What is Vinyl Siding?
By ProMatcher Staff
I'm considering replacing the siding on my home. What do I need to know about vinyl siding?
Vinyl siding is the most popular type of home exterior covering in the United States and Canada. Here are a few of its characteristics:
1. It is made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
2. It is very affordable, when compared with other types of siding, and it requires very little maintenance.
3. It holds its color because vinyl siding is colored all the way through and does not need to be repainted like a wood or fiber-cement siding.
4. It comes in a wide assortment of colors, textures, and shapes. Many styles of vinyl siding are designed to replicate the look of a wood-grain. Some are even fabricated to look like wood shingles and shakes.
5. It can either, a) be installed with a rigid insulation behind it, or b) come with a layer of insulation built-in to the siding itself.
The Installation Process:
One of the reasons vinyl siding is so popular is that it is easy to install. This characteristic reduces labor costs and thus reduces the overall cost to the homeowner. Here are a summary of installation benefits:
1. It is lightweight.
2. It is easy to cut (you just need knives and special scissors).
3. Vinyl siding comes with a built-in fastening or locking system. Before the siding is installed, channels and strips of trims are put in place around windows, corners, and doors. In order for the siding to expand and contract when the temperature outside fluctuates, the pieces of siding are “loose” fastened to the exterior of the home. This little bit of “wiggle room” will prevent the siding from buckling or warping. A number of brands have temperature strips on the wood that allow the installer to know exactly where to fasten the siding based on the temperature at installation time.
Shapes, Designs & Styles:
One of the benefits of vinyl siding is it can be manufactured to emulated just about any natural or synthetic product.
1. Horizontal (to emulate traditional clapboard wood siding)
2. Wood shake (to emulate cedar styles such as straight edge, rough cut, staggered cut, half rounds, rough split, etc.)
3. Rounded (to emulate a log cabin)
4. Vertical (to emulate board and batten or even a standing seam look)
About the Author
|
| ProMatcher Staff, ProMatcher
Orlando, FL 32803
If you would like to re-print this article, please contact the author.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed in articles published on this website are those of the authors alone. They do not represent the views or opinions of this website or its staff. The articles on this site do not constitute a recommendation or endorsement with respect to any views, company, or product. Authors affirm that article submissions are their original content or that they have permission to reproduce.
|
|