Multi-Colored, Rattle-Free Vinyl Siding!
DEAR TIM: My husband does not like to paint or stain. We want the exterior of our new home to be as maintenance free as possible. Vinyl siding has many advantages, however, it doesn't look like real wood to me. In addition, a friend's house covered with vinyl siding rattles and clatters with every gust of wind. Is there a realistic fade-resistant vinyl siding? What can be done to keep the vinyl quiet on windy days? N. I.
DEAR N. I.: I have got some fantastic news for you and your husband. There are numerous vinyl sidings that will address each and every concern that you have raised. Solving the rattling problem is easy. Your neighbor's siding chatters because of operator error. Not only can we fix her siding, but also we will make sure that your siding will be installed correctly the first time.
The vinyl siding industry, like many others, has witnessed much change in the past 15 years. Some of the first vinyl siding products succumbed to the intense ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun. The UV rays caused colors to fade and the vinyl to breakdown and chalk.
Many vinyl siding companies responded to this problem. They increased the quantity and quality of a pigment called titanium dioxide within the siding. This pigment not only absorbs UV radiation, it also acts as a reflector. Other colored pigments have also been developed that resist UV degradation. These new pigments allow vinyl siding manufacturers to create exciting variegated, or multi-colored, siding.
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These new vinyl sidings look like stained natural wood. Some of them look like weathered cedar that you might find on a New England seashore cottage. Don't confuse this coloration with the wood grained texture that virtually every solid colored siding possesses. The new sidings have this in addition to the multiple colors!
Some manufacturers have developed realistic trim pieces to replicate the size and shape of wood corner posts and window trim. When used with the new siding the accessory pieces create the illusion of a real wood house.
Because vinyl siding expands and contracts in relationship to the outside temperature, it is installed in a unique fashion. A 12 foot long siding panel can grow by as much as a quarter of an inch as the temperature rises. To make sure that the siding does not buckle or bow, the siding must simply hang on the wall. All vinyl siding has longs slots along the top edge through which nails or staples are driven. These fasteners must be driven in the center of each slot. In addition, they need to be driven to within one thirty-second of an inch of the vinyl siding. This gap allows the siding to move as it expands and contracts.
The individual who installed your neighbor's siding goofed. The gap between the head of the nail and the siding is probably one quarter of an inch or larger. Wind gusts allow the siding to flap against the house. Fortunately this problem can be fixed. Your neighbor can purchase a simple hand tool to unzip the interlocking pieces siding. Once unzipped, the siding can be properly nailed. Using the same tool, you simply lock the siding back together. This is a job which can he handled by a serious DIY'r. Have your neighbor call a professional vinyl siding installer if they feel the slightest anxiety about tackling this job.
Author's Notes:
March, 1999
Recently the Vinyl Siding Institute introduced a voluntary certification program for vinyl siding manufacturers. Those manufacturers who want to prove to you that they indeed make a quality product now have a mechanism to do just that.
If you want to find out more about the certification program and manufacturers who participate, visit the Vinyl Siding Institute's website (www.vinylsiding.org).
