Abstract: A composite siding panel includes PVC resin, wood flour in an amount of about 88.33 to about 132.5 parts per hundred parts of PVC resin, a stabilizer in an amount of about 1.2 parts per hundred parts of PVC resin, wax in an amount of about 0.25 to about 0.35 parts per hundred parts of PVC resin, and a wood stabilizer in an amount of about 0.5 to about 3 parts per hundred parts of PVC resin.

Abstract: A siding panel of a siding assembly has a nailing hem and a first upwardly opening channel connected to the nailing hem. A downwardly opening channel is connected to the first channel. An upper portion of an upper course forms a portion of the downwardly opening channel. An upper shoulder extends inwardly and upwardly from the upper course to an upper edge of a lower course. A lower shoulder extends inwardly and upwardly from a lower edge of the lower course. A planar member extending upwardly from the lower shoulder, the lower shoulder and a portion of the lower course form a second upwardly opening channel. A rib of an insulating panel is received in the first downwardly opening channel. A projection is received by the second upwardly opening channel. A shoulder abuts the upper shoulder of the siding panel.

Abstract: A siding panel of a siding assembly has a nailing hem and a first upwardly opening channel connected to the nailing hem. A downwardly opening channel is connected to the first channel. An upper portion of an upper course forms a portion of the downwardly opening channel. An upper shoulder extends inwardly and upwardly from the upper course to an upper edge of a lower course. A lower shoulder extends inwardly and upwardly from a lower edge of the lower course. A planar member extending upwardly from the lower shoulder, the lower shoulder and a portion of the lower course form a second upwardly opening channel. A rib of an insulating panel is received in the first downwardly opening channel. A projection is received by the second upwardly opening channel. A shoulder abuts the upper shoulder of the siding panel.

Abstract: A siding panel of a siding assembly has a nailing hem and a first upwardly opening channel connected to the nailing hem. A downwardly opening channel is connected to the first channel. An upper portion of an upper course forms a portion of the downwardly opening channel. An upper shoulder extends inwardly and upwardly from the upper course to an upper edge of a lower course. A lower shoulder extends inwardly and upwardly from a lower edge of the lower course. A planar member extending upwardly from the lower shoulder, the lower shoulder and a portion of the lower course form a second upwardly opening channel. A rib of an insulating panel is received in the first downwardly opening channel. A projection is received by the second upwardly opening channel. A shoulder abuts the upper shoulder of the siding panel.

Abstract: A siding panel of a siding assembly has a nailing hem and a first upwardly opening channel connected to the nailing hem. A downwardly opening channel is connected to the first channel. An upper portion of an upper course forms a portion of the downwardly opening channel. An upper shoulder extends inwardly and upwardly from the upper course to an upper edge of a lower course. A lower shoulder extends inwardly and upwardly from a lower edge of the lower course. A planar member extending upwardly from the lower shoulder, the lower shoulder and a portion of the lower course form a second upwardly opening channel. A rib of an insulating panel is received in the first downwardly opening channel. A projection is received by the second upwardly opening channel. A shoulder abuts the upper shoulder of the siding panel.

Abstract: A siding panel of a siding assembly has a nailing hem and a first upwardly opening channel connected to the nailing hem. A downwardly opening channel is connected to the first channel. An upper portion of an upper course forms a portion of the downwardly opening channel. An upper shoulder extends inwardly and upwardly from the upper course to an upper edge of a lower course. A lower shoulder extends inwardly and upwardly from a lower edge of the lower course. A planar member extending upwardly from the lower shoulder, the lower shoulder and a portion of the lower course form a second upwardly opening channel. A rib of an insulating panel is received in the first downwardly opening channel. A projection is received by the second upwardly opening channel. A shoulder abuts the upper shoulder of the siding panel.

Abstract: A splicing member for securing horizontally adjacent siding panels to one another in an abutting relationship includes a first substantially planar member having an upper edge and a lower edge. Each of a pair of flanges extends outwardly from opposed sides of the first substantially planar member proximate the upper edge. A shoulder extends inwardly from the lower edge of the first substantially planar member. A second substantially planar member extends downwardly from an inner edge of the shoulder. A pair of projections extends downwardly from the shoulder and outwardly from the second substantially planar member.

Abstract: A plastic cap is securable to a tubular fence picket or like construction component by a strong frictional fit when a tubular attachment portion of the cap is pressed into an open end of the construction component. An attachment portion of the cap is tapered to facilitate insertion of the cap, and lines of flexure permit a pair of walls forming the attachment portion to partially collapse without loss of structural integrity in order to allow the attachment portion of the cap to fit tightly inside the corresponding construction component. The lines of flexure include grooves formed in walls of the attachment portion and thinned and rounded corner regions of the attachment portion. Slit-like gaps separate the deformable walls from a decorative top portion of the cap, in order to allow walls of the attachment portion to partially collapse independently of the top portion.

Abstract: A plastic cap is securable to a tubular fence picket or like construction component by a strong frictional fit when a tubular attachment portion of the cap is pressed into an open end of the construction component. An attachment portion of the cap is tapered to facilitate insertion of the cap, and lines of flexure permit a pair of walls forming the attachment portion to partially collapse without loss of structural integrity in order to allow the attachment portion of the cap to fit tightly inside the corresponding construction component. The lines of flexure include grooves formed in walls of the attachment portion and thinned and rounded corner regions of the attachment portion. Slit-like gaps separate the deformable walls from a decorative top portion of the cap, in order to allow walls of the attachment portion to partially collapse independently of the top portion.

Abstract: A vinyl siding panel which includes a top lock, a medial main body portion, a bottom lock, and a nailing hem adjacent the top lock comprises a channel with nail apertures in the channel base for receiving siding nails. The channel has an open end which has a dimension smaller than the nail head diameter so that the nail head bears against shoulders or bearing surfaces formed adjacent the channel. The channel can be of rectangular or tapered cross-section in order to space the nail head away from the nail apertures and thereby eliminate stress concentrations at the apertures. The lock structures are generally complementary in shape so that they interlock with other siding panels of like construction. The panel can be reinforced along its length for added rigidity. One area of reinforcement is the channel nailing hem which can be reinforced by extruding additional material to form the channel or by providing an elongated trough-like insert nested within the channel.

Abstract: A splicing member for joining horizontally adjacent and abutting siding panels installed on a structure has a declination being substantially planar and extending downwardly and slightly outwardly. In certain preferred embodiments, a flange is connected to an upper edge of the declination forming a downwardly opening U-shaped channel which receives a portion of horizontally adjacent siding panels to which the splicing member is attached. A shoulder extends inwardly and substantially horizontally from a lower edge of the declination. When installed, the splicing member is positioned behind two horizontally adjacent and abutting siding panels and a fastener rigidly secures the siding panels and the splicing member to one another. A splicing member having multiple declinations to fixedly secure horizontally adjacent siding panels to one another and having multiple declinations is also disclosed.

Abstract: A plastic covered article for a railing which includes an elongate core encased in a seamless, plastic casing. The casing is heat shrunk to conform with the exterior surface of the core. The core is thereby covered along its length with a weather-resistant casing which requires no periodic field maintenance.The railing articles of the present invention are fabricated by heating a tube of plastic material and causing the tube to expand. The elongate core is inserted into the expanded tube to encapsulate the core. The tube encapsulating the core is again heated to shrink the tube tightly against the core such that the tube conforms to the exterior surface of the core.

Abstract: A post structure which includes a support pole, a casing, and spring clips for securing the casing to the pole. The spring clips each include a spiral portion which grips the pole, and arms which project outward to engage the inner sidewalls of the casing. The spring clips are constructed to permit the casing to be moved downwardly over the spring clips during installation. However, the spring clips effectively anchor the casing to the pole to prevent any upward movement of the casing for removal.

Abstract: A door panel section and a method of making a door panel section having a polyvinylchloride front skin, a non-metallic rear skin and a polyurethane rigid core. The polyurethane rigid core unitizes the two skins to make the panel section with a rigid lightweight structure. The polyurethane mechanically and chemically bonds to the skins made of polyvinylchloride to create a strong connection thereto. Hardware mounting members are attached to the rear skin permitting adjacent panel sections to be pivotally connected to each other.

Abstract: A plastic fence post and cap are secured to each other by a spring tab arrangement which is completely concealed after assembly. In one embodiment, a bottom section of the cap fits over the end of the post and tabs projecting inwardly from opposed panels of the bottom section extend into holes extending through opposed sides of the post. In a second embodiment, a bottom part of the cap is received within the tubular post and has outwardly extending tabs that spring into recesses provided along inner sidewall surfaces of the post.