Window tint melts neighbours vinyl siding !!!!

[Guest vclimber]

"Often the vinyl siding has melted because the sun's heat reflects off of the surface of nearby low-E (emissivity) windows. ... When the sun's energy strikes low-E windows and skylights, it can re-radiate heat and cause significant melting," the journal reported.

The journal is wrong. Low E does not do that.

D.R. Horton built Redden's home. Warranty Manager Steve Cole said the company would fix the vinyl siding problem. "I've never seen anything like this. Not to this magnitude. It's amazing to me," Cole said. "It appears to be a manufacturing issue from a window standpoint or a siding standpoint," he said. He theorized that the double-paned, energy-efficient window collects solar heat and reflects it back in a condensed form onto the vinyl siding.

He seems to indicate that the home has factory glass and not aftermarket film. I bet it was a bad batch of vinyl... that is quite common.

Jack Wright, another neighbor on the unaffected side of Redden's house, said he is aware of the situation. "I know exactly what she is talking about," he said. "I think it happens when you put the reflective tint on the window."

And he is one of the reasons our industry struggles with negative press.

[Pyramids]

I agree. Bad siding sounds more like it. I think that guy had watched Mythbusters the night before and was thinking of that death-ray thing-a-ma-bob.

Archimedes constructed a death ray by reflecting sunlight onto, and thus igniting, Roman vessels.

busted

In order to have any effect, the mirror would have to be impractically large, and even then, the temperature of wood only raised a few degrees. On the Discovery website, however, a challenge was thrown out to the viewers to come up with an experiment to prove it plausible, and so far, a few of the entries seem to have done so. When all the tests were completed the myth was conclusively busted.

REVISITED: An array of bronze mirrors can set a wooden ship on fire. (From episode 16)

re-busted

The large scale array simply took too long to light the ship on fire. On top of that the ship only ignited when it was stationary and positioned at less than half the distance described in the myth. The myth was plausible at a smaller scale, however. Flaming arrows were fired from a ballista at the ship, but to little effect. The most effective (and plausible with Archimedes-era technology) method of lighting the ship ablaze was through the use of molotov cocktails.

Yep. her neighbor must be the great- great-great-great -great-great grandson of that dude.

[darrin1]

we've had builders call and ask about exterior film to reduce glare on vinyl siding. point is these are windows WITHOUT film, so I'd be hesitant to believe that article.

[Guest mikeMN]

Just a thought I have seen many thermo panes in homes and on commercial buildings where the two panes are touching each other in the middle. This would give a concave appearance on the outside pane of glass. As this would make the reflection of the sun off the glass a lot more concentrated. When it would reflect on another surface and also take in count the med grey siding as a darker surface would be hotter than a lighter color. With that being said maybe this is true.

[H.G.]

???????????????? Who wrote this article? the comparison is made to a magnifying glass??? windows are flat and reflect whatever the sun gives them minus some absorption .

Is the siding in question shaded most of the time, too many variables not mentioned.

" An additive can be put in vinyl siding during the manufacturing process to solve the reflected heat problem, according to the LBM Journal. "

[addicted to tint]

I've had at least 3 calls while in this biz requesting a film to help with siding melting. My take is film would only enhance problem, and never offered solution to consumer. Not so rare a problem apparently.