When building or renovating your house, a big part of the thought and planning must go into ensuring that the exterior is sound and secure – which means choosing a good siding material is of utmost importance. One of the most popular types of siding today is vinyl siding. It is chosen by many homeowners because it offers a number of benefits at a fraction of the cost of other siding materials, making it a cost-effective option. But what if you add insulation to vinyl siding, which can make your home cooler as well as energy-efficient? Will the additional expense be worth it?
Let us take a look at insulated vinyl siding to better discern if it is indeed worth your investment.
What is Insulated Vinyl Siding?
Insulated vinyl siding, as you probably can tell, is basically a vinyl siding product that comes with the added benefit of insulation. Insulation is glued and fitted directly onto the siding; this insulated foam backer is commonly made from closed-cell expanded polystyrene, a safe and non-toxic compound made primarily of carbon and hydrogen.
Importance of Siding Insulation: Cladding with Benefits
Every homeowner already has an idea how important siding is — it improves your home’s look from the outside, and it also protects your walls against damage from different sources. By insulating your siding – or better yet – installing insulated siding, you are ensuring double protection for your cladding.
Choosing insulated siding can also help you meet building and energy codes for your climate. Considered as continuous insulation, insulated vinyl siding can greatly increase your home’s whole-wall U-factor.
Over the years, siding and insulation have greatly improved – but if any one of them does not perform properly, you cannot maximize their benefits. Insulated vinyl siding makes for a good choice as it minimizes the possibility of gaps and energy leaks more efficiently, compared with installing siding and insulation separately.
In the next part of this post series, we will take a more in-depth look at the advantages of insulated vinyl siding. Stay tuned!