Vinyl in Design

That vinyl is unique among plastics because about 70 percent of it is used in products expected to last 10 years or more?

Selection/Specification Guidance

Section Contents:

Relevant standards
Code information

Relevant standards. Because of the relative infancy of vinyl in the fencing, decking and railing market, standards are now in development for these specific areas. During this process, manufacturers are relying on railing and flooring requirements contained in existing building codes while standards specific to outdoor decking and railing are under development at ASTM and AAMA. For a list of applicable standards see "Bibliography."

Code information. Manufacturers of vinyl outdoor living products typically design products to meet the most demanding provisions of various international, national, state and municipal codes. Listed below is a sampling of codes organizations for reference.

Building Officials and Code Administrators International (BOCA)
Southern Building Code Congress International (SBCCI)
International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO)
International Code Council (ICC)
Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC)

In general, vinyl outdoor living products are well-accepted by these code organizations, although localized restrictions may apply. Always check local codes before specifying these or other products.

"Northern Ohio weather is brutal on any decking product. We've been through a full season with the vinyl deck and like it so much that we're going to replace more of the marina's docks with the product."

– Terry Ross, AIA,
Cedar Point Amusement Park