If you were hit by the “polar vortex”It brought below-zero temperatures to over half of the continental U.S. and was a reminder to layer up.
This is also true for houses. Insulated siding is a popular choice for homeowners who want to increase their home’s energy efficiency. It is vinyl siding that has rigid foam insulation. The siding can be laminated or permanently attached to the wall. This is an added layer that protects against the cold.
Although exterior walls are usually insulated between the wall studs, they can still lose significant energy through the studs which are poor insulators. This is known as “thermal bridging.”Insulated siding increases energy efficiency by reducing thermal bridge. Insulated siding acts as a blanket and provides continuous insulation to the studs. It helps homes remain warm in winter, and cool in summer.
Newport Ventures recently conducted a study on five homes that had been retrofitted with insulated siding. It found an average improvement of 11 percent in air tightness, a 5.5 percent energy savings, and an improvement between 2.0 and 8.0 points in the Home Energy Rating System (HERS), which is a nationally recognized system for measuring the home’s energy performance.
“Replacing a home’s exterior cladding with insulated siding can improve the thermal performance of the walls while reducing heating and cooling energy costs,”Jery Y. Hunterley, president and CEO, Vinyl Siding Institute, Inc.www.vinylsiding.org), a Washington, D.C.-based trade association for manufacturers of vinyl and other polymeric siding and suppliers to the industry.
This product is designed to achieve higher levels of rigidity and stability as well as thermal resistance. “R-value”Insulated siding is subject to a variety of standards, regulations and third-party quality control tests. These tests determine how it is made and sold. A number of these regulations are applied to insulated siding. building and energy-efficiency programsInsulated siding is considered home insulation by many. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized insulated siding as a building product that could help homes qualify under the Energy Star Qualified Homes Program.
Visit the Building Industry’s top resource to learn more about how insulated siding conforms to both energy codes as well as energy-efficiency programs. “Insulated Siding as Home Insulation: Guide for Users and Energy Raters”At www.insulatedsiding.info.
