Insulated siding

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Insulated siding is home siding that includes rigid foam insulation, fused behind the exterior surface of the wall, for the purpose of reducing energy consumption, increasing the insulation value of the wall system and improving the stability and appearance of the siding. Currently, insulated siding is commercially available as a type of vinyl siding.

Contents

Usage

Insulated siding is exterior cladding that features a rigid foam backing secured to vinyl siding, or placed behind the siding during installation.

One purported benefit of insulated siding is its ability to reduce energy transfer, which helps maintain the interior temperature of a home. Producers report an average R-value of 2.0 - 5.5, significantly more than that of other siding products including fiber cement, brick and stucco. Homeowners also report insulated siding serves as a noise barrier to external sound. Insulated vinyl siding with added fan fold foam board insulation raises the R-value to 3.5 - 7.5. Fan fold insulation is installed under the final siding product.

The expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) insulation allows for more impact resistance than traditional vinyl siding. The rigid foam-backed siding creates straighter sight lines, and prevents denting and bending, for a more wood-like appearance than traditional vinyl siding.

History

Insulated siding was invented in 1992 by Ohio-based Progressive Foam Technologies, Inc. The company began marketing its product, Fullback Thermal Support System, in the United States as an improvement over traditional vinyl siding.

Initial versions of insulated vinyl siding were field-tested in Georgia. Between 1993 and 1997, design and process solutions were developed to improve the functionality and durability of the product. In 1997, one vinyl siding manufacturer launched the first full-scale commercialization of insulated vinyl siding. Between 1998 and 2003, most other vinyl siding manufacturers launched their own brands of insulated siding. Since 2003, product development and product line extensions have allowed insulated siding to experience consistent growth and recognition as a premium residential cladding.

Insulated siding is currently available from a variety of siding manufacturers including Alside, Associated Materials, CertainTeed, Cornerstone Building Brands, Exterior Portfolio by Crane, Heartland Building Products, KP Building Products, Mastic, Mitten, Inc., Norandex/Reynolds, Gentek/Revere, RMC/Style Crest, Variform and Vytec.

Product Attributes

Environmental Impact

Described by developers as “green building”, insulated siding may be used by homeowners to make homes more environmentally friendly. By reducing energy consumption, insulated siding can reduce air pollution. Insulated siding has an industry system R-value range of 2.0 - 5.5. According to manufacturers, insulated siding is manufactured to last for 50 years or more, potentially reducing landfill contributions.

In addition to reducing energy consumption, manufacturers report that insulated siding is permeable or “breathable,” allowing water vapor to escape, which can provide protection against rot, mold and mildew and help maintain healthy indoor air quality. Some products also include an organic, non-toxic termite and insect repellent.

Specifications

Sizes will vary by manufacturer depending on the insulated siding application and range from 4–16 ft long with widths from 6-21 inches, depending on the profile.

Considered a pioneering category of products, the rigid foam insulation is made of a modified expanded polystyrene (EPS), which includes a brominated fire retardant called HBCD (hexabromocyclododecane) which promotes self extinguishing once removed from direct flame. The EPS used in insulated siding has a density of 1.0 lb/cu ft (16 kg/cu m). Depending on the siding profile, products range in thickness from 75mm to 200mm.

Durability

The rigid foam insulation fused behind the siding panel reportedly makes insulated siding more durable than traditional vinyl siding. The rigid foam backing is precisely fitted to the contours of the siding's exterior surface, preventing the vinyl component of insulated siding from sagging, warping or shifting. Manufacturers claim that insulated siding is not susceptible to distortions caused by freeze/thaw cycles. Contractors report that it creates straighter lines and lays flatter, making it more effective on irregular walls. [1]

Related Research Articles

Thermal insulation Minimization of heat transfer

Thermal insulation is the reduction of heat transfer between objects in thermal contact or in range of radiative influence. Thermal insulation can be achieved with specially engineered methods or processes, as well as with suitable object shapes and materials.

Polystyrene Polymer

Polystyrene (PS) is a synthetic aromatic hydrocarbon polymer made from the monomer known as styrene. Polystyrene can be solid or foamed. General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and rather brittle. It is an inexpensive resin per unit weight. It is a rather poor barrier to oxygen and water vapour and has a relatively low melting point. Polystyrene is one of the most widely used plastics, the scale of its production being several million tonnes per year. Polystyrene can be naturally transparent, but can be coloured with colourants. Uses include protective packaging, containers, lids, bottles, trays, tumblers, disposable cutlery and in the making of models.

Styrofoam

Styrofoam is a trademarked brand of closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), commonly called "Blue Board", manufactured as foam continuous building insulation board used in walls, roofs, and foundations as thermal insulation and water barrier. This material is light blue in color and is owned and manufactured by The Dow Chemical Company.

R-value (insulation)

In the context of building and construction, the R-value is a measure of how well a two-dimensional barrier, such as a layer of insulation, a window or a complete wall or ceiling, resists the conductive flow of heat. R-value is the temperature difference per unit of heat flux needed to sustain one unit of heat flux between the warmer surface and colder surface of a barrier under steady-state conditions.

Structural insulated panel

A structural insulated panel, or structural insulating panel, (SIP), is a form of sandwich panel used in the construction industry.

Siding (construction) Exterior cladding material applied to the walls of a building

Siding or wall cladding is the protective material attached to the exterior side of a wall of a house or other building. Along with the roof, it forms the first line of defense against the elements, most importantly sun, rain/snow, heat and cold, thus creating a stable, more comfortable environment on the interior side. The siding material and style also can enhance or detract from the building's beauty. There is a wide and expanding variety of materials to side with, both natural and artificial, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Masonry walls as such do not require siding, but any wall can be sided. Walls that are internally framed, whether with wood, or steel I-beams, however, must always be sided.

Radiant barrier

A radiant barrier is a type of building material that reflects thermal radiation and reduces heat transfer. Because thermal energy is also transferred by conduction and convection, in addition radiation, radiant barriers are often supplemented with thermal insulation that slows down heat transfer by conduction or convection.

Insulating concrete form

Insulating concrete form or insulated concrete form (ICF) is a system of formwork for reinforced concrete usually made with a rigid thermal insulation that stays in place as a permanent interior and exterior substrate for walls, floors, and roofs. The forms are interlocking modular units that are dry-stacked and filled with concrete. The units lock together somewhat like Lego bricks and create a form for the structural walls or floors of a building. ICF construction has become commonplace for both low rise commercial and high performance residential construction as more stringent energy efficiency and natural disaster resistant building codes are adopted.

Material efficiency

Material efficiency is a description or metric which expresses the degree in which raw materials are consumed, incorporated, or wasted, as compared to previous measures in construction projects or physical processes. Making a usable item out of thinner stock than a prior version increases the material efficiency of the manufacturing process. Material efficiency goes hand in hand with Green building and Energy conservation, as well as any other ways of incorporating Renewable resource's in the building process from start to finish.

Vinyl siding

Vinyl siding is plastic exterior siding for houses and small apartment buildings, used for decoration and weatherproofing, imitating wood clapboard, board and batten or shakes, and used instead of other materials such as aluminum or fiber cement siding. It is an engineered product, manufactured primarily from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin. In the UK and New Zealand a similar material is known as uPVC weatherboarding.

Polyisocyanurate Type of plastic typically used for thermal insulation

Polyisocyanurate, also referred to as PIR, polyiso, or ISO, is a thermoset plastic typically produced as a foam and used as rigid thermal insulation. The starting materials are similar to those used in polyurethane (PUR) except that the proportion of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) is higher and a polyester-derived polyol is used in the reaction instead of a polyether polyol. The resulting chemical structure is significantly different, with the isocyanate groups on the MDI trimerising to form isocyanurate groups which the polyols link together, giving a complex polymeric structure.

Exterior insulation finishing system

Exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS) is a general class of non-load bearing building cladding systems that provides exterior walls with an insulated, water-resistant, finished surface in an integrated composite material system. In Europe, systems similar to EIFS are known as External Wall Insulation System (EWIS) and External Thermal Insulation Cladding System (ETICS).

Insulation may refer to:

Building insulation Methods of minimizing heat transfer in constructions

Building insulation is any object in a building used as insulation for any purpose. While the majority of insulation in buildings is for thermal purposes, the term also applies to acoustic insulation, fire insulation, and impact insulation. Often an insulation material will be chosen for its ability to perform several of these functions at once.

Building insulation materials

Building insulation materials are the building materials which form the thermal envelope of a building or otherwise reduce heat transfer.

Cellulose insulation

The word cellulose comes from the French word cellule for a living cell and glucose which is a sugar. Building insulation is low-thermal-conductivity material used to reduce building heat loss and gain and reduce noise transmission. Cellulose insulation is plant fiber used in wall and roof cavities to insulate, draught proof and reduce free noise.

Spray foam

Spray foam is a chemical product created by two materials, isocyanate and polyol resin, which react when mixed with each other and expand up to 30-60 times its liquid volume after it is sprayed in place. This expansion makes it useful as a specialty packing material which forms to the shape of the product being packaged and produces a high thermal insulating value with virtually no air infiltration.

Rigid panel

Rigid panel insulation, also referred to as continuous insulation, can be made from foam plastics such as polyurethane (PUR), polyisocyanurate (PIR), and polystyrene, or from fibrous materials such as fiberglass, rock and slag wool. Rigid panel continuous insulation is often used to provide a thermal break in the building envelope, thus reducing thermal bridging.

External wall insulation

An external wall insulation system is a thermally insulated, protective, decorative exterior cladding procedure involving the use of expanded polystyrene, mineral wool, polyurethane foam or phenolic foam, topped off with a reinforced cement based, mineral or synthetic finish and plaster.

Insulated glazing

Insulating glass (IG) consists of two or more glass window panes separated by a vacuum or gas-filled space to reduce heat transfer across a part of the building envelope. A window with insulating glass is commonly known as double glazing or a double-paned window, triple glazing or a triple-paned window, or quadruple glazing or a quadruple-paned window, depending upon how many panes of glass are used in its construction.

References

  1. "Insulated Siding | Durable Siding for the Life of your Home". Archived from the original on 2008-04-13. Retrieved 2008-04-21.