Exterior building material having a hollow thin wall profile and an embossed low gloss surface

Abstract

A building product which includes a hollow extrudate, unitary reinforcing ribs resisting collapse of the hollow extrudate and, in an embodiment, an exterior surface comprises a low gloss, textured pattern having a gloss level of less than about 50 on a 60° glossmeter, in which the textured pattern extends for about 2-20 feet. Methods and an apparatus for manufacturing such products are also provided by this invention.

1 . A building product comprising:
 a unitary extrudate having unitary reinforcing ribs;   a continuous length pattern of surface topography features embossed in exterior sides of the unitary extrudate, wherein the sides are supported to resist collapse thereof while heat and forces are applied to the sides during embossing; and   the sides form a hollow unitary extrudate with the ribs extending between the sides.   
   
   
       2 . The building product of  claim 1 , wherein the unitary extrudate comprises a hollow extrudate supported by mandrels inside the hollow extrudate during embossing to resist collapse thereof. 
   
   
       3 . The building product of  claim 1 , wherein the unitary ribs divide the extrudate into lengthwise interior sections, wherein the sections surround respective mandrels inside the hollow extrudate during embossing to resist collapse thereof. 
   
   
       4 . The building product of  claim 1 , wherein the sides of the unitary extrudate are joined by a unitary hinge, and the sides being pivoted and closed together to form a hollow unitary extrudate. 
   
   
       5 . The building product of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the unitary ribs comprising first ribs on a first side of the extrudate and second ribs on a second side of the extrudate;   the sides being joined by a unitary hinge, wherein the sides are pivoted and closed together to form the hollow unitary extrudate; and   the first ribs interlock with the second ribs.   
   
   
       6 . The building product of  claim 1  wherein exterior surface portions of the polymeric unitary hollow member comprise a low gloss textured pattern having a gloss level of less than about 50 on a 60° glossmeter. 
   
   
       7 . The building product of  claim 1 , comprising:
 the unitary extrudate comprising a polymeric unitary hollow member either with a capstock layer or without a capstock layer, and with or without streaker material in the unitary extrudate.   
   
   
       8 . The building product of  claim 1  wherein the polymeric unitary hollow member is seamless along said all exterior sides. 
   
   
       9 . The building product of  claim 1 , comprising:
 one or more unitary ribs in the hollow interior portion.   
   
   
       10 . The building product of  claim 9  wherein each rib divides the hollow interior portion into cavities, wherein each rib is seamless within the hollow interior portion. 
   
   
       11 . The building product of  claim 9  wherein the ribs latch to one another. 
   
   
       12 . The building product of  claim 1  wherein the polymeric unitary hollow member comprises a coextruded substrate and a weather resistant capstock layer, wherein the capstock layer retains its thickness beneath the low gloss textured pattern to maximize a weather resistant thickness of the capstock layer. 
   
   
       13 . The building product of  claim 1  wherein the polymeric unitary hollow member comprises an extrudate without a capstock layer. 
   
   
       14 . A method of making a building product, comprising:
 extruding a unitary extrudate;   forming unitary reinforcing ribs on the unitary extrudate;   embossing a continuous length pattern of surface topography features in exterior sides of the unitary extrudate; and   supporting the sides to resist collapse thereof while heat and forces are applied during embossing.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising:
 supporting the interior of the extrudate by mandrels during embossing to resist collapse thereof.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , comprising:
 extruding the unitary extrudate as a polymeric thin wall member with or without a unitary capstock layer and with or without streaker material in the unitary extrudate.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , comprising:
 vacuum embossing an exterior of the thin wall member to form a low gloss textured pattern having a gloss level of less than about 50 on a 60° glossmeter;   calibrating a profile of the thin wall member;   cooling said profile after calibrating the profile; and   cutting said thin wall member to a length of about 2 feet to about 20 feet.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 14 , comprising:
 extruding the unitary extrudate as a coextruded substrate and a weather resistant capstock layer, wherein the capstock layer retains its thickness beneath the low gloss textured pattern to maximize a weather resistant thickness of the capstock layer.   
   
   
       19 . Apparatus for making a hollow polymeric building product, comprising:
 extruder means for extruding a unitary polymeric extrudate with or without a capstock layer;   a vacuum embosser for embossing surface texture in exterior surfaces of the extrudate while supporting interior surfaces of the extrudate; and   a forming die for forming the extrudate into the polymeric building product.   
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , comprising:
 mandrels supporting the interior surfaces of the extrudate while embossing the surface texture, or a mold belt supporting the interior surfaces of the extrudate while embossing the surface texture, or a mold chamber supporting the interior surfaces of the extrudate while embossing the surface texture.