Installation Guide

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TIGHT TIGHT

1/16" 1/8" 1/16"

>1/16" >1/8" >1/16"

90°

50°

Below 50°

TIGHT

APPLY ADHESIVE

16"ON CENTER

16" ON CENTER

2" MAX 2" MAX

• Kleer trimboards 8" or narrower require two fasteners

evenly spaced across the face of the board and

fastened to 1-1/2" thick framing no more than 16"

on-center. 10" and 12" Kleer trimboards require three

fasteners evenly spaced across the face of the board

and fastened to 1-1/2" thick framing no more than 16"

on-center. When spanning framing greater than 16"

on-center, use Kleer that is a minimum 5/4" (nominal)

thickness. Never install Kleer on framing that spans

greater than 24" on-center.

• When joining Kleer end to end (as in long-run

applications) fasten within one inch of both sides of the

joint using the proper size fasteners.

• Kleer sheets 3/4" thick or greater require fastening every

four inches along no more than 16" on-center framing

across the width of the sheet. Thinner sheets require

fastening every four inches along no more than 12"

on-center framing across the width of the sheet.

• Use of construction adhesive (along with mechanical

fastening) may help to minimize expansion and

contraction, particularly when Kleer is painted dark

colors (LRV greater than 55% – see PAINTING section).

GLUING

• Kleer can be both edge and face glued. Before gluing,

make sure surfaces are clean, dry and smooth enough

to make full contact.

• To prevent separation, joints may be glued using Kleer

Cellular PVC Cement or Kleer Cellular PVC Adhesives.

These adhesives have limited working time. Clamping,

nailing or screwing both sides of the joint will allow

time for the adhesive to fully cure. When joining two

pieces of Kleer together to form a continuous length,

fasten within one inch of each side of the joint using the

proper fasteners.

• When face gluing Kleer to Kleer (lamination) using Kleer

Cellular PVC Cement, lightly sand each face to ensure

proper adhesion. When face gluing Kleer to Kleer (lamina-

tion) when using Kleer Laminating Grade Adhesive, DO

NOT SAND THE FACES PRIOR TO LAMINATING.

• Kleer can also be laminated to a variety of substrates

using glues appropriate for both PVC and the substrate.

Consult with the adhesive manufacturer and always test

the bond prior to installation. Never use adhesives

alone to attach Kleer to a substrate.

HEAT BENDING

• Gradually heating Kleer to approximately 270˚ for 7

minutes with convection ovens, heat blankets and box

heaters will make it pliable enough to be formed into

various shapes. Gradual heating prevents damage such

as discoloration or scorching of the surface.

• To avoid skin burns, always wear protective gloves

thick enough to protect hands from the heated material.

PAINTING

• Kleer does not need paint to retain its Limited

Lifetime Warranty, but may be painted with 100%

acrylic latex paint or other paints speciﬁcally

formulated for vinyl products. Always follow the

paint manufacturer's instructions.

• Light Reﬂective Value (LRV) is a measurement of how

much light a color reﬂects and absorbs and is available

from the paint manufacturer. If Kleer is painted a darker

color with an LRV less than 55%, it will absorb more

light, generating more heat and may cause expansion

and contraction greater than the typical 1/8" over 18'.

When using 100% acrylic latex paints, only use colors

with an LRV greater than 55%. When using a color with

an LRV below 55%, use only paints speciﬁcally

designed for vinyl products like Sherwin-Williams

with

Vinyl Safe Technology or Benjamin Moore

Vinyl Select

paints. Consult with the paint manufacturer to

determine its suitability for your speciﬁc application.

Excessive expansion or contraction resulting from the

use of a dark color with an LRV less than 55% is not

covered by the Kleer Limited Lifetime Warranty.

• Kleer must be clean, dry and free from debris or

any surface contaminants to maximize paint

adhesion. Use a soft brush and standard household

cleaner if necessary to clean the surface before

painting. Stubborn stains may be removed with

denatured alcohol.

• For small surface imperfections including nail or screw

holes, Kleer Structural Sealant may be used as ﬁller.

• It may take longer for paint to fully cure on Kleer than

on wood. Once fully cured paint lasts longer on Kleer

than wood.

KLEER BEADED PRODUCTS

• In sofﬁt and porch ceiling applications, Kleer 1" Edge &

Center Bead can be installed perpendicular to 24"

on-center, or less, framing without a substrate.

KLEERLok and KLEERbeed should be installed

perpendicular to 12" on-center, or less, framing. All

framing members should be a minimum 1-1/2" thick.

• For concealed fastening, Kleer 1" Edge & Center

Bead should be fastened at each framing member

(24" on-center maximum) by toe-nailing through the

tongue with ﬁnish nails, or face-fastened using Cortex

Fasteners for Kleer PVC Trim.

• KLEERLok products feature a nailing ﬂange for easier

concealed fastening. Fasten KLEERLok through the

nailing ﬂange every 12" at each framing member using

siding or ﬁnish nails. Additional face-fastening and/or the

use of construction adhesive is required to help restrict

expansion and contraction in runs longer than 16'.

• KLEERBeed should be face-fastened every 4" along a

minimum of 12" on-center. Nail holes may be ﬁlled with

Kleer Nail Stick (if product is being painted), Kleer

Structural Sealant or Kleer Cellular PVC Time Adhesive

4-7 Minute Work.

• If installing Kleer Beaded Products in temperatures

below 50˚, leave a ¼" – ½" expansion space at each end

of the run and cover the space with Kleer Mouldings.

GENERAL

• Kleer is a highly versatile product for many exterior and

interior trim and decorative applications.

• Kleer should never be used for structural or load-

bearing applications.

STORAGE & HANDLING

• Kleer is more ﬂexible than wood. When possible, Kleer

should be stored on a ﬂat, level surface and handled

with extra care to avoid damage.

• Kleer is shipped from the manufacturing plant in either

KleerPak plastic wrap or woven covers to protect it from

dirt and debris until installed. If dirty, clean with a soft

brush and mild household cleaner. Stubborn stains may

be removed with denatured alcohol.

CUTTING & DRILLING & MILLING

• Kleer can be cut, drilled and milled using the same tools

used with wood.

• When cutting or milling, use carbide-tipped bits or blades

for best results. Special care should be used with jig/band

saws as they may create excessive heat and melt the PVC

along the edge. Failure to support Kleer across the entire

cut length or the use of dull blades to cut Kleer can result

in a rough edge. If this happens, sand with 150-220 grit

sandpaper to create a smooth edge.

• When drilling, frequently remove excess shavings to

avoid heat buildup.

EXPANSION & CONTRACTION

• Like many building materials, Kleer will expand and

contract with changes in temperature. This is normal and

is not covered by the Kleer Limited Lifetime Warranty.

Under normal conditions and when properly fastened,

Kleer will expand/contract approximately 1/8" per 18'.

Failure to use the proper type and quantity of fasteners

may result in expansion and contraction greater than

1/8" per 18'.

• Kleer trimboards should be acclimated to the

temperature conditions at the time of installation.

• Fastening Kleer along its entire length will help

minimize expansion and contraction.

• When joining Kleer end-to-end (as in long-run

applications) pieces may be joined together using

scarf joints and Kleer Cellular PVC Cement or Kleer

Cellular PVC Adhesive. If joints are glued together,

create 1/16" expansion spaces per 18' of run at each end.

These expansion spaces should be ﬁlled using Kleer

Structural Sealant.

• Alternatively, rather than gluing pieces together for long

runs, leave expansion spaces of approximately 1/8"

between the pieces and ﬁll with Kleer Structural Sealant.

Use scarf joints for all expansion spaces between the

pieces in long runs and leave a 1/16" space per 18' of run

at each end.

• On cold days (temperatures at low end of the normal

annual temperature range), increase expansion space

between boards to slightly more than 1/8" per 18'

length.

• On hot days (temperatures at high end of the annual

temperature range), eliminate the expansion space

and butt the pieces together tightly.

FASTENING

• Fasten with stainless steel or hot-dipped galvanized nails

with blunt tips and round heads (wood siding nails, box

nails, etc.). Exterior coated or stainless steel trim-head

screws (nothing smaller than a #6 screw) and Cortex

Fasteners may also be used.

• Do not use staples, wire nails, or brads to fasten Kleer.

Fasteners that can be easily bent with bare hands will

not provide appropriate strength.

• Standard pneumatic nailers, set at 70-80 psi, may be

used to fasten Kleer. Air pressure may be adjusted as

necessary.

• Pre-drilling is not typically required unless using large

nails or installing in temperatures below 40˚.

• Fasten Kleer to a ﬂat, solid wood substrate at least

1-1/2" thick using nails or screws that penetrate into the

substrate a minimum of 1-1/2".

• Kleer must have fasteners no more than 2" from each edge.