Category Archives: Vinyl Siding

Exterior Wall Systems

A commonly asked question once a project is completed is what alterations can be made to the siding and trim and how these alterations can affect the product warranties and long term performance.

The first thing that one needs to understand is that the new siding is just one part of a complete wall system. The wall system is installed to perform many functions to ensure the long term performance and durability of the structure on which it is installed. These functions include but are not limited to, weatherization, durability, strength and beauty.

The primary function of the exterior wall system is to keep the outside elements, rain, heat, wind and cold out. In order to accomplish this function, there are many aspects of the exterior wall system working together. The main parts are framing, insulation, sheeting, flashing, building paper, windows, doors, exterior siding, trim, caulking (sealants) and a coating (painting). These items work together to ensure that the system as a whole perform as designed.  If any one of these parts are not installed and maintained correctly or are improperly altered after the system is completed, the entire system will not perform as designed.  Two alterations that are commonly performed on an existing wall are adding additional attachments and penetrations.

Penetrations are the weakest link to the wall system but all of them cannot be avoided, therefore when designing as wall system, considerable preparation and attention is given to how penetrations are to be treated. These include the proper use of flashing, building paper and sealants that are installed as the wall system is built. These items are installed in a certain order as the wall is constructed that commonly cannot be replicated once the wall is completed.  Therefore, any penetration made to a wall system after the wall is completed, will weaken the entire system and normally void any existing warranties.

Attachments to the siding should be discouraged and will result in voiding the exterior siding warranty because first, they normally result in a penetration of the wall system and secondly, add unintended weight to the existing siding. When engineering a wall system, the weight of the exterior siding material is carefully figured into the calculations when considering the framing of the wall and the type, quantity, and pattern of fasteners that are to be used in the wall system. Unless the engineers know exactly what the attachment to the wall will be, there is no way he or she can accurately calculate for the effect of the attachment. Therefore even though the attachment may not penetrate the wall system, its effect to the wall system is an unknown and therefore will void the siding warranty.

The following is a common disclaimer to an exterior siding warranty.

  “This warranty does not cover any other damages, including but not limited to, normal weathering, oxidation, acts of god, fire, flood, wind, windblown objects, chemical pollutants, structural defects, negligent maintenance, abuse, physical alterations or harmful cleaning compounds are applied to the exterior siding by any persons not specifically authorized by ABC. These alterations include but are not limited to: 1. attaching any object to the siding via any method, i.e. nail, screw, bolt, and/or adhesive, 2. creating a penetration through the siding, 3. removing from or adding to any or all of the exterior siding installed originally by ABC.”

The thing to remember when looking at a structure is that it is a working system not a solid fixed object. Alterations to any part of the system will have ripple effects throughout the entire structure that may not be immediately apparent but may have great and usually adverse and costly outcomes in the future.

Manufacturers and contractors are expected to and normally provide warranties for their respective products and services. However, they can only warranty what they can predict. That is the reason for the limitations to the warranties.

Preservation Insulated Vinyl Siding

Vinyl Designs Inc. has been granted the exclusive rights to sell furnish and install Associated Materials’ (AMI) top of the line Preservation Collection High – Performance siding in the Northern California territory.  Unlike all of the other products manufactured by Associated Materials, the Preservation Collection is offered through an Exclusive Dealer Network called the Dealers of Distinction.

Why did AMI take a different approach with this product?  The answer is a products performance on the home is a direct result of how it is installed.  Preservation siding is not an ordinary residential building product. Intensive research and development give the homeowner unsurpassed beauty and uncompromising quality. So it makes since that the homeowner can only get Preservation products from dealers who meet the same standards. AMI calls these dealers “Dealers of Distinction”.  These dealers were chosen because of their long experience of quality home design, customer service and installations.

What makes Preservation Siding so different from the rest?  First lets start with the exclusive ClimaShield thermal support system.  This insulation backer material is made from exclusive MPS technology and is molded to fit the contour of the siding perfectly.  A unique manufacturing process ensures superior insulation and resistance to impact and weather.  Heat and pressure cross-link the polymer molecules on the surface to envelop ClimatShield interlocking panels in a high density, waterproof skin to keep water out but at the same time allows your wall to breathe and let interior water vapor to escape. This prevents “Sick House Syndrome”. On the back side of the ClimaShield panel exclusive drainage channels direct moisture away from interior walls preventing dry rot.  The material is pretreated with PerformGuard, a proprietary ingredient that prevents termites from nesting behind your siding, yet is non-toxic for humans and pets. This system makes your siding 5 times more impact resistant  and has an R value that is 5 times greater (5.2 R-Value) than the most commonly used siding systems.  No other siding has the exclusive ClimaShield Thermal Support System.

The second step in the system is the Preservation High Performance Siding its self. Preservations unique patented UltraBeam design advanced nail hem and locking system provides for extreme rigidity for superior siding performance.  The nail hem is double thick and the mid panel butt is ¾” deep. This design makes Preservation lay flat and straighter than any other vinyl siding available. It also protects against wind damage up to 200 mph. To ensure the highest level of quality only the finest raw materials are used to create the unique XTD Formulation. These ingredients include:

Ultra Pure PVC Resin                          The primary ingredient of Preservation Siding.  It is a resin that is durable, easy to clean material that won’t rot, warp, shrink or swell.  It is impermeable to water and humidity, so it will not sustain damage from rain, snow, melting ice, salt air or constant dampness typical of waterside settings.  These properties make it the perfect material for protecting the exterior of any home.

Ti-Shield Titanium Dioxide                  The most degrading factor to any exterior siding is the daily exposure to the sun’s scorching rays and UV degradation.  It is this factor that causes wood to develop a grey, weathered look not rain.  Ti-Shiel titanium dioxide (TiO2) helps prevent Preservation Siding from the harmful effects of the suns ultraviolet rays.

StableMate PVC Stabilizers                Preservation siding does not need much care once it is installed, but during processing the PVC compound must be protected from heat degradation to assure utmost quality. StableMate provides that protection.  Once your Preservation siding is installed, StableMate helps prevent ultraviolet damage through heat buildup.

DuraShield Impact Modifiers              These super-tough, all-acrylic modifiers give Preservation siding superior impact resistance.  This enables you to not worry about putting ladders against your siding or the effects of hail, sleet or small debris that bombard your siding during severe storms.

ColorThru Pigment Concentrates       Preservation siding offers you a wide choice of beautiful, popular colors.  The best part is, you’ll never have the routine maintenance of staining or painting to keep those colors looking new and fresh.  ColorThru pigments go clear through the panels. Years of wind and weather won’t wash away the colors. All you have to do to restore that rich, just-installed look is rinse Preservation occasionally with a garden hose.

Once all the ingredients are blended, the state of the art manufacturing process

and advanced quality control techniques produce a siding that is thicker than any other vinyl siding product on the market with realistic look of wood details and virtual maintenance freedom.              

The Preservation line comes with an impressive line of independent tests to prove its quality.  Preservation siding voluntarily submits to UL (Underwriters Laboratories) yearly testing and quarterly inspections to assure that Preservation Siding system with ClimaShield is UL Classified to ASTM E84.  Preservation has earned the Energy Star Home Sealing.  This label identifies energy efficient products that meet strict guidelines set by the EPA and the DOE. VSI (Vinyl Siding Institute) sponsors independent unbiased testing testing to certify that a siding meets or exceeds the rigorous battery of tests know as ASTM D3679 as well as D6864.  All Preservation lines of sidings have been VSI Certified.

Thanks to the third party testing and certifications process, homeowners can be assured that  Preservation siding installed by Vinyl Designs Inc. will meet or exceed the industry standard of quality and performance. In addition, they are assured that Preservation Siding will maintain a uniform color, lay straight and withstand the effects of normal seasonal temperature fluctuations.

There is no exterior siding product on the market that can make your home more energy efficient and lower maintenance costs while giving your home that warm freshly painted wood appearance forever. And to back up our claim, the product comes with a Life time non-prorated limited warranty for both material and labor.  This is not the same old vinyl siding.  I believe so much in the product I have had it installed on my home.  See pictures of it at our web site, VinylD.com.  

Stephen Kuhlke

Vinyl Designs Inc.

Vinyl Siding’s Bad Rap.

Even though vinyl siding has out sold every other form of exterior siding in the US material for years, it still has a negative image in many areas of the country.  In my opinion this is due to three main factors, 1. bad installation.  2. inferior product lines  3. false claims’. 4 not properly maintained. These four elements have combined to take a  product that when properly installed, can offer a homeowner the most energy efficient, low maintenance, and "Green" exterior available and scared them away.

The Vinyl industry must take the brunt of the responsibility for this situation.  Manufactures of vinyl siding have traditionally never taken an active roll into monitoring the installation of the product. They will basically sell to anybody.  No training is required, no proof of experience is required, no proof of financial stability is required; if you can pay they will sell it to you. Sometimes no proof of a contractor’s license is even required.  As with any home improvement product proper installation of the product is essential.  The properties that make vinyl siding such a good choice also make it very different that the other options. Just because you have installed wood, brick or stucco does not make you an expert in vinyl. Proper installation of vinyl siding requires training and experience,which is expensive, thus the contractors that invest in this training must sell at a higher price.  When homeowners make the price of the improvement  the main factor in purchasing the product and manufacturers sell to contractors with no training or financial stability, poor installations are inevitable.  Once a bad installation has been completed, it stands as a billboard for the product for years and years and will give thousands of potential homeowners a negative impression while a proper installation will mostly go unnoticed.  

Due to price pressures and lack of long term thinking on the manufactures, contractors and property owners, the manufactures have made inferior lines of vinyl siding along side the great lines of vinyl siding in order to cut costs and capture market share.  With vinyl siding, the quality of the product’s ingredients which contribute to its ability hold up from year to year at effect cost, can not be seen in the finished product.  All vinyl sidings basicly look the same except for shape. What that means is to the average person, all vinyl sidings are the same so if they see an installation of inferior vinyl, all vinyl is bad.  

The nextl factor is false information.  Vinyl siding has been attacked by so called environmentalist with false claims for years and the vinyl industry has remained silent.  They have done so due to the large market share they have had. Unfortunately, if lies are repeated often enough, it has a tendency to be perceived as the truth.  The funny thing is, vinyl siding is a great choice for the environment.  First of all, vinyl siding is almost always sold with insulation.  It makes the property much more energy efficient.  It is 100% recyclable at the end of its life.  It is a by product of natural gas and salt. It never needs to be re-painted thus reducing toxic chemicals from being introduced into the environment    Under the US Green Building Council and its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, insulated vinyl siding can earn more points than any other exterior covering.  Thus it is the "Greenest" option.

Vinyl siding is a low maintenance option but it is not a NO maintenance.  Unfortunately since vinyl siding requires such little maintenance most homeowners do absolutely nothing.  All we ask is our customers periodically hose it down and if any of the siding becomes damaged, give us a call so that we can repair it free of charge.  If these simple steps are followed, vinyl siding will continue to look as great as when it was first installed. The siding comes with a great warranty that covers almost anything.  But the siding can not make the call to report an issue, 

At Vinyl Designs, we firmly believe that properly installed top of the line insulated vinyl sidings are the best option for any homeowner that wants a freshly painted lap or shake siding look without the constant maintenance.  They want their home to be as energy efficient as possible while using as green a product as they can afford.  In order to accomplish this goal, Vinyl Designs has had every one of its installers trained by VSI (Vinyl Siding Institute).  VSI has the only nationally recognized installation training program. We have also had each and every installer qualified as Master Contractors under the CertainTeed training program.  We will only us the highest line of Vinyl siding offered by the manufacturer.  This is why we partnered with Associated Materials and their Preservation program.  I feel so strongly about our products that I have had these products installed on my home.

If homeowners would take some time to check out the new insulated siding options we are confident there old impressions will be shattered.

Stephen Kuhlke

President

Vinyl Designs Inc.