If you are a home owner, you may experience costly energy bills due to the construction of your home. While there are various ways to cut these costs, replacing the existing siding on your home with more energy-efficient options is inexpensive and easy to implement.
Which Options to Avoid
Before we explain which siding choices are ideal for the energy-conscious home owner, it is important to point out that there are some options that should be avoided. Standard siding materials such as wood shingles, brick, stone, stucco, fiber cement, and metal all offer poor insulation when used on their own. If you use these siding materials, you can expect a large amount of heat and cool air to escape from your home through walls. This leads to poor efficiency and high energy bills. The R-value, or the energy efficiency rating, of these standard siding options is less than one. R-values of less than one demonstrate poor energy-efficiency.
Energy-Efficient Options
As we stated before, the energy efficiency of standard siding materials is poor at best. However, if you combine metal siding options such as aluminum, steel, and vinyl with insulating foam, you can greatly increase the overall energy-efficiency of your home. In many cases, insulated aluminum, steel, and vinyl siding can receive R-values of up to four. This an extremely high indicator of energy efficiency. Siding options with these high ratings provide optimal insulation that prevents air from escaping your home through the walls. This is especially important during summers and winters when energy costs are typically very expensive. Fortunately, insulating foam can also be used on a variety of other siding options to provide excellent efficiency while maintaining the style of your home, according to Siding Price Guides.
Breakdown of Siding Options
Aside from r-values, different types of siding provide a variety of energy-related benefits that may make some options more ideal than others in certain situations. Here is an analysis of the various siding options available for your home:
- Fiber Cement: A material with high durability that requires low maintenance over several decades. While the r-value of this material is low, the lack of cracks and age-related damages will prevent large amounts of air escaping from your home.
- Wood: A material that requires regular maintenance and poor insulation. Vulnerable to termite infestation and rot if not maintained on a regular basis. Must be combined with an insulator in order to function as an energy-efficient material.
- Stucco: A material with a high durability and resistance to fire. Stucco is good at preventing the escape of air while allow vapor to pass through. This is an ideal choice for dry areas.
If you are constructing a new home or upgrading an existing one, choosing siding options that are energy efficient is a smart decision that will lower your energy costs while helping the environment. Various aesthetically pleasing siding options can be chosen when combined with insulation, but the most effective choices of siding include insulated aluminum, steel, and vinyl. These materials are top-quality insulators and prevent the escape of air from your home, according to House Logic.
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