Vinyl siding gets certified to maintain growth CERTIFIEI)

each of the qualifying manufacturer's plants to ensure continuing compliance.

If a product is found in non-compliance, it will be removed from VSI's official certified products list until the manufacturer re-establishes the product's compliance with the standard. Manufacturers may not use the official certification logo on the affected products ifthey receive a disqualification notice and must take corrective action to continue participation in the program. The program's disqualification process does allow for appeals.

What the certification is not is a consumer warranty. Individual consumer guarantees are product-specific between the manufacturer and the consumer.

VSI is researching eventually making it a tiered standard, with an even higher quality level.

VSI contracted with administrator Architectural Testing, Inc., York, Pa., to inspect and review manufacturers' siding, production practices, test reports and quality programs in each plant making a certifiable product. Where necessary, ATI conducts or requests additional testing to determine that a product complies with ASTM D36'79.

Manufacturers whose product certifications are validated are allowed to print the official VSI vinyl siding certification program label on their cartons of certified siding. (The initial list of certified products is posted on VSI's website, www.vinylsiding.org.)

At least twice each year, ATI will conduct unannounced inspections at

For the future, VSI is researching eventually making it a tiered standard, with an even higher quality level. Huntley expects it would take several years of research and "finding out what customers want in a higher quality product."

For now, with participation in the certification program high, buyers and sellers of vinyl siding can be sure the products can do what they're supposed to. "(The standard) was made to ensure the quality of vinyl siding is high and remains high in the future," Huntley says.