Sav-A-Lot Siding Shares ...What's The Benefit of a Certified Vinyl Siding Installer?

Sav-A-Lot Siding is Certified Vinyl Siding Installer.

Through the Vinyl Siding Institute’s (VSI’s) Certified Installer Program, experienced professionals
receive thorough training on proper, industry-approved vinyl siding installation techniques. VSI’s certification process involves a combination of classroom training, hands-on instruction, and a written test given by a VSI Certified Trainer.

Each VSI Certified Installer must demonstrate the knowledge and skills to properly install vinyl siding and accessories, based on the industry standard, ASTM D4756. When you hire an installer certified through VSI’s program, you can be confident that he or she knows how to:

• Correctly fasten the siding to allow for vinyl’s normal expansion and contraction properties and keep it straight and secure on the wall.

• Properly prepare the area around doors, windows, and other openings to prevent water infiltration.

• Pay attention to the details that will give your home a beautiful appearance that will last over time. 

To become a VSI Certified Installer, candidates must have a minimum of one year of experience installing vinyl siding and accessories, attend VSI’s rigorous course, and pass the VSI Certified Installer exam (or have three years of experience and pass the VSI Certified Installer exam). All VSI Certified Installers must apply for re-certification every three years,
to ensure that they stay abreast of the latest application techniques.

To locate a VSI Certified Installer in your area, or to find out if your installer is certified through VSI’s program, visit VSI’s web registry at: www.vinylsiding.org/certifiedinstaller, or ask your installation professional for a current identification badge bearing VSI’s Certified Installer logo. 

For an up-to-date list of certified products, visit VSI’s website at
www.vinylsiding.org.

Sav-A-Lot Siding is Certified Vinyl Siding Installer.
For your siding, window, gutter or screen replacement project contact us at 719-322-3041 or visit our website at www.SavALotSiding.com 

Vinyl Fact Sheet from the Vinyl Siding Institute

Each year, the Vinyl Siding Institute fields questions about the properties, performance and environmental impact of vinyl products. To address these questions, the following facts are adapted, with their permission, from the Vinyl Institute’s publication, Vinyl: A Little Guide to the Big Questions, 2007.

Energy Efficiency Vinyl is the most energy-efficient major plastic. It is largely derived from salt – an abundant and inexpensive resource. Vinyl products consume less energy, generate fewer emissions and save more energy than many competitive products.

Durability Vinyl is the most widely used plastic for building and construction. Because it’s strong and resistant to moisture and abrasion, vinyl is ideal for siding, windows, roofing, fencing and decking. Vinyl will not rot or corrode like many other materials and does not need cleaning with harsh chemicals or painting.

Excellent Fire Performance (Also see VSI’s publication Siding with Safety.) Vinyl’s chemical makeup makes it inherently flame resistant. Rigid vinyl building products are slow to ignite, their flame spread is slow and they cease to burn after the flame source is removed. The products of vinyl combustion are no more hazardous than those produced by burning many other common materials, both natural and synthetic. Vinyl is one of few materials that meet the stringent National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requirements for insulating electrical and data transmission cables, including in plenum applications.

Recyclability Virtually all scrap, trim and off-spec material from the vinyl production process is recycled. This means that 99% of all manufactured vinyl is made into products – not sent to landfills. About 18 million pounds of post-consumer vinyl are also recycled annually. A tremendous amount of post-consumer material is not available because it is still in service as siding, pipe and other products that last decades.

Landfilling Vinyl products are extremely resistant to the corrosive conditions found in landfills and will not break down or degrade under them. In fact, vinyl is often used to make landfill liners and caps because it is inert and stable.

Since it debuted decades ago, vinyl has been an important part of life. Always changing with the times to become more efficient and safe, vinyl has proven itself time and again to be a responsible and relevant material. Its benefits have been confirmed by a lifetime of usage, testing and research, and no doubt these

benefits will continue to be seen in the years ahead.

Many experts agree that to truly understand a product’s environmental impact, its entire life cycle should be

evaluated. This is known as life cycle assessment (LCA). Environmental effects associated with a product’s

manufacture can be counterbalanced over time by a long, beneficial, lowimpact life. For example, emissions

associated with vinyl window production are far outweighed by decades of energy-saving benefits.

• Vinyl products perform favorably in terms of energy efficiency, thermal-insulating value, low contribution to greenhouse gases, low maintenance and product durability.

• Recent life cycle studies show the health and environmental impacts of vinyl building products are comparable to or less than the impacts of most alternatives.

For More Information or  Questions About Vinyl Siding, Windows, Screens and Gutters contact us at www.SavALotSiding.com or give us a call at 719-322-3041 | 719-362-6736

Below is a great article from Simonton Windows about tips on checking your windows during the cold.

Cold Weather Window Evaluation Tips

by Simonton Windows

With the bitter cold and frigid temperatures this winter, people from Florida to Texas are shivering. And the folks in the Midwest and Northeast are huddling together to keep warm! No one has escaped the polar blasts that seem to continually chill us to the bone.

If you're inside your home with the heat cranking non-stop, take time to inspect your windows. It's possible they're not working as hard for your home as they should.

“Virtually every building component in a home needs to be replaced at some point, and windows are no exception, “says Matt Minerd of Simonton Windows. “We’d like to think that our roof, siding and windows will last forever, but they won”t.

Tip #1 Examine the inside of your windows and patio doors for hot and cold “drafty” spots (or drafty areas). This indicates air infiltration which can lead to reduced energy efficiency.

Tip #2 Check every window and door to make sure there is adequate weather-stripping and caulking around the units. This helps eliminate air infiltration and ensure a weather tight, secure seal.

Tip #3 Look for “burnt out” or faded areas on your furnishings and carpeting. This could indicate harmful, damaging UV rays are entering your home through your windows or doors. You may want to consider replacement with more energy efficient units containing Low E coatings on the glass.

Tip # 4 If your windows no longer open or close easily, or if they need to be propped open it could mean key components within the units are damaged or need adjustment. It could also mean the unit needs to be replaced entirely.

Tip #5 Check the “fit” of your current window or patio doors by having someone stand outside the units at night. With a small flashlight, stand inside and “travel” around the edge of the units. If the person outside sees light coming through the edges, this indicates a poor installation and is resulting in energy loss. If your evaluation turns up one or more problem areas, it may be time to consider replacing your windows or doors. “Window replacements are both a short and long-term investment in your home, says Minerd.”You’ll immediately help reduce your energy bills. And, having newer, more energy-efficient windows is a great selling point when it comes time to put a house on the market.” 

View more window tips at http://blog.simonton.com