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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
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    Charlottesville, Va.
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    300

    Default Vinyl Siding/ Apparent Heat Damage ?

    On first look I'd think something was wrong with the gas fireplace, which heated and deformed the siding. I pulled a few pieces of the siding off (this was not during or for an inspection) to look at the sheathing, which as you can see was undamaged. I'm perplexed as to what caused this damage and looking for some help.

    This is on the north east corner of the house and never gets any direct sunlight.

    Thank you

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Spring Hill (Nashville), TN
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    5,851

    Default Re: Vinyl Siding/ Apparent Heat Damage ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Robert Foster View Post
    On first look I'd think something was wrong with the gas fireplace, which heated and deformed the siding. I pulled a few pieces of the siding off (this was not during or for an inspection) to look at the sheathing, which as you can see was undamaged. I'm perplexed as to what caused this damage and looking for some help.

    This is on the north east corner of the house and never gets any direct sunlight.

    Thank you
    That was caused by the reflection off that window! The sun reflecting onto the siding melted it!! This is becoming more and more common with the new high E windows that are being installed in homes. They can place a sunscreen on that window and it will most likely stop it fromm happing again.

    My guess is that the morning sun is catching that window at a certain time of the year and doing its deed then.

    Scott Patterson, ACI
    Spring Hill, TN
    www.traceinspections.com

  3. #3
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    Mar 2007
    Location
    Columbus GA
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    3,747

    Default Re: Vinyl Siding/ Apparent Heat Damage ?

    Of course you know that there should be a WRB over the OSB.

    I agree with what you were thinking. The damaged siding is likely caused by heat from the fireplace. The question you want to know is why there no heat damage to the OSB? The OSB does not damage as easily at the low temperatures needed to cause damage to the vinyl siding.
    You may want to check if insulation is installed in that area.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Scott Patterson View Post
    That was caused by the reflection off that window! The sun reflecting onto the siding melted it!! This is becoming more and more common with the new high E windows that are being installed in homes. They can place a sunscreen on that window and it will most likely stop it fromm happing again.

    My guess is that the morning sun is catching that window at a certain time of the year and doing its deed then.
    I think that is unlikely. The vinyl siding is damaged well below the area I would expect any reflection.

    ' correct a wise man and you gain a friend... correct a fool and he'll bloody your nose'.

  4. #4
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    Mar 2009
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    Charlottesville, Va.
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    300

    Default Re: Vinyl Siding/ Apparent Heat Damage ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Scott Patterson View Post
    That was caused by the reflection off that window! The sun reflecting onto the siding melted it!! This is becoming more and more common with the new high E windows that are being installed in homes. They can place a sunscreen on that window and it will most likely stop it fromm happing again.

    My guess is that the morning sun is catching that window at a certain time of the year and doing its deed then.
    I discounted that possibility given that this is the north side of the house, but the linear nature and angle of the damage definitely leads me to this explanation....

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick Cantrell View Post
    Of course you know that there should be a WRB over the OSB.

    I agree with what you were thinking. The damaged siding is likely caused by heat from the fireplace. The question you want to know is why there no heat damage to the OSB? The OSB does not damage as easily at the low temperatures needed to cause damage to the vinyl siding.
    You may want to check if insulation is installed in that area.
    If the heat was coming from the interior, I would think the damage would be more broad based and not so focused in a linear way....

    The interior of the fireplace looks like it's hardly been used....


  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    NY Finger Lakes Area
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    206

    Default Re: Vinyl Siding/ Apparent Heat Damage ?

    ..........Scott gave you the right answer...........Greg


  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Charlotte NC
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    2,304

    Default Re: Vinyl Siding/ Apparent Heat Damage ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Robert Foster View Post
    I discounted that possibility given that this is the north side of the house, but the linear nature and angle of the damage definitely leads me to this explanation....

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    If the heat was coming from the interior, I would think the damage would be more broad based and not so focused in a linear way....

    The interior of the fireplace looks like it's hardly been used....
    I agree with Scott. I've seen it many times and the north side does not get a bye! My patio is on the north side and the sun will drive you off it mid summer.

    Last edited by Vern Heiler; 11-07-2013 at 03:35 PM.
    The beatings will continue until morale has improved. mgt.

  7. #7
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    Mar 2007
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    Columbus GA
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    Default Re: Vinyl Siding/ Apparent Heat Damage ?

    Reflected sunlight is a very common cause of damage to vinyl siding., and IF reflected sunlight IS hitting the siding in that area, that is most likely the cause. From the photo, it just does not look like much if any reflected light will hit the lower portion of the siding. So if it is not from reflected light, then what are the other possibilities?

    ' correct a wise man and you gain a friend... correct a fool and he'll bloody your nose'.

  8. #8
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    Mar 2008
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    Charlotte NC
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    Default Re: Vinyl Siding/ Apparent Heat Damage ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Rick Cantrell View Post
    Reflected sunlight is a very common cause of damage to vinyl siding., and IF reflected sunlight IS hitting the siding in that area, that is most likely the cause. From the photo, it just does not look like much if any reflected light will hit the lower portion of the siding. So if it is not from reflected light, then what are the other possibilities?
    That area is about where I would expect to see the suns reflection.

    The beatings will continue until morale has improved. mgt.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
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    Charlottesville, Va.
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    Default Re: Vinyl Siding/ Apparent Heat Damage ?

    Thanks for all the replies.

    So if it's the sun, what time frame might this occur in. Say there was formerly a large bush there that was trimmed back mid-summer, could the damage happen over a month or two ?


  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Lansdale, PA
    Posts
    876

    Default Re: Vinyl Siding/ Apparent Heat Damage ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Robert Foster View Post
    Thanks for all the replies.

    So if it's the sun, what time frame might this occur in. Say there was formerly a large bush there that was trimmed back mid-summer, could the damage happen over a month or two ?
    That pattern is a classic example of damage from reflected sunlight. I have seen almost identical damaged a couple of times. I think under the right conditions it could happen in one day.


  11. #11

    Default Re: Vinyl Siding/ Apparent Heat Damage ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Reinmiller View Post
    That pattern is a classic example of damage from reflected sunlight. I have seen almost identical damaged a couple of times. I think under the right conditions it could happen in one day.
    This is more common than you may think. It just takes the right conditions and as Scott has stated it is reflected light. All it needs is the home to have the right angle, the window glass to have the proper deflection causing a parabolic distortion and at times it is just like burning grass when you were a kid with a magnifying glass. The window appears to be the key item, the right angle and distortion create the opportunity for focused light.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Zehnder View Post
    This is more common than you may think. It just takes the right conditions and as Scott has stated it is reflected light. All it needs is the home to have the right angle, the window glass to have the proper deflection causing a parabolic distortion and at times it is just like burning grass when you were a kid with a magnifying glass. The window appears to be the key item, the right angle and distortion create the opportunity for focused light.
    Also we had a couple of TV news crews in this past year in the Raleigh area, just Google melted siding on the local Raleigh TV stations and it should come up!

    Jeff Zehnder - Home Inspector, Raleigh, NC
    http://www.jjeffzehnder.com/
    http://carolinahomeinspections.com/

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
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    Charlottesville, Va.
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    Default Re: Vinyl Siding/ Apparent Heat Damage ?

    Wow, this is pretty amazing to me. Thank you for all the replies and the education.

    Here's an episode of This Old House that shows the exact same thing.


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