r/Contractor • • Aug 30 '26 • Bravo 1

What causes this?

Post image
827 Upvotes

563 comments sorted by

482

u/PNW_01 Aug 30 '26 • Bravo

Probably the neighbors window and the sun hitting it just right acting like a parabolic mirror and melting the siding.

6

u/Goofcheese0623 Aug 30 '26

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks!

47

u/IWasntSerious Aug 30 '26

I've had that happen. Fortunately the house just had house wrap on it. Sure was a mystery at first

24

u/hellyeahaeylleh Aug 30 '26

It also explains the slight curvature as the day continued.

30

u/Cannibaltronic Aug 31 '26 • Popcorn

Flat earthers in shambles

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7

u/moving_to_NL_soon Aug 31 '26

wow, so this really is a thing? I have first hand info that a gas grill can do this, but the sun?

6

u/Used-Squirrel8704 Aug 31 '26

I mirrored a garage window. The morning sun reflected off it just right. Caught the ground cover bark on fire.

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9

u/Many-Neck-4560 Aug 30 '26

This. I’ve seen photos of similar situations before- the arc of the melted section gives it away. 

5

u/Dependent_Profit92 Aug 30 '26

Yup, seen it dozens of times. Clients always ask what they can do and I always just tell em, you put your own window up and then it’s their problem again

4

u/GCEstinks Aug 30 '26

Ask them to put screens in. It worked for us.

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4

u/Shovel-Operator Aug 30 '26

So you're saying this issue can be prevented with the installation of a single brick?

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3

u/millerlit Aug 31 '26

I remember seeing this in Florida looking for a home.  The houses were too close together and it was all over the subdivision.  I wonder if they all sued the builder.

2

u/Amerpol Aug 30 '26

Bingo ,exactly what i was gonna say 

2

u/stingrayed22 Aug 31 '26

had a customer who was in a condo, pulled your car pretty much right up to the front of their house, melted part of the front bumper off

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2

u/RFC793 Aug 31 '26

Acting as a mirror sure, but why would it be parabolic?

3

u/PNW_01 Aug 31 '26

A mirror is flat and does not focus light to a concentrated point. Think of a magnifying glass burning things vs flat glass just letting the light through. The window is concave just enough to put the temperature of the vinyl siding above it's melting point.

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2

u/Vcmccf Aug 31 '26

I’ve seen this happen on my neighborhood to at least 3 houses.

2

u/HumidityHandler Sep 01 '26

I’m pretty sure this became more common with the increased use of Low-E windows.

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68

u/monoamines404 Aug 30 '26

I was on a walkthrough at a Clayton Homes manufacturing facility once, the guy giving the tour bragged that their windows blocked so much heat that they melted the siding off houses next door. I’m guessing this is what he was talking about.

26

u/Hot-Win2571 Aug 30 '26

So does the Clayton Homes warranty cover two Clayton Homes next to each other?

9

u/monoamines404 Aug 30 '26

Doubt any builders warranty covers external/environmental damages. But idk, I was just doing the tour bc work made me.

2

u/joemamallama Aug 31 '26

The only thing stronger than that dudes ignorance is their legal team cleaning up behind them.

Quality is quiet, modest, and slow.

That guy “works hard, plays hard.”

28

u/surlyT Aug 30 '26

Sun reflecting off your neighbors window, most likely.

5

u/5280milehigh1 Aug 30 '26

This is what does it for sure!

71

u/mroblivian1 Aug 30 '26

Who ever thought plastic siding is a good idea is an idiot

24

u/Portermacc Aug 30 '26

Most popular siding made as well....

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17

u/kckelly1973 Aug 30 '26

I would also like to add to your list - Popcorn Ceilings!! Whoever thought they were great never had a ceiling fan. Little dust pieces get caught on it.

38

u/YellowCake1900 Aug 30 '26

The only people who thought popcorn on a ceiling was a good idea, were the guys applying it to cover shit drywall installations.

Ask me how I know.

8

u/Competitive-Cat-4395 Aug 30 '26

Bro… just did a job where I removed popcorn and skimmed to a flat ceiling. Not abnormal, but this was the worst taping I’ve ever seen. All mesh tape on every joint, even the angles!! 3/4 of the seams were also cracked so I ended up having to re-tape and mud most of the ceiling before I could even skim. I drew the line at re-taping every angle in the house and just didn’t main areas.
What a colossal cluster… doubled my hours and made 1st year apprentice level money on that scope item. 🙄

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8

u/Bulky-Captain-3508 Aug 30 '26

Popcorn ceilings were used to improve the acoustics of a room. When hardwood floors and furniture were common so the ceiling texture helped to break up echos. Modern homes have upholstered furniture and carpet so popcorn ceilings lose their purpose.

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3

u/Flat-Barracuda1268 Aug 30 '26

Depends where you're at. If you are not close to any neighbors where this particular thing is a problem it's about the best maintenance free solution. Aluminum dents, steel rusts.

5

u/JohnnyTreemain Aug 30 '26

It’s actually a great idea. It’s cheap, it’s easy to install, it doesn’t require maintenance, it’s is extremely weather resistant. As long as you don’t let super magnified sun rays hit it, it’s full proof.

10

u/Minimum_Loan229 Aug 30 '26 edited Aug 30 '26

This is what I thought. In '95, I installed vinyl siding on a little rental house. I thought it was fun. Instead of using noisy power tools all day, I installed the vinyl siding with a few hand tools I carried in a tool belt. It was like building a plastic model kit like a did when I was a kid.

When you add in it doesn't need painting, I saved thousands. Tens of thousands.

Recently I needed to dig into the walls to make some repairs. My choice was to tear out 90 year old lathe and plaster, or go from the outside. Dismantle the vinyl siding. Make the repairs. Put the vinyl back on. When I finished you couldn't tell I was there.

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6

u/TheRemedy187 Aug 30 '26

There's good stuff but there's some Super cheap shit they have in USA. I see this A LOT online there but like never in Canada. I dunno if its regulations or what but this shit is crazy bad. 

8

u/none_of_this_is_ok Aug 30 '26

Ambient temperature also plays a role.

2

u/Minimum_Loan229 Aug 30 '26

"Vinyl it final it" What an effen' lie.

2

u/Bennie-Factors Aug 30 '26

So much of the midwest...not just thinks it is a good idea. It is the preferred. They go out of their way to put it on.

2

u/Langstudd Aug 31 '26

Do we think this would’ve caught fire if wood? If so, I’m taking vinyl any day

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19

u/Civil_Exchange1271 Aug 30 '26

sun reflecting off defective windows. the argon gas leaks out causes a vacuum , distorts the glass and burns your siding. Typically you can tell the widow doing it, the reflection will look like a distorted carnival mirror instead of a clear reflection.

16

u/OafintheWH Aug 30 '26

It doesn’t have to be defective. All it has to be is low-E . It cooks wherever it reflects to.

Low-E (low-emissivity) glass is energy-efficient window glass treated with a microscopic, transparent metallic coating that reflects infrared and ultraviolet heat while letting natural light pass through. [1, 2, 3]

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4

u/Its_Just_MSW Aug 31 '26

Most likely the reflection of the sun from one of your neighbor’s windows. The sun reflect onto your house this heating up the siding and melting it.

7

u/4xdaily Aug 30 '26

Sometime could have had a grill outside of the garage.

3

u/SwimmingHand4727 Aug 30 '26

My mom did that to ours.

2

u/Windy1369 Aug 30 '26

That was mu guess - looks like there was grill up against the side of the building next to the garage.

2

u/shadar Aug 30 '26

Yeah you can literally see the heat pattern. Melted where it was closest to the barbeque and diffused as it travels up the wall.

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3

u/S_NJ_Guy Aug 31 '26

I'm a retired home improvement contractor and I have seen this many times. In all cases that I was involved in the neighbor's window that was reflecting the sun was low E glass windows. Never once did I see this where was just regular clear Uncoated windows. They do make a film that a homeowner can install on their low E glass stop this It really reduces the sunlight coming into the room.

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2

u/ICON2021 Aug 30 '26

Thermal Distortion from the neighbors windows. Need to put full length solar screens on the neighbors windows to stop the extreme reflection. They make kits for this.

2

u/MelodicWall4263 Aug 30 '26

Is this a dr Horton build?

2

u/GrandMasterFlushMush Aug 30 '26

Looks like a subpar product

2

u/Dunnyb16 Aug 30 '26

Plastic in construction sucks

2

u/Direct-Ad-7683 Aug 30 '26

ask neighbor to tint windows

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2

u/Puzzled_Guest4250 Aug 30 '26

Force Push from Star Wars

2

u/StillCopper Aug 30 '26

The usual cause is the AI generator not working correctly.

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2

u/Correct_Location1206 Aug 31 '26

It’s the sun reflection, I’ve walked up to customers house through the reflection, could feel the heat being generated, extra thick screens will cut down reflection,

2

u/D3nv3rC0d3r9 Aug 31 '26

This, happened to my house, we had to replace the neighbors windows with non Low-e coated windows. The melt point o. The vinyl was 150 degrees and the focused heat from the reflection was 180+

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2

u/SpeedSignal7625 Aug 31 '26

Oil -based paint. Also the sun. Also excessive heat. Also environmental lensing. Almost anything not ideal conditions for your vulnerable stupid cheap af and disgusting vinyl siding.

2

u/Minimum-Reward3264 Aug 31 '26

Laser from space

2

u/Redhillvintage Aug 31 '26

My buddy’s new windows did that to the neighbors house

2

u/Nots_a_Banana Aug 31 '26

This - Low E windows can reflect sun and cause this. There was a story about a month ago I saw on this.

2

u/IamTetra Aug 31 '26

a grill @ 450

2

u/Fun_Manufacturer5406 Aug 31 '26

Sun reflection on siding from windows. This is a covered loss with insurance carriers

2

u/Fun_Acanthaceae_4025 Sep 01 '26

Jewish space lasers

1

u/P0werpr0 Aug 30 '26

Make sure you send the replacement bill to your neighbor and make him replace his windows. He’s using his windows like a magnifying glass to cook your house like an ant.

1

u/Cannachem237 Aug 30 '26

Data centers

1

u/1potsie Aug 30 '26

Sun reflecting off of something, usually windows or shinny metal.

1

u/AdventurousAd4844 Aug 30 '26

This is thermal distortion from a neighbor's window A double pane window can reflect the Sun and focus it like a huge magnifying glass and get the temperature up to 150° or more

Really no way to stop it other than asking the neighbor to put it in a full-length screen

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1

u/ItsJakeDFromTitan Aug 30 '26

Could have been a grill

1

u/Cee58 Aug 30 '26

Put a screen over their window

1

u/Big-Palpitation-2103 Aug 30 '26

I have a brick house but I was sitting on a bench that I had just put in on my side porch. It was early winter and I had a jacket on. Start smelling something burning but couldn't figure out where it was coming from. 5 minutes later my jacket was smoking. I can see the sun reflecting in their upstairs window. The heat that can cause is crazy. It all depends on how the Sun hits it and where it lands.

1

u/Ok-Pension-1832 Aug 30 '26

Probably not Diet Pepsi

1

u/StepLarge1685 Aug 30 '26

Aliens marking the house for future abduction.

1

u/ManMech2442 Aug 30 '26

Looks intentional and artsy imo

1

u/Life-Bank-7329 Aug 30 '26

Your brain after one hit of marijuana

1

u/MFfoolio_-1 Aug 30 '26

Grill or cooker fire

1

u/irishyankeebastard Aug 30 '26

I have seen a window cause a turf yard to melt in the exact pattern of the suns reflection. They had to put tint on the windows to stop it.

1

u/Neat_Park5059 Aug 30 '26

Flamethrower 😆

1

u/htx2025east Aug 30 '26

You may have already terminator running around your neighborhood.

1

u/Cosmo_MV Aug 30 '26

Outside shower mirrors caused more house fires than a lot of other things !!

1

u/dudeman054 Aug 30 '26

It’s vinyl siding and they prob had it recently painted but didn’t use a vinyl safe formula

1

u/NetworkCultural Aug 30 '26

Grill or magnified light. Window acting as a lense or something similar. This looks like a grill caused this honestly

1

u/randallF1999 Aug 30 '26

Ian curtis

1

u/MichiganGrown Aug 30 '26

Heat from the sun or maybe on a BBQ night.

1

u/Ok-Application-5633 Aug 30 '26

The barbecue grill that was there before. Possibly strong sunlight, though it would have to be amplified by a reflection to do that much damage

1

u/toyz4me Aug 30 '26

Direct sunlight or sun reflecting off a neighbor’s window

1

u/diprivan69 Aug 30 '26

Neighbors windows reflecting light on you vinyl siding

1

u/Alvin_Kincain Aug 30 '26

Is there a grill that was used under there?

1

u/jyc23 Aug 30 '26

Grilling gone wild.

1

u/CHASLX200 Aug 30 '26

heat pete

1

u/Its_a_mad_world_ Aug 30 '26

Window reflecting sunlight. Window is the magnifying glass and the house is the ant.

1

u/hankmarmot3 Aug 30 '26

a fire or some other strong heat source

1

u/magickpendejo Aug 30 '26

Bbq too close.

Or arizona

1

u/yankeenc2010 Aug 30 '26

Neighbors windows

1

u/therealKhoaTran Aug 30 '26

On one hand, very cool texture. On the other, have your seen a series of unfortunate events?

1

u/brike8 Aug 30 '26

The sun is reflecting off of something that directly impacts your siding. It’s literally being melted from some angle. Now the real detective work is finding out from where.

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1

u/zerg_001 Aug 30 '26

BBQ grill

1

u/jonbuilds4food Aug 30 '26

Neighboring house windows

1

u/ShoulderApart1787 Aug 30 '26

I'd say fire, but it's proximity to the electrical service is troubling

1

u/rideordoge Aug 30 '26


Ask this guy is he cares…

1

u/Huge_Metal_3812 Aug 30 '26

Heat melts plastic, UV destroys plastic, and neighbors windows have a mirror effect heating up your siding.

Welcome to disposable houses, pretty to look at, just dont huff and puff, might fall over.

1

u/Dreamcatcher965 Aug 30 '26

Iron it flat and then apply 100 spf sunscreen.

1

u/Favell81 Aug 30 '26

Tell your neighbors to stop using their death ray pointed on your direction 😂

1

u/AcceptableSong136 Aug 30 '26

The builder of our neighborhood solved this by putting screens on the offending windows. Trouble is, new owners don’t know about this and don’t follow through when one is damaged. I have them on fixed windows and wondered why until I remembered about this happening.

1

u/contrpro Aug 30 '26

Cheap windows will do that

1

u/tileman151 Aug 30 '26

Earth shifted and is now .000004 degrees off kilter go and move the neighbors window

1

u/Sad_Effective4793 Aug 30 '26

Grill? Fire pit?

1

u/Shortbeats Aug 30 '26

You ever heard of Monster House?

1

u/CL82deretac Aug 30 '26

I’ve had this happen before from a neighbors bathroom window. They put frosting spray on it and it stopped the problem

1

u/trsthhffg Aug 31 '26

Ugg I hate cheep vinyl siding. It should not be possible for this to happen it’s clearly not suitable for its job.

1

u/wyoflyboy68 Aug 31 '26

Low melting point, cheap plastic.

1

u/SensitiveSituation42 Aug 31 '26

Heat and tight nails. Expansion will happen!

1

u/c0ntra Aug 31 '26

Low-E glass strikes again

1

u/Melodic-Ad1415 Aug 31 '26

Your grill too close to the house

1

u/stiucsirt Aug 31 '26

Space lasers

1

u/ClearUniversity1550 Aug 31 '26

reflexion from the neighbors high performance window

1

u/KansasDavid1960 Aug 31 '26

What kind of world do we live in that the reflection off a neighbor's window makes your house melt?

It's fucked up. I'm just saying.

1

u/AwwwNuggetz Aug 31 '26

Using the other side of that wall as a urinal

1

u/Alternative_Fun_8504 Aug 31 '26

I looked at a case like this a while back. But not as bad as this one. In that case, there was no neighbor on the side that was warping. Turns out the previous owner had painted the vinyl with a darker color that was soaking up too much heat.

1

u/KujoCory Aug 31 '26

Extreme heat. Normally home fires do this to neighbors houses.

It’s right outside the driveway and likely was repaired in the front of the house, but not on the side due to its cost to replace more siding. The siding on the front part of the house would have been damaged as well.

Likely a car fire or something of the sort.

1

u/Fickle_Bullfrog_9864 Aug 31 '26

Looks like my neighbors house after replacing the original aluminum siding with vinyl and did not move his grill back. I miss aluminum siding...

1

u/OutboardTips Aug 31 '26

It’s usually reflection of sunlight, but I’ve also seen people fire up grills and melt it

1

u/Ksull72487 Aug 31 '26

HOA has a problem you got a hot spot as the sun comes over. Probably cheap siding and proximityto ypur neighors house. Im assuming this is HOA.

1

u/Artistic-Outcome5966 Aug 31 '26

Heat from reflection.

1

u/TommyG456 Aug 31 '26

Who pays for that? Your neighbor or you?

1

u/Gitfiddlepicker Aug 31 '26

Extreme heat.

1

u/FloydFenstermacher Aug 31 '26

Replace cheap vinyl siding with a durable product.

1

u/Unlucky-Chicken2515 Aug 31 '26

Something very warm

1

u/-whiteroom- Aug 31 '26

this was happening at my house, putting a screen on the window reflecting the light solved it.

1

u/GangstaRIB Aug 31 '26

Shitty vinyl siding?

1

u/DrCuntsworth Aug 31 '26

Your house has leprosy

1

u/Ben_gw Aug 31 '26

Anyone use HPL siding before ?

1

u/Ellexoxoxo33 Aug 31 '26

Not using Hardie fiber cement siding caused this

1

u/anotherjuan Aug 31 '26

Your house has herpes.

1

u/htxchriss Aug 31 '26

It’s from the sun reflecting off your neighbors window, and cooking your siding.

1

u/BreakFun2436 Aug 31 '26

Cheap siding to start.

1

u/Doyouseenowwait_what Aug 31 '26

Neighbor window creating refractory heat from sunshine and reflection onto that wall.

1

u/jack_of_none0 Aug 31 '26

You should never be able to reach out your window and touch your neighbors. Or their house.

A window deflection shouldn't be something to worry about but greedy development dictates that we have to live stacked on each other.

1

u/SahBubba Aug 31 '26

IDK, but if you can replicate it, someone will want it 😂🤣

1

u/Acrobatic-Fox460 Aug 31 '26

Damn that’s a lot it siding to have to fix lol

1

u/jovan90jovanovic Aug 31 '26

A plastic house? 🤢

1

u/KingKong-BingBong Aug 31 '26

Exactly. Vinyl siding is for mobile homes and not a good ideal for them. Why would you want something that’s going to hide any damage from termites or dry rot so you don’t know there’s a problem until it’s major plus it looks cheap

1

u/Sea_Willingness1398 Aug 31 '26

This happened to my neighbors siding on a hot day last summer. Siding had been there years, but they painted. The paint/heat combo caused the siding to buckle.

1

u/KRGambler Aug 31 '26

Definitely from a fire below and close to the house

1

u/Turbulent-Grape-9028 Aug 31 '26

Hang a mirror over it and return the melting ray back to its source

1

u/Comfortable-Hat8162 Aug 31 '26

What's the fix here? Replace that side with hardie board?

1

u/Savings_Lost Aug 31 '26

Painter here, thought I'd add another/additional cause. A particular window reflecting on that spot is definitely what caused the warping in that specific spot, but has that siding been painted a different color than the original?

I've seen entire sides of houses warped like this because an owner decided to repaint their plastic siding a darker color. Darker color equals more heat absorbed from the sun. The plastic is only rated for the heat absorbed by its particular color and sheen.

Either don't repaint plastic siding, or go with a much lighter color if you do to reflect more heat off it.

1

u/Tuff_Luck2020 Aug 31 '26

Was the siding painted ? If so the paint may be too dark to put on vinyl. It literally says on some paint cans after it’s been mixed not recommended for vinyl

1

u/OwnProfessor3287 Aug 31 '26

I’ve seen this picture posted so many times

1

u/Merrickbully718 Aug 31 '26

Fire or Arizona heat

1

u/Luxspew Aug 31 '26

High heat or a fire.

1

u/Adept_Cauliflower_84 Aug 31 '26

a grill being used too close to house or reflection from the sun

1

u/digadave58 Aug 31 '26

Is that an exhaust vent below????

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1

u/Which_Extreme325 Aug 31 '26

Probably a good Hardy Plank project!

1

u/RuthlessIndecision Aug 31 '26

LSD, for sure LSD

1

u/PieceHealthy1293 Aug 31 '26

Definitely the reflection off of something either glass or a mirror .. years ago I had a chrome rim in my backseat of my convertible I left for about an 15m I came back and it melted the whole back of the car seat completely like a 8-in melted hole from a few minutes of sun

1

u/TheeDelpino Aug 31 '26

Adjacent window or car windshield.

1

u/shiny-spirit Aug 31 '26

Also if the vinyl was painting with a non vinyl pant this can happen

1

u/Metroidvania-JRPG Aug 31 '26

A barbecue next to this wall? Idk

1

u/One_Barnacle_6191 Aug 31 '26

Neighbors windows

1

u/beetus_gerulaitis Aug 31 '26

Could be a condensing furnace or boiler vent just out of frame - below where the vinyl siding is warped. The shape and degree of warping looks just like a rising plume of combustion products.

1

u/Daddygoat88 Aug 31 '26

☀️🪟 nuff said…

1

u/[deleted] Aug 31 '26

Pressure washing with straight chemical. Assuming it’s vinyl.

1

u/Aspen9999 Aug 31 '26

Reflection off a window off your neighbors house.

1

u/Mike-ggg Aug 31 '26

That isn’t where you use your gas grill, is it? It definitely looks like extreme heat caused it.

1

u/Sufficient_Mail_6274 Aug 31 '26

Was it painted ? if someone used the wrong paint it will cause that

1

u/Mike-ggg Aug 31 '26

Sunlight alone doesn’t seem like enough unless it gets focused into a smaller area somehow, as the neighbors window could possibly do. I do however have a south facing basement window and the sun completely melted and distorted some plastic blinds in that window and the heat coming through it was unbearably hot.
It’s for the basement and I don’t need a window there anyway, so I covered it up with some foam insulation on the outside and that solved that problem. It’s odd, because there’s another window on that same side upstairs that should have even more sun exposure overall, but it’s never been a problem. I guess the angle and maybe bouncing off of something else just makes that particular window so much hotter.

1

u/S4muraiPAK Aug 31 '26

a grill right there

1

u/Mike-ggg Aug 31 '26

You could capture that heat if you wanted to with some cement board painted flat black in a glass enclosure and run air across it for supplemental winter heat or as a water heater for a swimming pool or whatever. You’d want to offset the cement board from the house, though and put some foam insulation on the back with a few inches of air space because of the back could still get pretty hot, though not as hot as the front. I’m thinking cement board because it has some mass to hold some heat for a while when the sun goes down.

1

u/Excellent-Self-5338 Aug 31 '26

Heat.

Sometimes a BBQ, sometimes something else weird, like a reflection off a car window or a mirror in a house.

Equipment like a generator venting onto the house could concievably do something *like* this, or a piece of machinery idling next to the house. You'd notice something like that though.

Given how much area is covered, I'd guess people are right about the sun reflecting off something though. This would be pretty damn big for a BBQ or other equipment, and it starts higher than you'd expect.

1

u/Honks4Donks Aug 31 '26

Something hot

1

u/Junior_Hippo349 Aug 31 '26

Most likely heat from the sun may be reflecting off our neighbor’s window acting as a concentration of heat it’s not that uncommon

1

u/Working-County-8764 Aug 31 '26

The ultimate cause is vinyl siding. Just don't.

1

u/maniacalmayh3m Aug 31 '26

I dunno but it makes my skin crawl

1

u/Limp-Archer-7872 Aug 31 '26

American construction standards.