Is Insulated Siding Right For Your Home?
As winter approaches, any challenges your home barely weathered last year might be creeping back into your mind. While there are small, quick fixes for issues such as a high utility bill or moisture entering your home, it might be time to invest in some insulated siding to eliminate these concerns once and for all. The right insulated siding can help deaden sound, manage moisture concerns, and insulate better than fiber cement, wood, engineered wood or brick. But how do you determine if insulated siding is right for your home? We’ve compiled a list of the top questions you should ask yourself before you call a contractor for a quote, and consulted our resident siding expert CJ Johnson, Director of Product & Marketing for Vinyl Siding at Royal® Building Products. Check it out!
Is Your Home Well-Insulated?
Did you know that roughly 35% of all heat loss in a home occurs through the walls? According to Johnson, “This is because twenty percent of a wall is made up of wood studs, which are not good insulators. Insulated siding breaks the ‘thermal bridge’ that heat can travel through, created by those poorly insulated studs in your walls.” Insulated siding will then trap heat more efficiently than traditional siding, so your heating bills come down and your home becomes more energy efficient — instantly.
What Kind of Condition Is Your Current Siding In?
“The way your current siding is holding up is a good indication of the kind of durability you should consider in your new siding,” says Johnson. If you’re tired of caulking, painting, and performing maintenance on your siding every few years, give insulated siding some thought. It’s more durable and low-maintenance than the competition, and provides additional benefits to your home beyond just curb appeal. Speaking of curb appeal, insulated siding can even help you achieve your ideal siding look! That trendy wide clapboard or wide board & batten can only be achieved with an insulated siding. So if you’re looking for a 6-or-7 inch profile, or a 10 inch board & batten, insulated siding is definitely right for you.
Do You Experience Challenges With Moisture In Your Home?
You should never have to worry about unwanted moisture in your home. Home should be a safe haven, not anxiety-inducing! Insulated siding works by keeping weather-related moisture out, and by properly managing moisture created inside your home. For a systems approach to moisture management, Johnson recommends Exterior Portfolio® CraneBoard® Solid Core Siding by Royal® Building Products because it features a molded foam with moisture management tracks throughout for sophisticated moisture control in your walls. “Keep in mind that if water is regularly pouring into your house, that’s a bigger issue that a contractor should address as soon as possible,” Johnson adds.
Is Your Neighborhood Noisy?
“One of the most underrated benefits of insulated siding is the fact that it helps deaden sound and reduces noise up to 45%,” Johnson says. For people living near a major road, in a crowded neighborhood, or near noisy neighbors, this can be a game-changer! At various points throughout the week, turn off the music, TV, and other noise sources within your home and listen for what you can hear from the outside world. Consider that someday a future buyer might be excited about a quiet house, so if you’re hearing a lot of noise it might be time to invest in insulated siding even if the noise doesn’t bother you too much.
Convinced insulated siding is right for your home? For the best insulated vinyl siding on the market, we recommend checking out Royal Haven® Insulated Siding and Exterior Portfolio® CraneBoard® Solid Core Siding. Each wraps your home in warmth while giving your inner designer a boost of confidence. So as they’re being energy efficient, low maintenance and durable, they’re also attracting curb appeal attention with authentic-looking, eye-catching woodgrain. The photos of homes throughout this article all feature Haven®, so we don’t have to tell you how gorgeous it looks in any shade. Learn more about Royal Haven® and Exterior® Portfolio CraneBoard® on royalbuildingproducts.com.
