More Reasons to Install Vinyl Siding for Your Home – Part 1: A Reintroduction to Vinyl Siding

Some homeowners treat siding as an optional addition to their home, not realizing the kind of work their walls do to protect them from heat, cold, water and everything in between. But given the job that home walls have, why not provide them with all the help they can get so they can better protect your property? This is where vinyl siding comes in.

Why Vinyl Siding?

A popular siding material, vinyl is primarily made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a synthetic resin. Durable yet affordable, vinyl siding is easy to install and maintain compared to other materials like metal, stone and wood. As the material can accommodate various colors and finishes, it allows homeowners to pick out whatever will complement their home and their preferences. Want the appearance of stone or wood? Vinyl can also be made to look like other siding materials, letting you enjoy the beauty of stone or wood without the disadvantages.

A Brief History
 
As an engineered product, vinyl siding was introduced to the American home improvement market in the 1950s. Initially, it was created using mono-extrusion, a process where all OVC elements are formed into a single-layer product. Manufacturers now use co-extrusion, a process where the end product has two layers.
 
A Closer Look
 
Vinyl siding’s outer layer is embedded with pigment to give the siding material its color. Ultraviolet protection is also added. The inner layer, on the other hand, is composed of substrate for insulation value. Vinyl is nowhere near as heavy as stone or wood, but it still has a distinct weight, 80% of which is attributed to its PVC component. The rest of the material’s weight comes from added elements that give vinyl siding its durability and
appearance.
 
There has to be a reason why vinyl siding is a popular choice, right? In Part Two, we discuss the advantages of vinyl to give you an idea why a lot of homeowners choose it.