With an overwhelming number of vinyl siding to choose from it’s crucial to know how to determine the quality of the product. Even though the looks of the siding are important before you decide upon one you ought to take some more features into consideration. Among the most key factors are thickness, material composition and color process. In this article we will be looking into the research made in 2014 by Research Vinyl Siding who as their name suggests take vinyl siding very seriously.

According to their research Thickness is the first statistic to look for when determining quality. It’s easy to verify and very straightforward. The thicker the better. Their scale starts from .35in which they literally called junk. Going a bit further we enter the “economical” choices which start at .38in and end at .42in which is called the “Mid Entry Level”. .44in is their minimum recommendation and anything more than that is called a premium product.

Research Vinyl Siding also suggests that Material Composition is the next factor you should look into. Not all Vinyl is created equally and the composition of the product helps contribute to it’s strength, longevity, UV performance and rigidity.  So do a little digging and look into how the product is made.

• Regrind – This is usually the least expensive – the color is not all the way through the vinyl but painted on the front.  Sometimes referred to as “grayback” the backside is gray while the front is finished. Essentially old ground of plastic melted down and re purposed.
• PVC Recycled – A more pure form of regrind made from only pure PVC products then repurposed.
• Virgin PVC – The purest form of PVC or Poly Vinyl Chloride. Products made with virgin PVC are much more stable.
• Virgin PVC + additives – About a year ago manufacturers realized they could increase the performance of the old vinyl by adding UV stabilizes, hardeners and other chemicals.  Particular brands have their own special blend.
• Acrylic Capped Vinyl is newer age product utilizing acrylic at the core with a vinyl exterior.

The next key factor is the coloring process and it’s success or failure is a key indicator or the quality of siding because the best companies have a great warranty to reduce fade.  Remember why you are making the investment to replace what’s there and make it look good for a long time.  Nothing is worse than finding out what you thought looked good today ends up fading the drab and boring tomorrow.

• You certainly want a product that has the color all the way through.  Check the backside and even make a test cut if need be.
• Titanium Dioxide is a proven chemical in stopping UV degradation in a wide variety of materials.
• Excellent Pigments – The quality of pigments and concentrates going into the vinyl have a huge impact on how well the color holds up.

Some additional design strengths and weakness you might find:

• Rolled Nailing Hem – Produces a much stronger attachment point to the home.
• Impact Modifiers – Enhances the ability to withstand impacts without braking or cracking
• Integrated Insulation – While increasing efficiency, also strengthens and adds rigidity to product.
• Double Locking Point – Helps line up panels and increases strength.

We hope that information will help you decide and if you will need any other information – call us and we will be glad to help.