3 Reasons Why You Should Get Insulated Vinyl Siding (Foam-Backed Siding)

1. It pays now. Foam insulated siding, also referred to as foam-backed siding, is siding (usually vinyl) that actually has a layer of foam permanently attached to the back of it. This siding, as you probably can guess, is extremely energy efficient. While typical foam insulation, installed separately from the actual siding, can certainly help with a home's energy efficiency, foam-backed siding is better because it helps against what is called thermal bridging. This is when energy is lost from or through a home via the wood studs within the wall structure. Foam-backed siding helps to prevent this bridging. This may not seem like a big deal, but when you consider that wood studs can comprise about 25% of a home's wall surface, thermal bridging occurring is like having an entire wall without insulation. So, you can just imagine how much energy is lost with no insulation at all and how much you could save by having this siding installed on your home. Most insulated siding contains an R-value of between 2.0 and 3.5. (source: Vinyl Siding Institute, VinylSiding.org)

2.  It's straight. One common complaint about vinyl siding is that it can look crooked or wavy in certain sight lines. This is because vinyl siding, while thicker than previous versions of itself, still will tend to follow the sheathing that it is attached to. In other words, it only has so much of its own rigidity. So, unless the sheathing of a house structure is perfect (and most is far from it), the siding will usually appear at least slightly wavy at certain angles. The thicker the siding, the better because the thicker it is, the more it "holds its own line." So, having foam attached to the siding offers that much more strength to the siding and allows it to hold its lines and appear straighter from more angles. So, if you are considering vinyl siding, but don't like how it sometimes seems wavy, insulated vinyl might be the choice for you.

3. It pays later. In general, getting new siding is seen as a good investment. That is, you tend to get a relatively high percentage back from your investment when you sell your house. According to the National Association of Realtors' annual Cost Vs Value Report, standard vinyl siding replacement boasts an average of a 95.5% return on investment. However, the number one ranked home improvement within the report was upscale siding, where the average rate of return is listed as 103.6%. To compare, window replacement is listed at 89.6% while roofing replacement is listed at a 84.7% return. So, overall getting new siding is a great investment and getting the best siding is the best investment.

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