The Advantages of UPVC

uPVC

• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a plastic polymer used to build everything from plumbing pipes to windows. PVC consists of vinyl chloride combined with plastic materials. This combination creates a resin that manufacturers pour into molds. As the resin hardens, it assumes rigidity. To make uPVC, manufacturers mix the same raw material found in PVC with nonplastic additives, creating a material similar in appearances to PVC but with a different chemical composition. The primary difference between PVC and uPVC lies in their rigidity -- the former is a much less flexible material than the latter. Like PVC, uPVC is a relatively inexpensive material.

Material Advantages

• The material advantages of uPVC consist of those benefits derived from the chemical additives placed in the raw material. For instance, uPVC window manufacturers often use special chemical ingredients designed to resist corrosion and penetration from weather. This type of material, therefore, provides a waterproof surface more or less impervious to damage from inclement weather. UPVC also resists damage from ultraviolent rays. Manufacturers advertise additional material advantages such as superior heat and sound insulation, and the easy recyclability of uPVC.

Damage Resistance and Flexibility

• Like PVC, uPVC proves relatively impervious to impact damage, though if you do something like smash it with a jackhammer, you can damage it. The material also is scratch-resistant and relatively flexible. Flexibility helps builders fit uPVC into tight spaces, making the material easy to work with. However, this flexibility also provides the disadvantage of making uPVC relatively weak and incapable of supporting heavy loads in the way that a wood can. You can easily clean uPVC, making it a good material for homeowners.

Competing Information

• The manufacturers of uPVC and companies selling uPVC products offer a good deal of information boasting of the qualities of the material. For instance, many manufacturers call uPVC fireproof or fire-resistant. However, according to Ulrich Knaack, author of the book “Facades: Principles of Construction,” the material offers little fire protection. While some manufacturers boast of uPVC’s recyclability, Callum Hill, author of “Wood Modification,” writes that you can ostensibly reuse uPVC from old windows in new windows, but getting rid of the material altogether may cause environmental damage. Always ask for proof of advantages offered by your uPVC retailer, and check this material against objective reports of uPVC performance.