What is PVC Used in Buildings?
PVC is a material used in many different fields due to its resistant structure. PVC, which is frequently preferred because of its lightness and functionality, has a very common use especially in buildings. So what exactly is PVC?
As Villa Yapı, one of the pioneers of the prefabricated building sector, we have prepared a detailed guide about PVC in this article. In this context, you can find answers to questions such as what PVC is, where it is used in the building and outside the building, what are its properties.
What is PVC?
The question of what PVC is, is wondered by many people related to the construction and chemical industries. In short, PVC, or Polyvinyl Chloride in its long form, is a plastic polymer material. PVC, which is produced from two different main materials, petroleum and salt, is the most widely used plastic type among polymer materials.
Apart from petroleum and salt, various additives can be used during the production of PVC. Thus, PVC both offers a wider usage area and becomes a lower cost material. In addition, it should be noted that additives make PVC easier to take shape. In particular, PVC has a much softer structure thanks to the plasticizers used in its production.
In fact, PVC needs high temperature values to take shape. Because PVC contains chlorine, its temperature value is also quite high. Therefore, if it is exposed to high temperature, it will reach the desired plastic consistency.
What are PVC Forms?
PVC material basically has two forms. These forms are distinguished from each other as rigid and flexible. PVC forms used for different purposes also have different properties. In this context, solid PVC is preferred in the building sector, while flexible PVC is used in more everyday items such as coasters, rubber boots and bottles.
In addition, solid PVCs; We can say that it stands out with its use in areas such as floor covering, wall covering, pipe construction, door and window production. Exactly for this reason, we can answer the question of what is PVC used in buildings as solid form PVC.
Where is PVC Used?
PVC material is used in two different areas, inside and outside the building. While the PVC products used in the building are generally doors, windows and plumbing pipes, the PVC products used outside the building are quite diverse.
PVC is used in different building types, especially prefabricated buildings, reinforced concrete structures and containers.
Especially in containers, PVC flooring on betopan sheets is preferred. In addition, PVC material comes to the fore in roof covering and plumbing pipes. Again, prefabricated houses and reinforced concrete structures draw attention with the use of PVC.
In this direction, the usage areas of PVC are as follows:
• Door and window profiles,
• Roofing material,
• Facade cladding,
• Floor and wall covering,
• Suspended ceiling material,
• Pipe and installation materials,
• Electric cables,
• Industrial products,
• Bank cards,
• Medical technical devices,
• Personal products
What Are the Properties of PVC?
There are many features that increase the preference of PVC. PVC, which draws attention especially because of its resistance to environmental conditions and its cheapness, is used in many different fields. So what are the PVC properties in question?
1. Robust and Long Lasting
Special additives are used in the production of PVC. These substances increase the durability of PVC and ensure its longevity. Therefore, PVC material becomes stronger against environmental conditions and can be used for many years.
It should also be noted that PVC is extremely resistant to corrosion, chemical reactions and wear problems. Precisely for this reason, it is often preferred in the doors and windows of buildings. So much so that PVC has become a preferred material instead of wooden doors and windows.
PVC model doors and windows produced with today’s technology are mostly used in new buildings. Therefore, we can say that it is widely used in prefabricated buildings compatible with modern architectural understanding.
If you want to have information about the service life of prefabricated houses, how long is the life of a prefabricated house, which we discussed about the durability of prefabricated houses? You can also read our article.
2. It Has A Light Structure
Polymer materials are very light products. Since PVC is among polymer materials, it has a light structure. PVC, which is used not only in the construction sector but also in many different sectors due to its lightness, has a remarkably strong structure.
The fact that PVC is light indicates that it is more functional, especially compared to other materials used in the production of window and ceiling panels.
3. Has Excellent Insulation Performance
The heat transfer coefficient of PVC material is at an excellent level for insulation. In this way, PVC exhibits a great performance in thermal insulation. Therefore, PVC windows and doors used in buildings will be a good choice in terms of insulation. Let’s add that PVC products provide not only heat insulation but also sound insulation.
On the other hand, this is not the case for wood and aluminum materials. Although wooden products offer much better insulation performance than aluminum ones, they are still not as effective as PVC.
4. Low Cost
PVC products used in buildings are much less costly than other materials. In fact, PVC products can be cleaned very easily and do not require additional painting. PVC windows used at this point are in a much more advantageous position compared to wooden windows because they require less maintenance and are durable for a long time.
5. Fire Resistant
We mentioned that PVC contains chlorine molecule. PVC due to the chlorine atom; It is a material that does not catch fire easily and is resistant to fire. This situation emerges as a feature that increases the preference of PVC. Therefore, it is possible to come across PVC pipe models in the plumbing pipes inside the building.
6. Recyclable
PVC is a recyclable material. Although it is a plastic material, the waste of PVC is suitable for recycling. PVC waste, which is recycled an average of 7 times, can also be used in textile products containing fiber after recycling.
