Dear Editor,

Concerning your article “Clearing up the differences” (Jan/Feb 2019), I take issue with the quotation “extruded vinyl…can be an appropriate choice for applications that don’t see prolonged exposure to the environment.” Many factors determine the longevity of a vinyl window but how the vinyl is processed is not one of them. Responsible suppliers formulate their products to be stable and to resist UV degradation.  Whether the surface finish is created by polished rollers or polished plates should have no bearing on the serviceability or the longevity of the window. There is reason to believe that protective urethane-based coatings provide scratch resistance and add to longevity. However, these coatings are now available on extruded vinyl in rolls as well as press polished vinyl in sheets. Many users feel that polished sheets offer better optical qualities than roll goods. Others feel that extruded vinyl offers very acceptable optics and they focus on cost to benefit ratio for their windows. Our market is constantly evolving, and new products are emerging with improved and added properties. Users should evaluate the acceptability of each type of product for their own cost and application needs.  

Sincerely,

Linda Pieta, Robeco