How Fade-Resistant Home Panel Siding Is Made

The thing with most home panel siding is that it fades, and then cracks. If you have recently heard something about fade-resistant siding, you may be curious as to how such siding is made. The sun tends to bleach the color out of most things, so this particular product is curiously made. Here is how a vinyl siding processing and manufacturing plant makes fade-resistant siding.

It Is Not Vinyl, It Is PVC

Almost all siding nowadays is made from PVC plastic. Vinyl siding was re-engineered into PVC, and true vinyl siding was eliminated from all home building in the late 1970's. PVC siding cannot dry out, crack, or fade, but there is a company that continues to make vinyl siding that is fade-resistant. That same company has also managed to alter the molecular structure of their fade-resistant siding so that it can take a beating from winds up to 240 miles per hour.

PVC Is Extruded and Flattened

In a factory, PVC plastic is created from a series of chemicals and chemical reactions. It is heated and stirred to a taffy-like consistency. Then it is extruded through an extruder machine. In the case of siding, the PVC is first flattened into a sheet of consistent thickness. Then it is trimmed and reheated before it it laid over a mold and pressed into the shape of individual horizontal slats. The color of the siding is always added to the vat of liquid PVC plastic prior to extrusion and shaping.

As for the fade-resistant properties, that has everything to do with the heating and cooling processes. Since the sun's rays cannot heat the PVC to the point where it can turn soft, and it has natural reflective properties, the PVC siding does not fade. If it was not for the reflective properties and the manufacturing processes, PVC would not have the strength it does to stand up to a constant battering of heat and UVA/UVB rays.

If You Have Vinyl, It Is Time to Change

You can absolutely tell when your siding is vinyl and outdated. The fading and cracking are dead giveaways. If that is the case, you need to remove it all and update to the PVC siding that is commonly found on houses now. You could also select PVC siding that perfectly mimics wood and brick, which lends an even more attractive exterior to your home without all of the maintenance.

If you're thinking of replacing the side paneling on your home, contact JD Metals to get started.