It is a fact that insulated vinyl siding can help lower your annual energy costs. There are several methods of insulation so do your homework to determine the right fit for your climate and budget.

My husband and I are building a new home in cold and snowy New England. We’re trying to build as energy efficient as we can so we can keep our energy costs under control. We’re investigating every possibility, right down to insulated vinyl siding, which is also sometimes called solid core vinyl siding. We’re in our 50′s and neither of us is looking to have to deal with maintenance of a wood exterior. There are so many beautiful and durable siding products on the market today it seemed the best choice for us. Some siding companies, like Alcoa, claim to offer up to seven hundred different color choices.

We are working with a wonderful architect and a very experienced builder. The builder said that he is very impressed with today’s insulated vinyl siding. The siding is backed with an extruded polystyrene or polypropylene foam which gives insulative properties as well as strength. Our builder said that the increased cost of the siding, which can run between 25% and 30% more than conventional siding, would be well worth the cost.

He judged it by the length of time we plan on being in our home, and the area in which we live. Since we live in a much colder area we will have higher heating costs. We’ll definitely notice a savings of at least 20% on our energy costs using insulated vinyl siding.

One type of insulated siding we’ve been reading about is Fullback Thermal. The “R” value is 5.5.

Another wonderful insulated vinyl siding product is Crane. They have one of the best warranties offered in the industry. Their insulated vinyl siding is Oracle. With its solid core Oracle siding has an “R” value of 3.0-4.0 and is 300% more impact resistant and offers a 45% noise reduction.

We learned that before conventional siding is installed on a home there is an insulative layer placed. We have decided to use a product to insulate before we add the final Tyvek House wrap. Tyvek Housewrap is not an insulator but is an air barrier. Mitten Levelwall is a rigid product with a high “R” value that insulates wood studs and helps to eliminate noise.

If you’re a homeowner who is planning to build a new home or remodel a home you may want to look into insulated vinyl siding. Not only will it add value to your home it will definitely help at sale time.