Siding Grade

 

 How do I select the proper grade of vinyl siding?

Vinyl siding, like most products, comes in several grades. A premium Vinyl siding will be pure virgin vinyl with no reground material. Vinyl siding is produced using the extrusion process. Compare this to the cookie press that you use to make Christmas cookies. When the extruder starts a run the molds must be adjusted until the correct tolerances are met.

During this period, thousands of feet of defective vinyl siding can be produced. Many manufacturers take this material and grind it into a small size, then run it through the extruder again. This reground material is often a combination of different colors, and different chemistry. The resulting vinyl siding is much less expensive since it is comprised of scrap. This grade of material will generally fade quickly and be more difficult to clean.

Another way manufacturers cut cost on vinyl siding is to add chalk. This inexpensive material is used to provide bulk to the vinyl siding, at much lower cost than vinyl resins. Unfortunately chalk is very porous. These pores are ideal areas to trap dirt and mildew spores. These pockets of debris are almost impossible to clean. A further disadvantage is the likelihood of the chalk leeching out of the siding to surfaces below and rubbing off on materials with which it comes in contact.