Fact of the Material
Vinyl siding is a popular exterior house covering. It is best known for its ease of use, its price and the fact that it lasts for a long time. This is evidenced by the marketing catch phrase "Vinyl is final." One thing it is well-known for is its use in remodeling.
Hot and Cold
Vinyl siding is very pliable, but this also depends on the time of year. During the summer months, especially where it is really hot and humid, it tends to be very flexible and bendy. This is also the time of year where it expands lengthwise. This is totally opposite in the winter, when it is freezing outside. It becomes very brittle and harder to work with during installation, and it has a tendency to contract lengthwise.
Cool Where It Counts
Vinyl siding is designed to protect the exterior of the house from wind, rain, snow and other inclement weather conditions. It also reflects heat off the house in the summer, causing the inside temperature to stay cooler.
Back It Up
When vinyl siding is used in remodeling, it has a foam backer underneath it that is nailed to the house. This adds an R-value, which basically stands for a material's ability to impede heat loss. This has been popularized by regular house insulation.
Just Breathe
In new home construction, the house is wrapped with this substance called Tyvek. It comes in a long roll and is made of a polyethylene, synthetic substance. Tyvek is designed to be breathable, allowing heat to come in and cold to escape. This, in concert with the siding, adds to the R-value and further increases the vinyl's insulating ability.
Tags: adds R-value, exterior house, time year, Vinyl siding
