It takes essentially a perfect storm situation to create the conditions that allow vinyl siding to melt.
Low e reflective vinyl siding.
Melted siding from window reflection is a problem that has become more common in recent years.
My siding was just fine for 13 years until my neighbors installed new low e windows.
Vinyl siding is affordable low maintenance beautiful and durable that is unless it s subjected to extreme heat.
Yes we have encountered this situation from time to time.
In case you aren t familiar with them low e a k a.
The important takeaway here is that this phenomenon is not caused in any way by vinyl siding.
Combine low e glass facing south or southwest homes that are close together with vinyl siding and the sun and you get a recipe for melting siding.
Class a white boasts a flame rating of 10 and smoke rating of 15.
Artificial turf grass also has a low melting point and it can be easily ruined if the concentrated light reflections bouncing off a window create hotspots on the ground.
It is often less expensive than alternative siding options can be virtually maintenance free and is much more energy efficient compared to the old wood and aluminum siding choices.
While sunlight reflections melting vinyl siding might be the most prominent issue these low e windows create they are hardly the only issue.
Low e reflective insulation featured on the american architectural review.
Low e windows can have an effect similar to a magnifying glass where it focuses the sun s rays like a laser beam onto any surface.
Low emittance windows have a coating on them that suppresses radiative heat flow.
Thank you for your question.
My siding immediately melted.
I had an engineer do a study on my home and the results were that the windows become concave under certain conditions and send a focused beam of heat onto my property.
Unfortunately this is what happens when low e windows reflect light onto your home s siding.
Is melted vinyl siding a new problem.
The main reason is the increasing number of low e or energy efficient windows that are being installed in new homes or renovated homes.
Vinyl siding is an amazing product in many ways.
Low e class a white class a white insulation is designed to meet the needs of customers demanding extremely low flame and smoke characteristics.
