lubricants are added in order to delay the weathering of the siding.
PVC siding has a wide variety of product quality varying due to the thickness and durability aspects. The pricing of the product is directly related to thickness and durability.
Environmental issues
PVC siding has its merits and demerits when it comes to the environmental aspect. It is less energy intensive when compared to aluminum nut at the same time they cannot be recycled. Only new vinyl can be recycled to a certain extent but the old ones cannot be and no company till date uses post-industrial products in manufacturing this siding.
Looking at the growing popularity and development of PVC siding, it surely is worth considering in today’s world where a person builds his dream house only once and tries to get in all the comfort he can for his clans.