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History
Vinyl siding was introduced to the exterior
market in the late 1950s as a replacement
for aluminum siding. It was first produced
by an independently owned manufacturing
plant called Crane Plastics in Columbus,
Ohio. The process was originally done
through mono-extrusion, a process of
forming the profile from a single material
into the desired shape and size.[3] At that
time, blending of colors was done
manually.
This original process made it difficult to
produce and install a consistent, quality
product. Beginning in the 1970s, the
industry changed its formulation to
improve the product's production speed,
impact resistance, and range of colors. In
the following decade, vinyl siding grew
steadily in popularity in large part due to
its durability, versatility, and ease of
maintenance.[2]
Modern manufacture
Today, vinyl siding is manufactured by co-
extrusion. Two layers of PVC are laid down
in a continuous extrusion process; the top
layer is weatherable and durable material,
which comprises up to 25% of the siding
thickness. This capstock can include
about 10% titanium dioxide, depending on
the color, which is a pigment and provides
resistance to breakdown from UV light.
Vinyl siding that is exposed to the sun will
begin to fade over time. However, the fade
rate is slower with vinyl than most other
claddings. Most manufacturers offer 50
year warranties that their products will not
fade much over that period of time. In the
past darker colors tended to fade more
than lighter ones, but advancements in
technology and materials can mean this is
no longer the case.
The lower layer, known as substrate, is
typically about 15% ground limestone
(which is largely calcium carbonate). The
limestone reduces cost, and also balances
the titanium dioxide, keeping both
extrusion streams equally fluid during
manufacturing. A small quantity of tin
mercaptan or butadiene is added as a
stabilizer to chemically tie up any
hydrochloric acid that is released into the
PVC material as the siding ages.
Lubricants are also added to aid in the
manufacturing process.[4]
Environmental aspects
Vinyl siding features a chlorine base,
making it inherently slow to ignite and
flame retardant. All organic materials (that
is, anything containing carbon) will ignite,
but the higher the temperature a material
has to reach before it flames, the safer it
is. PVC won’t ignite, even from another
flame, until it reaches about 730°F (387°C)
and won’t self-ignite until about 850°F
(454°C). Those ignition temperatures are
significantly higher than common framing
lumber, which ignites from a flame at
500°F (260°C) and self-ignites at 770°F
(410°C). Also, ASTM D2863 tests show
that rigid PVC’s high Limiting Oxygen Index
means that it needs unusually high
amounts of oxygen to burn and stay
burning. Rigid PVC (vinyl siding) will not
independently sustain combustion in air
with a normal concentration of oxygen
(about 21 percent) — so it extinguishes
more easily.[7]
Concerns by Organizations
Health Concerns
The PVC used in vinyl siding used to be
produced in open vats until 1971, when
angiosarcoma, a rare cancer of the liver,
was traced to vinyl chloride exposure
among PVC workers, and strict workplace
exposure limits were established by the
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration. These changes required all
vats to be tightly sealed, which led to
greater capital costs and a concentration
in the number of producers.[4]
References
1. "CertainTeed Master Craftsman
Education & Development Program" .
CertainTeed. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
2. "About Vinyl Siding - VSI - The Vinyl
Siding Institute" . Vinylsiding.org. Retrieved
2012-10-12.
3. "Benefits of Co-Extrusion Over Mono-
Extrusion" . http://everlastseawalls.com/ .
18 Dec 2012. Retrieved 2014-10-12.
External link in |publisher= (help)
4. Should We Phase Out PVC?
5. Feirer, Mark. "For the Love of Vinyl
Siding" . Home>How to>Siding.
thisoldhouse.com. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
6. "Helious Technology" . Retrieved
28 August 2017.
7. Vinyl Siding Institute "Siding with Safety"
[1]
8. Lab Experiments Simulate House-to-
House Fire Spread
9. Need2Know: All About Vinyl Siding
10. NAHB Model Green Home Building
Guidelines (2 ed.). National Association of
Home Builders. 2007. Retrieved
3 September 2015.
11. Environmental Building News (2 ed.).
Environmental Building News. January
1998. p. 3.
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