Melting Siding

My daughter just bought a brand new house and just closed about a month ago.
I inspected it for her and even went through a final walkthrough with the builder.
So I have walked around the outside of the home several times. Yesterday when I was there all of a sudden Boom I noticed melted siding on the northwest wall and the southwest wall at the corner of the garage. The true outside corner faces due west. I know that melted siding is a lot of time blamed on sun reflecting off windows next door, but this is a new neighborhood & there are no other homes yet within several hundred feet. Also we have been hard pressed to get any hot days here yet to speak of. Could this be such cheap siding that it can’t withstand the sun??:mad:

Any Pictures?:slight_smile:

It isnt always from windows next door. I have seen many times its from windows on the home that is affected, any inside corners?
I also think at times it has to do with the backing behind the siding. Peel a piece back in the effected area, and take a peek. If you dont already have one, siding suppliers sell a tool to help relock the siding, its a small hook type item to hook under the lock. I call mine the “zipper” , not sure of the real product name though.

…Vinyl siding zip tool: http://www.google.com/search?sugexp=eqrwrth&gs_rn=14&gs_ri=psy-ab&pq=zip+lock+tool+vinyl+siding&cp=3&gs_id=3&xhr=t&q=zip+tool+vinyl+siding&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&biw=1600&bih=674&wrapid=tljp136966190096520&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=1WGjUafjBKrlyQHTg4GABg

Reflection heat from its own windows melting cheap/thin siding would be my guess without more info and pictures.

Sorry no pictures. I have a Zip tool but what would I be looking for behind the siding?

Also,no inside corners involved here. This is an outside 90 degree corner that does not face any windows of the home at all

casement or double hung windows?

Melting or buckling? Use the zip tool and peek behind the siding to check if the fasteners are too tight. They are supposed to be a little loose (and be centered in the nail slot) to allow for expansion / contraction.

I would also check to make sure they didn’t nail the siding too tight. Some companies around here also use nail guns even though code no longer allows for the use of them and sometimes the staples go through the nail hem instead of the nail slot.

Pictures! Everything is speculation otherwise. :slight_smile:

I have seen siding melt in a day due to gazing balls and bird baths.

Roy, don’t forget about four weeks ago we had one heck of a snowstorm followed by a couple of hot days near 80f degrees. Sun reflecting off the snow could have been the culprit!

I remember reading this a while back and finding it very interesting. It hasn’t been mentioned here yet and may be the culprit.

BBQ grills in close proximity to vinyl siding will warp it.

I think they said it was a new house. Maybe the contractor had a party? :slight_smile:

Roy,
Follow Juan’s Link, thats what I was saying to look for under the siding.
Backerboard installed improperly may be the culprit, it also may be nailed too tight as others have mentioned, but that creates what they call oil-canning, its a different warping than you described, more dented and puckered looking.
Sun may be reflecting off of a lot of different things, puddle, pool, bird bath. Look everywhere you can.

James made a great point, even though it was only a question, I’m pretty sure I know where he was going with this. Casement windows would be at a right angle to the wall once they are opened, tricky!!!