:Siding is part of your home’s exterior, and having the right kind of siding can improve your home’s energy efficiency. Vinyl siding has certain qualities that can contribute to that energy efficiency and potentially lower your energy costs. Read on as DryTech Roofing takes a closer look at these qualities.
Energy Envelope
To understand energy efficiency as it relates to siding, let’s first talk about the energy envelope. Your home has an enclosure that consists of the attic, the exterior walls and fenestrations (windows, entry doors and skylights). A well-insulated energy envelope should be able to minimize heat transference, the cause of heat loss during winter, and heat gain during summer. The attic and exterior wall insulation are added during construction, while windows, doors and skylights ideally should have insulated frames and glazing.
Minimal heat transference means heat more or less stays where you need it, that is, outside during hot days and inside during cold days. This helps reduce your indoor heating and cooling requirements, which, in turn, helps minimize your monthly energy consumption. It also helps prolong your HVAC system’s service life by reducing its workload.
Energy-Efficient Siding
You may be wondering how vinyl siding fits into all of this, when the exterior walls should take care of wall insulation. Insulated vinyl siding adds an additional layer of insulation that reduces unwanted heat from getting into your home. The combination of vinyl and wall insulation means only a small fraction of outdoor heat makes it indoors, which lets you reduce your air conditioner output without any noticeable discomfort.
Light-colored vinyl siding can also reduce heat from a secondary source: solar heat. It works the same way as wearing a light-colored shirt under the sun; because light-colored surfaces reflect light, it reduces the amount of absorbed heat. It doesn’t take special coatings to achieve this effect. White or light-colored siding has enough reflectivity to reduce heat absorbed through the exterior walls. Combined with a similar “cool roof,” you can expect a significant reduction in your energy costs during the summer season.
To learn more about energy-efficient vinyl siding, call DryTech Roofing today at (240) 491-5600. You can also fill out our contact form to schedule a free estimate. We serve Maryland and surrounding areas.