Insulated Vinyl Siding vs Regular Vinyl Siding

DIY828

I live in the northeast and I am re-siding my 1890 home. There is some but very little sprayed insulation in the walls. It is my understanding that the 3/8 foam panel typically installed under vinyl siding provides no real insulative value to your home. One alternative I came across in discussing options with my contractor is insulated vinyl siding. He is planning to instal a 3/8 or 3/4 inch foam panel under the insulated backed vinyl siding. Is there any merit to the manufacturing claims that insulated vinyl siding (i.e. certainteed cedar boards backed with progressive foams fullback) can save you money on energy bills or is this a bunch of koolaid? They claim an R value of 3-5. Is this added R value substanitial enough to make a difference? Impact resistance and linear rigidity are also claims put forth. The cost is substantialy more than an equivalent quality regular vinyl siding.

Winchester

Not sure if it was considered or called "insulated vinyl siding" or not but a few years back with our previous home (1903 home) I chose to reside the house with a vinyl siding with a contoured insulation that fit the shape of the vinyl siding. This may be the very same thing as you described but with a different product name for which I cannot remember.

Before I had the siding installed, the wife and I filled the wall cavities with blown cellulous. Heating bills dropped considerably after this.

Best of luck to you.

jcalvin

I think it is a buch of bull hockey. You are better off by hiring someone to blow insulation in your walls. I have seen some vinyl with the insulation made on the back of it and it does seem to make the siding a little more sturdy, but don't let them sell you that and make you think that you are going to save a pile of money in heating costs.

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Cal

You hired WHO?
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Iris313

My husband and I own a very small (1,170 sq ft) older ranch home in California. We've known for some time that we need to install new siding, and gut and replace our kitchen. Vinyl was never on the top of our list, but we got a flyer about some "deals" for insulated vinyl and thought we would get an estimate. The company is reputable, but the sales pitch was worse than any used-car lot experience! I always get suspect whenever the "deal" has to be decided upon "NOW" -- who spends that kind of money without getting several bids... idiots, that's who. I really expected the cost of foam backed vinyl to be quite cheap, and that was its only selling point. What I was quoted was $10 a square foot w/soffits. That seems incredibly high. Online I'm reading that the cost should be between $4-$7, so I was expecting a $10,000 bid for 1,500 square feet, but I got a $15,000 bid with their assurance that "others would charge $25,000."

My sense is that this bid is way over inflated. Am I right?

Marvin Gardens

Yes it is.

There are lots of scams out there and home repair is no exception.

Never respond to an ad placed on your door or flyers under the matt.

Plus I hate vinyl. Can't paint it so the color is there forever until it fades which it will.

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concretemasonry

Insulated vinyl siding makes as much sense as insulated venetian blinds that let in the cold air through the gaps.

Marvin Gardens

Or how bout an insulated screen door?

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Iris313

Good thoughts - I particularly like the venetian blind analogy! I had not thought about it, but of course if you have to create airspace to let the vinyl flex, that lets in air.. how insulating is that?

I went to a home show over the weekend to speak to a few people about siding. I noticed the only people really trying hard to hustle me were the vinyl siding guys. I did find a couple of owner/installers in my area who do concrete fiberboard. I checked out their licenses, and their Better Business Bureau records and how they are rated online (Angie's list) - they seem to check out - so I think I'll go that way -- and get several estimates and some references.

I used to work for a contractor and he said to me, "anyone who is pushing you that hard is doing so because they don't have any work ... and if they don't have any work, you have to wonder if they're any good at what they do." I think he has a point.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Nia

Go with regular vinyl and have the insulation installed before. If you have a higher budget I would look at fiber cement siding because its more durable than vinyl. Since the hurricane in Texas, we have been repairing a lot of vinyl siding because the siding blew off of the house or it's dented pretty bad.

Iris313

Nia, your point is well taken, and I believe the siding people I have spoken with are aware of the wind issue. Each one has taken pains to say, "OUR siding can withstand 100 mile per hour winds", "no OUR siding will stay on in 200 mile per hour winds!" None of them could tell me how that claim was proven. I watched a time lapse simulation on CNN some time back showing what happens to buildings in winds. It seems unreasonable to imagine that a product 'hanging' on the house like vinyl could possibly be that static, and somehow I am not sure how much good the siding would do me if the house was flattened in high wind.

jcalvin

In my area, most of the self proclaimed vinyl siding specialists are wannbe's. Vinyl siding is easy, quick, and can be done with minimal tools. They like it because there is no inspection on siding, in WNC at least, and most homeowners can't tell a good job from a bad job if they had to.

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Cal

You hired WHO?
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swwp

Yes, Insulated siding really can save you money on your energy cost. There are several insulated siding products on the market today, just be sure to be a smart and savvy consumer and buy on quality, performance and roi.

Iris313

Do you have this siding, or do you install it? It does look like a nice product, but I'm not sure how valid the claims are without knowing that someone has actually measured the R Value and/or savings and the stability of the product.

SD515

Energy saving realized from installing insulated siding alone are there, but due to it’s low R value, it usually isn’t highly noticeable. For example, if it saved you $1/month, would you notice it? Probably not, in that energy usage is rarely consistent month to month. Is it truly doing it’s job and saving energy? Yes. But insulated siding works in conjunction with the rest of the wall of the house. If the wall has adequate insulation, is wrapped properly, and air holes are sealed, insulated siding will contribute to the over-all picture. But for it to stand alone and expect it to ‘be the ultimate thing since sliced bread’ is asking too much of it.
Think of it being a lightweight jacket on a cool, fall day. If you don’t wear a shirt underneath, is it going to keep you warm? Probably not adequately, but it keeps the chill directly off your skin. If you wear a shirt or 2 under it, would you be noticeably warmer? Probably, as it contributes to the over-all system.

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Kyle

Just because you can, doesn't always mean you should

swwp

Yes we do have this siding and would be more than happy to provide an in home presentaion and installation procedures. The R Value is measured and tested. We certify the energy savings with a written guaranty.

Michael