Vinyl Siding
| Length of panels | Can be as long as 40 feet | 12 – 12 1/2 feet is average |
| Width | 6 1/2 to 10 inches | |
| Applicable Standards | ASTM E119 | This means that the fire endurance ratings are similar to walls
without vinyl. For example, having vinyl siding doesn’t speed up a fire. |
| ASTM D3679 | Means that the vinyl at least met the established requirements for
the methods used to test the material, dimensions, expansion, appearance and windload resistance. |
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| Thickness | Optimum panel thickness is between .038 and .48 inches. Thicker, rigid panels provide better wind resistance, protection against damage, and lay flatter and straighter. | |
| Panel Projection | The amount the panel sticks out from the side of the home. | Look for the maximum projection for the style of vinyl selected. |
| Chemistry | Look for a high concentration of titanium oxide. | |
| Formulation | High temperature fusion and after formulated manufacturing methods result in stronger panels. | |
| Windload Pressure | The amount of wind pressure the panels can take before coming off or breaking | Look for a negative windload pressure, it gives a truer picture of windload pressure than a positive test. |
HardBoard
| Thickness | 1/4 to 1/2" nominal | Min-Max .22 to .525 |
| Thickness Swelling | 8% | Maximum average per panel |
| Water Absorption | 12% | Based on the maximum average weight of panels |
| Edge Straightness | Shall not exceed 1/64 inch from corner to corner on same edge | |
| Applicable Standards | Model building codes all over the US | Recognized |
| ANSI product standard | Conforms | |
| American Hardboard Association | Certified | |
| Maker may be indicated on the back of the board using these numbers | AHA01 | Boise Cascade – MN |
| AHA02 | Weyerhauser – OK | |
| AHA03 | Temple – TX | |
| AHA 04 | Louisiana Pacific – NC | |
| AHA 05 | Forestex – OR | |
| AHA06 | Masonite – CA | |
| AHA07 | Georgia Pacific – SC | |
| AHA08 | Masonite – CA | |
| AHA09 | Evanite – CO | |
| AHA10 | Weyerhauser -OR | |
| AHA11 | Millian Blodel – Ontario | |
| AHA12 | Masonite – PA | |
Cedar Shakes and Shingles
| Applicable Standards | Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau | The only shake and shingle association listed by name in all US Model Building Codes |
| Cert-label | Only Certi-Labeled products have been inspected and meet the standards for quality, material, packaging and shipping. |
Brick
| Thermal Mass | The ability of a heavy, dense material to store heat and gradually release it | House stays warm in the winter and cool in the summer |
| Sizes | There are 12 sizes of brick; each given a name by the US Brick Manufacturers, these names are commonly used in the industry | Modular, Standard, Engineer Modular, Engineer Standard, Closure Modular, Closure Standard, Roman, Norman, Engineer Norman, Utility, King, Queen |
| Units | Clay and shale units can be made in various sizes and shapes and are either hollow or solid, more than one type of unit can be used in an application | |
| Further Information | Brick Industry of America | There are too many types of shale and clay, variety of units that can be used in combination and the sizes of the bricks for a chart of this type. |
Aluminum
| Thickness (dry film) | .80 to 1.00 millimeters | Min-Max .22 to .525 |
| Applicable Standards | Aluminum Association | Created a 4 digit numbering system, each number represents a different aspect of the aluminum |
| There are many standards associated with the many different aluminum alloys; examples are: | ||
| D714 | After 3000 hours in 100% relative humidity there is no loss of gloss, no cracking or peeling | |
| D2244 | Shall not fade more than 5 color units in 5 years after all dirt has been removed | |
| ASTM B117 | Can withstand 5% salt fog for 3000 hours | |
| Temper | Temper is the term for the hardness or toughness of aluminum | Tempers describe how the aluminum will be processed and follow this designation system.
F- Fabricated O- Annealed H- Cold rolled and strain hardened W – Solution heat treated T- Thermally treated |
| Chemistry | Melting Point | 660° C
The aluminum for siding is combined with another metal such as copper to give it strength |