Vinyl is often referred to as the "infrastructure plastic," and with good reason. More than half of all vinyl produced annually in the United States is used to manufacture construction or furnishing products, and more vinyl is used in construction than any other plastic. Vinyl is used so widely in the construction industry because of its durability, easy installation and cost-effectiveness.
In the construction market, vinyl is used for:
| siding |
water distribution |
| irrigation & sewer |
wire & cable insulation |
| electrical conduit |
floor & wallcoverings |
| window frames |
gutters & downspouts |
| single-ply roofing |
landfill liners |
| piping used in food processing |
fire-sprinkler piping |
| piping used in chemical processing & other manufacturing |
fencing |
Approximately 76 percent of PVC is used in building and construction applications
1. Please see the links at right for overviews of the major types of PVC building products and the reasons they are used.
PVC’s durability is an important environmental benefit, because the longer a product lasts, the less energy and other resources must be expended to make and install replacement products. PVC also conserves energy in manufacture and more importantly in use.
Vinyl building and construction applications are typically divided into rigid and flexible categories. The use of plasticizers differentiates flexible vinyl products from rigid. Generally speaking, PVC materials would be classified as rigid when plasticizers have not been added to the resin, such as pipe, siding, windows, and fence, deck and rail. PVC flooring, wallcovering and reflective roofing are classified as flexible, and are available in a multitude of styles and colors.
Photo: Courtesy of CertainTeed Corporation
1 The Resin Review: The Annual Statistical Report of the U.S. Plastics Industry, American Plastics Council 2002
Documents
- PVC Pipe Meets Stringent Rules, Harsh Conditions of Aquariums
PVC piping has long been used in aquariums to ensure the purity of the water circulating through the tanks, and it also proved the best choice for disposing discharge water at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. Learn how PVC pipe helped the institution meet California's stringent environmental requirements.