There are specially manufactured sections that you can use on windows, door frames, and other corners.Some manufacturers provide larger sections, which makes installation faster.If you have irregularities in your exterior wall, the insulated planks can cover the problems, creating a solid look.Since these vinyl strips are somewhat reinforced with the EPS, they can sometimes be installed over existing siding.Some manufacturers offer insulated vinyl that provides some permeability for vapor.You can find insulation foam, such as Thermowall, that can be used as underlayment. You don’t always have to get vinyl with EPS laminated onto it.Siding is more impact-resistant when strengthened with EPS.Improves the look and durability of traditional vinyl.It costs between $3 and $6 per square foot for materials and labor. The cost is heavily influenced by the brand, profile, style and color you select. The siding material alone is roughly 50% more expensive, while the finishing pieces and trim is about 20% more expensive. Regardless of the pros and cons of this product, the cost is often considered to be prohibitive. However, few will disagree that the insulation makes the vinyl planks more rigid and robust. The benefits may be arguable, as far as R-values go. Some people want to see more experiments done with different of wall structures in harsher climates. It could be that the mild climate conditions affected some of the results. However, the results were the opposite, even with much of that space taken up with EPS. Most had assumed that by filling much of the free-draining space behind the siding, the convective drying effect between the siding and the wall would be reduced. Many who were involved in the study were surprised that the insulated siding dried quicker. The insulated version registered the lowest moisture content in normal conditions, and the conventional vinyl had the best results during the injection testing.Įxperts think that the reason it dried out so much more quickly in ordinary circumstances is because of the warmth of the wall cavity behind the insulation. Both conventional and insulated vinyl had the best drying capacity. The results were encouraging to proponents of vinyl. They injected water into the sheathing layer of various structures with the objective of simulating leaking that may happen with a storm that occurs over several days. To conduct this study, the Center selected the month of August to do their experiments – a time of heat, varying humidity, and occasional severe rains. The goal of their tests was to compare the sheathing moisture in various structural claddings, including: Their test field was in Maryland, which has a mixture of humidity. The NAHB Research Center conducted a study over a period of nearly 2 years. The air tightness of the house could then be compared with depressurized conditions, in which air is pulled out of the void between the siding and the structure. Pressurizing involves pushing the siding out, away from the wall assembly. Some industry experts are requesting that the Vinyl Siding Institute conduct similar experiments in both pressurized and depressurized conditions. The overall conclusion here is that insulated siding offers modest improvements when installed on existing homes.

The savings in utility bills delivered the more extreme results: In Indiana, homeowners saved about 1% on their utility bills, while in Colorado, they saved 11%. This is the loss of indoor temperatures to the outdoors and extreme outdoor temperatures affecting the temperature indoors. The use of thermal imaging assessed a slight reduction in thermal bridging. The results of these studies proved that there was a moderate increase in R-value of R-2 to R-2.7.

An improvement in the R-value of the outside walls.

They studied the following effects of installation of insulated siding, including: The study spanned 5 cities and 3 climate zones. The studies mentioned above involved 5 different products installed in 5 single-family houses. This modest increase in R value might be helpful for houses with absolutely no insulation in the exterior walls may find minimal benefit. This brings into question whether the increased cost of insulated siding is really worth the investment. The insulated strips interfere with both of those functions.Īnother obvious shortcoming is that the R value is only 2 to 2.7. Siding is designed to interlock and provide enough space behind the strips to allow ventilation and moisture drainage. One of the most glaring faults of insulated siding is that the EPS is not airtight.

Certainteed vinyl siding pricing