How To Stop Reflection From Windows Melting Siding

If you lot had told me v years agone that windows are the cause of melting siding, I would take chuckled. I've congenital, remodeled and repaired several thousand homes and I had never heard of melting siding until the last couple years. But believe it or not, some of the new energy efficient windows are creating this trouble. Let's talk about what causes it, how to prevent the problem, and then discuss solutions if you already take the melting siding.

Depression-E Windows Melting Siding

Combine depression-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. In case you aren't familiar with them, low-E (a.grand.a. depression-emittance) windows have a coating on them that suppresses radiative oestrus period. In other words, it prevents heat from going where we don't want it to become. The amount of low-E and it's location on the glass is dependent on the climate the habitation is in. These windows are becoming more common as people seek to better the energy performance of their homes.

Is the Melting Siding a Vinyl Issue?

Vinyl siding starts to distort (or melt) at temperatures around 165-170 degrees fahrenheit. As far as I know, this has been the case always since the siding was first developed. In normal situations, siding would not be subjected to these temperatures. So in my opinion, as a builder, the respond is no, siding that melts from window reflections are non defective. The full-bodied beam of light from the low-E windows is an external force that is uncommon until recently.

Prevention

Here are some ideas to go along from melting siding in new and existing homes…

don't install Low-Due east drinking glass on due south or southwest facing walls when a vinyl sided wall is inside 20 feet (applies to depression-Eastward glass with blanket facing exterior)
embrace double hung low-Due east drinking glass with full screens to lengthened sun reflections
use siding that has a surface that tin withstand temperatures of 250 degrees fahrenheit before damage occurs

Solution for Existing Homes with Melting Siding

Here are some tips for solutions to your melting siding issues…

embrace the low-e windows with awnings to keep the dominicus off (although, if it'southward your neighbors dwelling with the depression-East…who pays for them and volition they like the thought of awnings?)
supervene upon the low-e glass with a different type
embrace the exterior of the windows with screens to terminate the reflection
plant a landscape buffer between the homes to prevent the reflections from hitting the vinyl siding
install a fence between the homes to prevent the reflections
talk to the window manufacturer…they have been known to take care of this problem in some cases

Bank check out the video below describing more than well-nigh the low-E window/melting vinyl siding issue. Let us know if you take had similar bug with melting siding on your habitation.