What’s the difference between PVC & uPVC?

PVC stands for ‘polyvinyl chloride’ and uPVC for ‘un-plasticised polyvinyl chloride.’ The difference between the two is that PVC contains plasticizer additives whereas uPVC doesn’t. The addition of plasticizers has an important effect on the properties of polyvinyl chloride, making it softer and increasing its flexibility. Because uPVC is unplasticised it is much more rigid. It is commonly used for fascias, soffits, cladding, guttering and other roofline products.

What is the difference between uPVC and PVCu?

Sometimes uPVC will be also be spelt PVCu, however both spellings refer to the same material. The different placing of the ‘u’ is actually a result of changes made to the term in the 1980s. At this time, the term was changed in order to align with the rest of Europe. Most European languages place the noun before the adjective (so “PVCu”), but in English it is the other way round. Hence, in English, the u is placed before ‘polyvinyl chloride’ and in Europe, it is placed afterwards. Nowadays people use both uPVC and PVCu interchangeably and they also sometimes make the ‘U’ a capital letter but it all means the same thing: un-plasticised polyvinyl chloride.

uPVC guttering, fascias and soffits from Roofline Solutions

Here at Roofline Solutions, we supply and install uPVC guttering. As gutters are used externally, they inevitably have to endure extreme weather conditions, both hot and cold, meaning the use of uPVC is ideal as it can cope very well in a range of temperatures. Additionally, it can also be cleaned easily and is resistant to discolouration. We provide uPVC guttering in a selection of styles and colours to suit all preferences and requirements.

We also supply and install fascia boards, soffits and cladding constructed from uPVC. Like our uPVC guttering, they are just as durable and easy to clean. If your home is fitted with timber our uPVC roofline is the ideal replacement.

Roofline Solutions are experts in the replacement of roofline with over 18 years of industry experience. We can replace individual components of a roofline or perform a full replacement. For more information or to request our services, please call 01252 852 336 or send us an online message.