Vinyl siding

In the following decade, vinyl siding grew steadily in popularity in large part due to its durability, versatility, and ease of maintenance.

In the past darker colors tended to fade more than lighter ones, but advancements in technology and materials can mean this is no longer the case.

The limestone reduces cost, and also balances the titanium dioxide, keeping both extrusion streams equally fluid during manufacturing.

A small quantity of tin mercaptan or butadiene is added as a stabilizer to chemically tie up any hydrochloric acid that is released into the PVC material as the siding ages.

[4] Vinyl siding can be observed in a wide range of product quality realized in a substantial difference in thickness and lasting durability.

Vinyl siding, by its nature, will tend to expand and contract more with temperature extremes than any other common type of cladding.

Vinyl siding features a chlorine base, making it inherently slow to ignite and flame retardant.

Rigid PVC (vinyl siding) will not independently sustain combustion in air with a normal concentration of oxygen (about 21 percent) — so it extinguishes more easily.

[7] Because of its thin profile, vinyl siding may be more likely to ignite due to exterior fire; for example, the National Institute of Standards and Technology found that, in tests involving vinyl-clad structures in close proximity, fire was observed to spread between two vinyl-clad test structures located six feet apart in fewer than five minutes.

[citation needed] The PVC used in vinyl siding used to be produced in open vats until 1971, when angiosarcoma, a rare cancer of the liver, was traced to vinyl chloride exposure among PVC workers, and strict workplace exposure limits were established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

These changes required all vats to be tightly sealed, which led to greater capital costs and a concentration in the number of producers.