Alternative materials play a vital role in the construction. There are a variety of materials to suit everyone’s needs. Regardless of the type of material chosen, it is important to consider several factors such as expansion, maintenance, and the importance of product quality.
Making better use of building materials
What you need to know about expansion
In Québec, we often experience large temperature variations, from -40˚C to + 40˚C. All products react to hot and cold: wood, concrete, PVC, and HDPE. You must understand how the product works to install it correctly.
How much expansion/ contraction is there of a thermoplastic? Depending on the product, certain rules must be respected:
- Always acclimate your building materials before installation. During winter, leave them inside for at least 24H so the product is at room temperature. Same thing during summer: a panel left in the sun will be at full expansion and will need to be acclimatized before being installed to regain its neutral expansion.
- Always refer to the installation chart for minimum and maximum temperature. For example, HDPE panel must always be installed between 10 and 20˚C and PVC panel between 5 and 25˚C.
- In some cases, it’s necessary to pre-drill larger than the screw in order to allow room for the product to move.
Maintenance of alternative products : a long-term investment
Alternative products are very robust. Washable with a pressure washer, resistant to water, humidity, and corrosion. However, you should always refer to the technical guide before using any chemical cleaning products. For example: acetone may damage polyethylene material or pvc products and a degumming product, like GooGone, can affect polycarbonate panel.
The importance of alternative products raw material
Due to the quality of resins and molecules used, our alternative materials are essential for a sustainable construction. Demand a high-quality material: a premium PVC will be less likely to yellow or crack, HDPE will retain its color for a very long time and a recognized polycarbonate will be impact resistant.
Recycled building materials
Most of our products are recyclables, like plastic lumbers. Simply bring them to ecocentres. Do not hesitate to contact us to find out the recycling number of your product.
« Please refer to our Agriclé website for materials pricing and specs. »