Product Requirements

Products must be certified and labeled to show they conform to their established ASTM standard:

• R301.9 (R703.11.1 and R703.13.1) requires cladding and soffit to meet the wind loads in the code.

Installation Requirements

The following are prescriptive and performance installation requirements for Florida:

• In general, vinyl and insulated vinyl siding meet the wind loads in accordance with Table R301.2(2) and R301.2(3) when installed 16" on the center using roofing nails, although variations are allowable, including other approved fasteners like staples and screws, when following manufacturer’s instructions. Prescriptive requirements for vinyl siding installation include that noncorrosive roofing nails that can penetrate the nailable substrate at least 1 1/4" must be spaced no more than 16" for horizontal siding and 12" for vertical siding and according to the manufactured installation instructions. (R703.11.1)
• Polypropylene siding must be installed over wood sheathing. It cannot be installed over foam sheathing only. Noncorrosive roofing nails or other approved fasteners must penetrate the nailable substrate at least 1 1/4". Check manufacturer’s installation instructions for proper spacing, no more than 16" on center, in some cases much less. (R703.14.1)
• Soffits must meet the prescriptive installation requirements in section R704.

Considerations for High-density Settings

• When installing polypropylene siding in high-density settings (less than 5 feet to property line), the product must have a certified E84 or UL723 flame spread test report. (R703.14.3)

Florida Building Code

Chapter 14 provides general product and installation requirements for cladding.

Product Requirements

Products must be certified and labeled to show they conform to their established ASTM standard:

• 1404.9 requires vinyl siding to be certified to D3679.
• 1404.12 requires polypropylene siding to be certified to D7254.
• T1405.3.4 counts vinyl siding and polypropylene siding as vented claddings and allows the elimination of vapor retarders because of their strong moisture management characteristics.
• Insulated vinyl siding is not addressed in the Florida Building Code (FBC). Building officials may rely on code compliance reports for verification based on the established standard for the product category, ASTM D7793.

Installation Requirements

The following are prescriptive and performance installation requirements for Florida:

• In general, vinyl siding and insulated vinyl siding are installed 16" on center using roofing nails, although variations can be done including other approved fasteners like staples and screws. Prescriptive requirements for vinyl siding installation include that noncorrosive roofing nails that can penetrate the nailable substrate at least 1 1/4" (although the code currently states 3/4") must be spaced no more than 16" for horizontal siding and 12" for vertical siding and according to the manufactured installation instructions. (1405.14.1)
• Polypropylene siding panels range in size and are unique. Manufacturer’s installation instructions should be reviewed because in many cases it may be less than 16" on center. It must be installed over some type of wood sheathing.
• In Florida, 1405.14 limits vinyl siding, unless shown to be able to perform, to 40 foot buildings.