New Certification Program For Vinyl Siding

The Vinyl Siding Institute has launched a new program that allows vinyl siding manufacturers to certify, with independent third-party verifi cation, that their products meet a national standard for quality.

Through this industry initiative, manufacturers can certify that their products meet ASTM D3679, the standard specification for vinyl siding that covers criteria such as weatherability, thickness, impact resistance and heat shrinkage.

"VSI initiated this program to assure consumers and specifiers of the quality of vinyl siding products across the country," says VSI vice chair Lee Meyer, senior vice president and general manager of vinyl siding producer Variform, Inc. "VSI invited all manufacturers of vinyl siding to participate in this voluntary program, and I'm happy to report that an overwhelming majority of VSI members have applied to certify specific products."

VSI developed and sponsored the program to help vinyl siding manufacturers certify their products with independent verification, as well as help consumers and construction industry professionals identify these certified products. ASTM D3679 has long been accepted as the quality standard for vinyl siding, and many manufacturers have been working to meet the ASTM guidelines for years.

"Other products may say they meet ASTM D3679," Meyer notes, "but now, if they do not bear the official certification logo or are not included on VSI's certified products list, they have not been verified to meet the standard through an ongoing process by VSI's independent third party administrator."

Applicans are currently being rigorously reviewed and audited by the program's third party administrator, Architectural Testing, Inc., York, Pa. The independent testing/inspection laboratory is visiting more than 25 vinyl siding plants to review the companies' products and quality programs to verify compliance with the standard. As a key aspect of the certification process, the third-party administrator will conduct unannounced site inspections of each plant twice annually to verify ongoing compliance.

"Once their products are officially verified, manufacturers will be allowed to promote them using the official VSI certification lego," says Jery Y. Huntley, VSI's executive director. lh'8i rt

Vinyl siding purchasers will be able to find certified products on an official list, which VSI will publish monthly starting in April, when all initial inspections are completed. The list can then be accessed through VSI's Web site (www. vinylsiding. org) or a toll-free number, l-888FOR.VSI-I.

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