Since the mid-1990s, composite materials have made substantial inroads across the building products industry in the manufacture of windows, doors, trim and siding. The unprecedented strength and resilience of these materials, and their low maintenance, has made them too good to ignore. They also offer another advantage important in today's building industry: "green" appeal. While they are produced using petrochemicals, composites may be comprised of recycled materials and, therefore, reduce the harvesting of lumber.
One example of the success of composites is in the trim marketplace. Over the past decade, cellular PVC trim boards have emerged to displace wood and capture 10% market share, according to a recent article in Plastics Technology. The article quotes a 2006 study from Principia Partners predicting 13% annual growth for PVC trim board through 2010.
The vinyl siding market - which comprises 40% of the market for exterior siding - is evolving as well. New product technologies are entering the siding market.