Building surface panels with foam backing and method of manufacture

A building surface panel comprising:

• an outer shell having a front side and a rear side;
• a foam piece including a front surface and a rear surface, the front surface of the foam piece being attached with an adhesive to the rear side of outer shell along a length of the building surface panel so as to form a layered structure that extends along the length of the building surface panel;
• and
• wherein prior to attaching the foam piece to the rear side of the outer shell with adhesive therein between, the foam piece has been aged for a time and at a temperature to diffuse out a blowing agent used to expand a foam material to the foam piece, such that the foam piece has a 30 day/23° C. residual shrinkage of no more than 0.05%, wherein the 30 day/23° C. residual shrinkage is measured by determining the percent shrinkage in length the longest dimension of the foam piece after an additional 30 days of aging at 23° C. in ambient conditions, the additional 30 days starting after attaching the foam piece to the rear side of the article, but measured in an otherwise identically formed and treated foam piece,
• wherein the foam piece comprises a 30 day/23° C. initial shrinkage of the foam piece of no more than 0.05%, wherein the 30 day/23° C. initial shrinkage is measured by determining the percent shrinkage of the longest dimension of an unaged foam piece after 30 days of aging at 23° C. in ambient conditions,
• wherein the blowing agent is in the form of a single blowing agent selected from the group consisting of pentane, a hydrofluoroolefin and a hydrochlorofluoroolefin, and
• wherein the outer shell comprises polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polyethylene, acrylonitrile styrene acrylate, polyurethane, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, metal, cement, wood, or bamboo, and
• wherein the foam piece comprises rigid polystyrene.