General Product
Why use a PVC trimboard?
As a leading plastic material for the construction market, PVC is used to make windows, siding, flooring and pipe more durable and cost-effective. PVC requires less maintenance, outlasts and outperforms alternative materials, and makes quality housing more affordable. PVC looks and works like wood but is much more durable than wood. With PVC you get the traditional look without the ongoing maintenance.

What are Kleer® cellular PVC products made from?
Kleer® brand cellular PVC products are manufactured from the highest grade PVC resins and processing additives. We recycle the trimmed off edges of our boards and introduce them back into our closed-loop manufacturing process.

Will Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products perform well in the coastal areas?
Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products are covered by a lifetime warranty against splinters, rot and delaminating or swelling excessively due to moisture, even in coastal areas.

What kind of Warranty does Kleer Lumber provide?
Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products come with a Limited Lifetime Warranty that includes labor for the first two years.

What manufacturing process is used to make Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products?
Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products are manufactured using a Free Foam Extrusion process to create a consistent cell structure and density from surface to core.  The result is a finished product that performs extremely well in architectural millwork applications including routing, moulding and shaping.

Does the use of recycled materials affect the quality of Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products?
The use of recycled materials does not affect the quality of Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products. Kleer Lumber, like most cellular PVC trim product manufacturers recycles the waste generated from its own manufacturing plant to help keep PVC out of landfills. Kleer Lumber, however, also includes third-party certified quantities of pre-consumer recycled material in the manufacturung of our cellular PVC trim products.

What is the value of third party certification of Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products?
"Third-party" certifications are the highest level of unbiased assurance verifying independent product claims. Many manufacturing companies claim to be "environmentally responsible," however by providing certification Kleer Lumber has completed a complex assessment that relies on multiple, science-based criteria set forth by an unbiased party.

How long has Kleer Lumber been around?
Kleer Lumber was founded in 2003.

Is this a proven product?
Yes, similar first generation products have been around for over ten years. By conducting extensive research with dealers, builders, contractors, and consumers Kleer developed an advanced product with the preferred properties users are looking for.

Installation - Cutting, Routing, Gluing, and Painting

How do you cut Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products?
Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products can be cut using typical woodworking tools with carbide blades or bits. They should be sharp with a medium number of teeth. Too few teeth may create rough edges; too many teeth may cause the product to melt. Special care should be taken when using jig saws due to excessive heat build-up.

What kind of glue can I use?
Although you may use any PVC cement or glue with Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products, recent developments in adhesive technology have led to the introduction of Kleer® brand Cellular PVC Cement and Kleer® brand Two-Part Cellular PVC Adhesive for use specifically with Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products.  Both products are color matched for ease of use.

Can I paint Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products?
Yes. Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products can be painted with 100% acrylic latex paint.. A household cleaner can also be used prior to painting. Denatured alcohol may be used to remove stubborn stains that aren’t easily removed with the household cleaner.

What do I use for filling the nail holes?
Kleer® brand Structural Sealant and Kleer® brand 4-6 Minute Work Time Two-Part Adhesive are both color-matched to Kleer® brand trim products and can be used to fill nail holes.  Kleer® brand Nail Stick is a two-part epoxy putty that can also be used to fill nail holes in Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products, although it is not color matched so it must be painted after application.  In addition, any product that is acrylic or urethane based will adhere to Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products. Common fillers, caulks and exterior grade spackle with titanium dioxide work well.

Does it have to be painted?
Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products do not need to be painted to retain their Limited Lifetime warranty. Since the product will get dirty over time, we recommend painting for aesthetic reasons.

How long will it hold paint?
Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products do not absorb moisture, so they are not subject to the same moisture cycling that causes paint to peel off wood (which is a major cause of paint failure). When applied accordingly to the paint manufacturers instructions, Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products typically hold paint for many years.

Can you paint it dark colors?
When using 100% acrylic latex paint a color with a light reflective value greater than 55% should be used. If a color with a light reflective value less than 55% is selected, Kleer Lumber recommends the use of a coating that is specially formulated for use with exterior vinyl products (like Sherwin Williams Vinylsafe products). The coating that is selected should be formulated to reflect the light energy that is normally absorbed by darker colors.  The paint manufacturer should be consulted to assure compatability prior to use.

Can Kleer be bent to go around circle top windows?
Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products can be bent using heat ovens, blankets or boxes. Once cellular PVC is bent it will retain its form; it has no memory.

Can Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products be run through a moulder?
Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products can be run through a moulder with a typical arbor speed around 5800 rpm’s. Since the tightness of the core will determine the quality of the finished product, Kleer® cellular PVC has become the preferred brand for millwork applications.

What kind of fasteners should be used with Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products?
Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products should be fastened to a solid substrate that is at least 1-1/2" thick with a fastener that is long enough to penetrate into the substrate at least 1-1/2”. Round head siding nails or trimhead screws are excellent choices. Use the “Rule of Thumb”: if you can bend the fastener between your index finger and thumb, the fastener does not have enough strength to minimize the thermal expansion of PVC and should not be used.

How do I join pieces?
Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products can be joined by either using a scarf-cut with glue or a square cut with glue. For additional information on joining Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products please refer to our Installation Guidelines.

Do I need to Pre-drill?
Except for cold weather installations, or when using larger fasteners, pre-drilling is not necessary.

How much do Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products Expand and Contract?
If left unrestricted, Kleer® brand cellular PVC will expand and contract approximately 3/8” per 18’ length with a 50⁰ change in temperature. Using the right type and quantity of fasteners will significantly reduce expansion and contraction.  When properly fastened, the expansion and contraction can be reduced to approximately1/8” per 18’ length with a 50⁰ change in temperature.  All PVC trimboard products on the market have similar coefficients of linear expansion and expand and contract at approximately the same rate. For additional information on how to properly fasten Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products to minimize expansion and contraction, please refer to our Installation Guidelines.

Will Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products turn yellow over time?
No, Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products contain UV inhibitors designed to keep the product white.

Will Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products rot?
No, because they are made from cellular PVC, they will not deteriorate like wood over time.

Will they mold/mildew?
Like anything outside, mildew can grow on the product. However, Kleer® brand cellular PVC trim products are not a food source for mold or mildew.  Mold and mildew can usually be washed off with bleach and water if they do appear on the surface.

What is the density of your product?
Density is similar to white pine, with a tight cell structure that makes milling the product easy.

Is this product dangerous to cut – is breathing the dust going to harm me?
Take the same precautions as you do with wood. The use of dust masks is recommended to avoid breathing in dust particles.