Vinyl Siding

Modern construction requires easy-to-apply materials and streamlined construction methods. Nowadays, the final customer is looking for speed, beauty, practicality and lower costs. Due to its complexity, the coating of façades is undoubtedly one of the most expensive and worry-some construction procedures. To satisfy the needs of both the construction worker and the customer, Vinyl siding, a parallel bar coating fixed to profiles, was developed. Already widely used in the U.S. for the covering of both residential and commercial façade, Vinyl siding is beginning to win over Brazilian customers as well.

Coating with Vinyl siding is made with bars that are manufactured with special additives to ensure higher resistance and durability in comparison to its competitors. The use of siding as a coating eliminates the finishing stages required with traditional construction mediums such as splatter and stucco. This "dry system" is a type of assembly and modularity, which allows for quick installation and zero waste. This performance is achieved mainly due to the combination between Vinyl and the versatility of panel coating systems. Vinyl siding does not require any painting or other specialized maintenance. According to Alexandre Mariutti, an architect with the Sequencia Construction Company, the product allows you to skip a number of finishing stages and it is very easy to install and maintain. Mariutti has already used the product in more than 40 of his projects. He adds: "In the past I used to recommend the use of Vinyl siding to my customers but today, it is they who ask me because the product provides such a great finishing aesthetically speaking".

Vinyl siding is manufactured in Brazil by Madex and is sold in bars that are 6 meters long and 65cm wide. Wallrevest siding is available in white, beige, gray and blue although soon other colors will be available for sale as well. In addition to bar-shaped panels, the system is composed of fixation profiles, edge caps, doors and windows, sill sheathing and other finishing articles to add to the décor.

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The parallel bar configuration makes siding one of the easiest finishing materials to apply. There are very few construction requirements: the surface need only be steady and leveled. Walls require no additional finishing, and the siding can be directly installed against block, brick, steel or wooden walls. The installation project is extremely simple and the layout follows a cutting standard that maximizes bar use. The assembly method varies as a function of the surface to which the siding will be applied. Bar orientation can be horizontal or vertical depending on the needs and desires of the customer. The distance between the bars follows a climatic coefficient previously established for each region of the country so that seasonal variations in temperature will not compromise the product’s tightness and finishing. In a 8-hour work day, 80m² to 100m²can be installed with only two workers though the rate of installation may vary with doors, windows and other spaces, which need to be opened.

Vinyl siding meets a number of internationally accepted performance standards. Basic parameters are set forth by norms ASTM-D 3679 and ASTM-D 1435, which define specific standards for Vinyl panels and for harsh weather conditions. The product is self-extinguishable, highly resistant to traction, uniformly colored, resistant to ultraviolet rays, air pollution and corrosive sea air. Moreover, Vinyl siding conserves its performance characteristics up to 72° C without presenting any deformations. Since this product is highly flexible and is made of special Vinyl, it has a very high impact absorption power. Another clear benefit of Vinyl is its cost. "As it makes so many finishing stages unnecessary and is quick to install, siding becomes very attractive when compared to other coating products. Vinyl siding is also extremely versatile. We’ve already used Vinyl siding for façades of both private homes and Mc Donald’s restaurants", said Cosh Arquitetura architect Guilherme Consentino, who has used siding in over twenty different construction projects.

One of the main benefits of siding is that it renders all major maintenance work unnecessary. It requires only infrequent cleaning, accomplished with the use of water and neutral detergent. In the case of graffiti removal, manufacturer-recommended products can be used to remove the paint.

Source: Téchne – Revista de Tecnologia e Negócios da Construção – Section on Technology (Nov. 2001).