Home Page Siding Comparison

This overview of home siding material options allows you to compare siding head to head in all the essential categories. You will also find individual pages for many of these materials where you can learn more detail as your research the right siding choice for your home or business. Information on each of the variables and choices is located below the table.

Type of Siding

Durability

Maintenance

Colors

Styles

Installation

Low Maintenance

Many

$.65-$2.00 square foot

Low Maintenance

Many

$2.50-$5.00 sf

Low Moderate

Few

$4-$6/sf Brick Veneer, $6-$10/sf Full Brick

Low Moderate

Several

$4-$6/sf Stone Veneer, $14-$18/sf Natural Stone

Moderate High

$2.50-$8.00 sq foot

High Maintenance

$6.80-$19/sf

The durability of the siding products you are considering is an important factor. How many years of dependability will you get from the siding? When will it need to be replaced because it can no longer protect your home or has become a visual liability?

The most durable siding options are stone and brick. When properly installed, they will last for centuries, potentially. These are also the most expensive siding choices, and that is no surprise. Vinyl and aluminum siding is very durable and resists weather quite well. In time, all siding will fade. You might want to replace it due to its appearance before it begins to fail your home. Here is what you can expect in terms of durability and longevity from todays most popular siding options.

The longevity and lifespan you get from the siding, considered with the cost of it produces value. Low cost and excellent longevity is the epitome of value, but you dont get that in the siding industry. Longevity and cost tend to go hand in hand, but there are some sidings that offer better bang for your buck than others. Here are costs along with an evaluation of the sidings value. All prices are per square foot.

The more style, color and texture options you have in a product, the more likely you are to find one that produces the look youre trying to achieve on your home.

What are the possible downsides of each type of siding? There are many reasons to be overly cautious about choosing siding for your home remodeling project. Here are some notes about each type.

Narrow your options based on your budget. Then, consider the products that will help you attain the look you want for your home. Dont overlook the maintenance requirements of each product in terms of the time and/or money it will take to keep it looking good and performing as it should.

You might also want to consider how long you intend to be in your current home. The longer you plan to be there, the more sense it makes to choose a high-end siding product. Consider all of these factors and youll come up with one or two siding products that will meet all off your requirements.

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Comparison of Siding Costs, Durability, Installation and more

Further efforts in these endeavors will continue this October at the AAMA National Fall Conference in Greenville, SC.

Installation Standard Review Focuses on Stucco Interface

Having been earmarked for review by the Document Management Committee, AAMA 2400-10,Standard Practice for Installation of Windows with a Mounting Flange in Open Stud Frame Construction for Low Wind/Water Exposure, was the subject of preliminary recommendations submitted by volunteer Kim Flanary (Milgard). Aside from editorial updates to better align with ASTM E2112-07 (2016), proposed changes focused on window installation with stucco siding. To cure the problem of stucco cracking due to thermal expansion or contraction of window frames, it was recommended to specify use of a stucco key in the post-installation section. A stucco key, installed so that backer rod and sealant are not required, establishes a quarter-inch gap around the window to allow for thermal movement and provides a finishing point for the stucco.To finalize the AAMA 2400 update recommendations, the Council established a task group, to be chaired by Flanary.

AAMA 504 Load Test Parameters Specified

AAMA 504-05,Voluntary Laboratory Test Method to Qualify Fenestration Installation Procedures, is being updated by the responsible task group (Chair: Jim Katsaros [DuPont]). Recently, Draft 9 was balloted to the product group, with most comments being judged as substantive. Section 9 has posed the most areas of concern, and has been rewritten to address test cycling load magnitude, cycle duration and total number of cycles to be administered (per ASTM E2264 as referenced in the 504 document). The task group agreed to set the number of cycles at 10 for a duration of 10 seconds each. Load magnitude and references to the ASTM E330 (structural test under a static air pressure difference) Procedure A, vs. ASTM E2357 for air leakage testing, still need to be clarified. The rewritten portions will be re-balloted.

Flashing Standards Refine Test References for Water Drainage and Crack Bridging

With the final number of required voting individuals weighing in at the last minute, Draft #3 of the pending update to AAMA 711-13,Voluntary Specification for Self-Adhering Flashing Used for Installation of Exterior Wall Fenestration Product, was successfully balloted to the product group. Several substantive comments were reviewed during the Summer Conference by the Flashing Committee (Chair: Jim Katsaros [DuPont]). The standard spells out methods for testing resistance to water penetration around nails and evaluates how well a self-adhering flashing tape remains bonded to the substrate after thermal cycling at three levels of heat exposure and water immersion.

Given that 711 has no allowance for a flashing tape that drains tape to the exterior, the latest round of discussion resulted in the recommendation that AAMA establish a measure of such drainage, using a test fixture that has already been developed. ASTM E2273,Standard Test Method for Determining the Drainage Efficiency of Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) Clad Wall Assemblies, was posed as the reference for acceptance criteria.

The status of the crack bridging study, being performed for the review of the AAMA 714 standard for liquid-applied flashing, was examined, centering on conclusions indicated by round robin testing. The protocols of ASTM C1305,Standard Test Method for Crack Bridging Ability of Liquid-Applied Waterproofing Membrane, were reviewed for applicability. It was noted that testing at the manufacturers recommendations for test specimen thickness as opposed to the thicker samples specified in ASTM C1305, yielded mixed results. It was ultimately decided to modify 714, Section 5.6, to test specimens of the manufacturers specified thickness at class I and class II, and to specify the C1305 testing temperature at -26C (-15F). Given that some manufacturers recommend a range of thickness, a note would also be added to specify that the manufacturers minimum recommended thickness should be used for testing. Table 7 for acceptance criteria was updated accordingly.

ROESE Functionality Needs Definition

The ROESE Feasibility Task Group (Chair: Jim Katsaros [DuPont]) reviewed the status of the HIRL (Home Innovations Research Labs) /DOE Project as part of its effort to develop a standard for installation of windows into FPIS walls that would specify the use of Rough Opening Extension Support Elements (ROESE) for certain situations. It was noted that the FPIS document published last year by the HIRL/DOE group lacked material requirements and did not include standards for the structural support of a window. HIRL was reported as conducting a study on the latter that disproportionately emphasized foam products. An advisory letter was sent to HIRL on XX date (see Rich Rinka for specifics that letter already went out).

Ballot Responses Sought for Joint Installation Document

The Joint AAMA/FMA/WDMA Replacement Window Task Group (Chair: Jim Katsaros [DuPont]) notes that the latest draft of the document is still open pending responses to the latest ballot which was due July 10. Voting members are requested to respond as soon as possible.

AAMA 800 Fine Tuning Continues

The current revision draft to AAMA 800 was successfully balloted to the product group. The Sealants (AAMA 800) Maintenance Committee (chair: Mark Toth [H.B. Fuller) reviewed substantive comments to the ballot, which focused on how the standard addresses long term UV exposure. A disclaimer that had been added to Note 2 in Section 5 on Exterior Perimeter Sealing Compounds used the term long term without defining what long term meant, so it had to be resolved whether to define the length of exposure or to simply state that the standard did not address this aspect. The latter approach was adopted and Note 2 accordingly revised to state that long-term exposure is beyond the scope of the document and directing the reader to contact the manufacturer. Meanwhile, the Exterior Sealant Long-Term Durability Work Group, formed at the February annual conference to more fully address the issue, had not as yet met.

Meanwhile, the AAMA 812 Insulating Expanding Foams Task Group (Chair: Beverly Selle [Dow Chemical]) awaits results of balloting before determining additional efforts.

Standard Updates Continue

The 2017 Summer Conference logged continued progress in the development of new and revised standards:

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WIC Talks Standards Updates, Test Parameters at Summer Conference - Glass on Web

If youre concerned with reducing your carbon footprint while remodeling your patio or building a new home, theres good news: cedar and other wood products are an economical and eco-friendly building resource alternative to cement.

Concrete, which requires fossil fuel for production, releases a ton of toxic carbon dioxide into the atmosphere for every ton produced. Wood, on the other hand is a natural resource grown only with natural materials sun, rain and soil right in our backyard.

One Planet Living

Issaquah Cedar and Lumber provided sustainable cedar for construction of the Grow Community on Bainbridge Island. This multifamily green housing project is one of nine endorsed One Planet Living Communities in the world and the second to be built in North America. This is part of a trend, spurred by popular demand from homeowners, for developers to commit to building a community that supports these ten principles:

Building with wood: Good for the air we breathe

Working forests play an integral role in controlling toxic carbon emissions. The commercial forests in Washington and the harvested wood products they produce absorb and then store about 25 percent of the regions total emissions.

Forests are giant carbon sinks, actively cleansing the air we breath. Growing trees, particularly during the first few years after planting, suck toxic carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and turn it into clean solid carbon and atmospheric oxygen. This is done through photosynthesis.

When trees are harvested and made into lumber, the wood continues to store carbon permanently and keep it out of the air we breath. In fact, about 50 percent of the weight of the wood used to build our houses, cabinetry and furniture is the toxic gas, safely sequestered as nature intended it to be.

The forests in Washington that are producing cedar and other wood for lumber adhere strongly to widely certified standards of sustainable forestry. This means growers are committed to:

Cedar proven to be most eco-friendly for siding and decking

A recent study performed by Canadas leading forestry research laboratory, FPInnovations-Forintek, measured the environmental impact of various building materials from cradle to grave.

Complex analysis was conducted on Western red cedar decking and siding, wood-plastic composite decking, brick, fiber-cement and vinyl against a range of measurables such as resource use, water use, energy use, transportation and waste created. Western red cedar products substantially outperformed other materials in every category.

The life cycle study covered four stages of production: resource extraction and manufacturing (cradle-to-gate manufacturing), transportation to customer, installation and use, and end-of-life disposition (landfilling). Products were measured and evaluated against six criteria that include information about the environmental impacts associated with a product or service, such as raw material acquisition, energy use, carbon footprint, emissions to air, soil and water, and waste generation.

Western red cedar has been a bestseller at our store for years, says Stacy Kovats, marketing director at Issaquah Cedar and Lumber. Our customers trust its strength, durability and beauty for building everything from fences and decks, to home siding.

Additionally, all of the products at Issaquah Cedar and Lumber are locally sourced and produced on-site by people who live in the community. That means building with wood is not only good for the environment but also supports the local economy.

Issaquah Cedar and Lumberhas been in business forover 115 years. We supply the Puget Sound area with the highest-qualityWestern red cedar products and materials, including decking,siding,beams,shakes, shingles and custom-milled cedar materials.

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Building with wood can lighten environmental footprint - The Seattle Times

This press release was orginally distributed by SBWire

Cherry Hill, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/31/2017 -- Alan Cherry's Exteriors, one of the best roofing contractors in Marlton, NJ, is happy to announce they offer siding installation to residents in South Jersey and the greater Philadelphia area. Right now is the perfect time for homeowners to prepare their home from hail and wind damage before this year's hurricane season.

Since 1975, Alan Cherry's Exteriors' customer first mentality has helped make them a major player in the competitive roofing industry in the area. From roof repairs to window installation, customers are always left happy and satisfied. Aside from roof, window and siding installation and repair, Alan Cherry's Exteriors also offers interior renovation like flooring, bathroom and kitchen remodeling.

Customers really appreciate the level of customer satisfaction the crew at Alan Cherry's Exteriors goes to in order to make their customers happy. In a recent review on Facebook, Belinda Legrand-Haynes of Philadelphia exclaimed, "After careful consideration, my husband and I chose to go with Alan Cherry's Exterior, and we are really glad we did. We had such a nice experience from beginning to end. Krystin received the call from us and was pleasant and courteous. Mike was professional and knowledgeable of the product he was selling. What can we say about Josh such professionalism and easy to work with. Such excellent work and neat. I would definitely recommend Alan Exteriors for roof, windows and any exterior work."

Of their forty Facebook reviews, the company has been able to maintain a near perfect 4.8 out of five-star rating. Anyone interested in more information on Alan Cherry's Exteriors or the services they offer can head over to their website at https://www.cherryswindowsidingroofing.com/. The Cherry Hill, NJ roofers can also be reached by dialing 856-347-8292.

About Alan Cherry's ExteriorsAlan Cherry's Exteriors is a full-service contractor that performs installations and repairs on siding, roofs, and windows, as well as kitchens and bathrooms. Family owned and operated since 1975; the company is a go-to source for repairs in South Jersey and Philadelphia.

For more information, visit them on the web at http://www.cherryswindowsidingroofing.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/alan-cherrys-exteriors-the-premier-siding-installer-in-south-jersey-840996.htm

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Alan Cherry's Exteriors: The Premier Siding Installer in South Jersey - Digital Journal

Best 25+ Siding installation ideas on Pinterest

13 Simple Vinyl Siding Installation Tips

Install Longer Panels First - When installing siding on each side of a window or door, start on the side that needs the longer panels. Longer siding panels don't stretch as readily as smaller ones, so they're not as easy to adjust if they get out of whack. Before nailing the last couple of pieces on the small side, measure up to the top of the window to make sure both sides are at the same height.

Installing Vinyl Siding in These 23 Steps

How to Install Vinyl Siding in 23 Steps - Tips on Vinyl Siding Installation

HardiePlank Lap Siding Install Video - YouTube

Installing Vinyl Siding in These 23 Steps

While vinyl siding is not for everyone, millions of American homeowners have decided that it's exactly right for them. The truth is, the price of a vinyl siding installation can be cut nearly in half if you're willing to do the work yourself.

13 Simple Vinyl Siding Installation Tips

Crimp and Caulk the Top Course

13 Simple Vinyl Siding Installation Tips

Installing or repairing vinyl siding on your house? A professional siding contractor shares tips to help you achieve great results.

How to Install Vinyl Siding in 8 Easy Steps | DoItYourself.com

13 Simple Vinyl Siding Repair and Installation Tips | The Family Handyman. Get the details right when you install vinyl siding and you'll save yourself hours of frustration later on. These 13 simple tips will help

13 Simple Vinyl Siding Installation Tips

There's no way to stop rainwater from getting into the J-channel that sits on the top of windows and doors. But you can stop that water from getting behind the side J-channels. Create a flap in the top J-channel that overlaps the side channels.

13 Simple Vinyl Siding Installation Tips

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Best 20+ Siding Installation ideas on Pinterest | Vinyl ...

Vinyl is a polymer formed during a chemical do-si-do between ethylene gas and chlorine, which produces a fine white powder called vinyl resin. When it's melted and mixed with different additives, the resulting compound can be as rigid as pipe, as supple as a shower curtain, or durable enough to survive the heavy foot traffic on a kitchen floor.

New, so-called virgin vinyl siding has a greater complement of the key additives that impart flexibility and resistance to UV degradation. Some manufacturers will tout their product as 100 percent virgin (along with a mention of its supposed superiority), but most siding is made with a core of remelted vinyl top-coated with virgin material.

Typically, vinyl siding is extruded through a die, but to produce the deepest patterns and crispest edges, panels must be molded from polypropylene, a more expensive plastic. Molded panels are typically no more than 4 feet long, while vinyl extrusions can be virtually any length.

Rap on a vinyl-sided wall with your knuckles, and it will flex and sound hollow. That's because, in most cases, only a relatively small area of a vinyl panel is actually resting against the sheathing.

A thin panel, or one without support, is more likely to sag over time. The thinnest siding that meets code is .035 inch thick. Premium siding can be .044 to .048 inch, and a few manufacturers sell .055-inch siding. The thicker sidings tend to be stiffer, and therefore more resistant to sagging, but stiffness depends on other characteristics as well.

Panels with a folded-over, doubled nailing hem and a relatively deep profile tend to be stiffer than others, as do those with narrow clapboards: The more bends the better. Although claims are made that thicker siding is also more impact resistant than thin siding, test results suggest that it has more to do with its chemical makeup, which, unfortunately, is not available to consumers who want to compare products.

Thinner, less-stiff sidings can also be sucked off a house when high winds blow. Reading the manufacturer's warranty should give you a good indication of the product's ability to handle heavy weather. Some even comply with the 146-miles-per-hour wind code in hurricane-prone Miami, Florida.

One siding, Wolverine Millennium, comes with a won't-blow-off warranty, and its literature states that it will withstand 180-mph winds, when nailed properly.

Read more here:
For the Love of Vinyl Siding | This Old House

1

Install horizontal siding, such as aluminum or vinyl by hanging the underlayment and installing the trim.

2

Add the corner posts, using two nails in the upper slots to suspend them. If you use more than one piece to complete a corner, be sure that there is an overlap of 1 inch (2.54cm).

3

Place the footer, which is the piece of trim that is at the bottom of each exterior wall, as starter strip of siding will slide into this.

4

Apply a strip of F-channel trim at the top of the exterior walls, under the eaves. The top sheets of siding will slide under this piece.

5

6

Proceed up the wall, interlocking the bottom of each sheet with the top of the previous sheets. Be sure to overlap successive panels by 1 inch (2.54cm).

7

Trim the siding panels using a circular saw to meet windows, doors, and corners. Use gutter-seal adhesive to finish the installation at window sills and eaves.

8

Install the top panel by trimming the unneeded portion from the top of the sheet. Lock it into place at the top of the preceding panel, and slide it under the F-channel.

9

Install vertical siding by first locating the mid-point of the wall.

10

Draw a vertically level line at this position using a straightedge.

11

Center the starter panel on that line and cut the strip 1/8 inch (0.3175cm) short, to allow for expansion. Hang this panel by placing a nail at the top of each nail strip, at about 8 inch (20.32cm) increments.

12

Cut the successive strips to rest on the footer, always allowing a 1/8 inch (0.3175cm) gap at the top. Moving from the center out, interlock each strip with the previous one, continuing to place the nails at 8 inch (20.32cm) increments.

13

Install a J-channel on the post when you reach a corner. Shim the J-channel at about 5/16 inch (0.794cm) to keep the post on the same plane as the other strips. The edges will insert between the J-channel and the outer flange of the post.

14

Add panels around the doors and windows in the same manner as in Step 6.

15

Proceed with the following steps for installing wood siding. The primary difference between this application and the others, is that the vertical corner boards will be installed last.

16

Install trim boards to surround windows and doors. Add metal flashing to control water flow.

17

Cut the boards to length, making sure that the joints meet over a stud. Make sure that each plank is cut square to avoid any gaps. Be sure to prime the sheets of siding on both sides and at the edges. Also, be sure to prime any exposed ends when panels are trimmed.

18

19

Complete installation adding the vertical boards at the corners, so that they are flush with the horizontal boards, but always allow at least 1/8 inch (0.3175cm) for expansion.

Originally posted here:
How to Install Exterior Siding - wikiHow

FORT ANN Residents of Fort Ann school district will vote in September on a nearly $3.7 million capital project to replace and reconstruct roofs, improve parking lots, relocate and upgrade the fitness room and create a new 21st Century Learning Center.

The school board on Friday approved setting a Sept. 19 referendum for the $3.69 million project. The polls will be open from noon to 8 p.m.

Much of the work was identified by Mosaic Associates Architects in the five-year building conditions survey it prepared for the district, which has about 475 students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Big-ticket items include about $300,000 to repave and improve the main parking area and bus loop and $183,000 to improve drainage and pave the rear parking lot.

School officials also want to transform a classroom into what they are calling a 21st Century Learning Center, which would include a collaborative learning area, MakerSpace area where students can do hands-on projects, LED monitors, multiple whiteboards, reconfigurable furniture and storage and cabinets.

The project allocates $90,000 for a relocated fitness room, including space for yoga, a universal gym machine, treadmills, exercise bikes and a renovated bathroom.

Other projects include fixing water infiltration in the basement, replacing six electrical panels, replacing gym lighting and adding switching, upgrading the public address system, replacing hot water heaters, upgrading exit and emergency light systems and replacing gym doors and hardware and exterior doors.

The project also includes installation of a new auditorium sound system, reconstruction of the stage apron and air conditioning for the high school computer lab.

A number of upgrades would be made to the bus garage, including replacement of the roof, main furnace and air handling unit; installation of new siding and of a fuel tank leak detection monitor.

The district plans to tap $200,000 from fund balance. It would bond the remaining $3.49 million and receive state aid reimbursement of 76.1 percent.

School officials have said previously they have debt coming off the books that would be timed for this project. Superintendent Kevin Froats said there would be no additional tax impact from the project.

The capital project will protect the communitys long-term investment in its schools and bus garage, he said in an email.

People can apply for absentee ballots. Applications must be received by the district clerk at least seven days before the vote if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter on or prior to Sept. 18 if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter. Completed ballots must be returned to the clerk no later than 5 p.m. Sept. 19.

You can read Michael Goots blog, A Time to Learn, at http://www.poststar.com or his updates on Twitter @ps_education.

Continue reading here:
Fort Ann school officials want $3.7 million to improve site, upgrade facilities - Glens Falls Post-Star

Builder Magazine

James Hardie Introduces Luxury Siding Collection Builder Magazine ... http://www.aspyredesign.com, which provides building professionals with a look book of design ideas for the Reveal Panel System, for Artisan Siding products and for the Reveal system + Artisan products in combination, as well as product and installation ...

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James Hardie Introduces Luxury Siding Collection - Builder Magazine

CLADDING on tower blocks is being ripped down across Britain amid fears it could contribute towards another deadly Grenfell-like fire.

Councils across the country have been testing materials on their own buildings heres what you need to know about the controversial building decor dubbed asilent killer.

Eyevine

Cladding is a material which is wrapped around the outside of a building.

It is used to improve appearance and energy efficiency.

Colourful green and blue panels designed to improve insulation and soften the look of the brutalist concrete block were fitted to Grenfell Tower in Kensington, West London,as part of a 9million refurb completedin May 2017.

Dense foam boards coated in zinc rainproof sheets were spaced 30mm apart across the 24-storey building, which housed 120 flats and at least 500 residents.

Just two months before the Grenfell fireLondon Fire Brigadewarned all 33 councils in the capital about the risks of cladding on tower blocks.

The disastrous fire at the 24-storey block was started by a Hotpoint fridge freezer on the fourth floor.

Experts said the composite foam sandwich panels helped spread the fire quickly from the lower floors all the way up the block.

The material used in the cladding on Grenfell was the cheaper, more flammable version of the two available options, an investigation of the supply chain by The Guardian has claimed.

Fireproof cladding initially planned for Grenfell was reportedly downgraded so the council could save money.

Leaked emails seen by The Times reportedly show that Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO), who managed the building on the councils behalf, saved 293,000 by downgrading the material used to clad the 1970s tower.

Arnold Tarling, 55, of the Association of Specialist Fire Protection, said the foam went up like matchsticks.

And he said the waterproof zinc coating made it even harder for firefighters to douse the blaze.

He added: The cladding looks lovely, its cheap, complies with regulations and gives the building a high environmental rating. But its a silent killer.

Witnesses to the blaze on June 14, which resulted in dozens of deaths,described how the material went up like paper.

It has now been claimed the deathtrap cladding is banned in America and a fireproof version could have cost just 5,000 more.

And the claddings manufacturers clearly state in its brochure that it should not be used on a building above a height of ten metres (32ft), according to the Express.

The number of deadly tower blocks with combustible cladding similar to Grenfell Tower is 208, according to the government.

All of those blocks tested so far have failed fire safety checks.

Five tower blocks in Camden were evacuated as emergency safety work was carried out by the council, following the Grenfell Tower blaze.

Cladding has been ripped from other towers in areas including Plymouth, Greater Manchester, Liverpool, Portsmouth and Sunderland.

Fears were also raised that the same flammable cladding used on Grenfell Tower could be attached to UK hospitals, schools and hotels.

Ryhl High School in Denbighshire was closed after the county council found cladding on the building was made by the same company who produced that used on the tower block in London.

Concerns were also raised about cladding on three Premier Inns in Maidenhead, Brentford and Tottenham, because they did not appear to comply with government guidance for tall buildings.

Cladding like that used onGrenfell Tower has also been found at up to 30 NHS trusts.

Communities secretary Sajid Javid has slammed the slow progress of some authorities and landlords and said ministers will force them to take action if they do not ensure flats are safe.

He also said he was considering naming and shaming those councils and housing associations who had failed to provide samples for testing.

The BBC has reported that 60 tower blocks have failed new tests carried on both cladding and insulation.

In depth tests checked the cladding in combination with the foam insulation used in Grenfell.

Shockingly, the death trap combination was found in at least 60 other blocks only nine, based in Salford, have been identified so far.

The Department for Communities and Local Government will publish its full findings of the whole system fire test on July 28, the BBC says.

Tests were conducted by theBuilding Research Establishment near Watford and involved setting a fire underneath a mock up of the insulation system used at Grenfell.

Salford had already begun removing cladding, and said they had already expected the nine towers to fail.

They were built in the 1960s and were re-clad recently with shiny panels and insulation to cut energy bills.

According to planning documents, sub-contractors Harley were paid 2.6million to oversee the cladding installation.

A spokesman for Harley Facades told The Sun they worked on the refurb and installation of exterior cladding.

They said: The Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) panels are a commonly used product in the refurbishment industry.

Harley Facades Limited do not manufacture these panels.

The renovation works at Grenfell Towers were reportedlyinspected 16 TIMESby Kensington and Chelsea council,whose chief executive has now resigned.

Originally posted here:
What is cladding, why was it used on Grenfell Tower and how many tower blocks have failed the latest fire tests? - The Sun