Low E Reflective Vinyl Siding

Melted siding from window reflection is a problem that has become more common in recent years.

Low e reflective vinyl siding.

Unfortunately this is what happens when low e windows reflect light onto your home s siding. 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. Still with trends among homeowners favoring both high efficiency windows and vinyl cladding and many building codes now requiring low e windows on new homes it s most likely a problem we ll see more and more. Class a white boasts a flame rating of 10 and smoke rating of 15.

Thank you for your question. 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 windows are designed to reflect more heat away from the glass by design. The main reason is the increasing number of low e or energy efficient windows that are being installed in new homes or renovated homes.

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 e class a white class a white insulation is designed to meet the needs of customers demanding extremely low flame and smoke characteristics. Yes we have encountered this situation from time to time. 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.

Vinyl siding is an amazing product in many ways. 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. Low e reflective insulation featured on the american architectural review.

The important takeaway here is that this phenomenon is not caused in any way by vinyl siding. Low emittance windows have a coating on them that suppresses radiative heat flow. It s caused by newer low e windows that are installed on nearby structures where the light happens to reflect in a particular way according to vinyl verified. My siding immediately melted.

It takes essentially a perfect storm situation to create the conditions that allow vinyl siding to melt. 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.