How Siding Impacts Your Home’s Energy Efficiency
Home energy efficiency plays a crucial role in comfort and cost savings, and one big contributing factor to that is your siding. This is especially true with New England’s cold winters, emphasizing the importance of quality siding in insulating homes and reducing heating and cooling costs.
The role of siding in home insulation
Siding is like a blanket for your home, acting as its protective outer layer. It’s not just about color and aesthetics, although that’s certainly a consideration for curb appeal. The siding material you choose serves an even more important role with its insulating properties. These properties help to prevent drafts, maintain indoor temperature, provide consistent comfort, and keep your energy bills down.
Cheaping out on siding may save you a few bucks now, but you’ll pay later in the form of high utility bills and less comfort. Quality siding, whether you choose vinyl, fiber cement, composite or shake, is a wise investment that will continue to pay off down the road. Not only does it reduce the strain on your heating and cooling systems, it rewards you in the form of lower energy bills. Plus, you can enjoy consistent comfort indoors with no cold spots or drafts.
Want to improve your home energy efficiency?
The skilled contractors at Golden Group Roofing can advise you on energy efficient siding options in Greater Boston. We have a long history of offering proven expertise in siding and energy-efficient solutions for today’s homeowners. What’s the best siding for energy efficiency? Read on to learn more.
Impact of siding on heating and cooling costs in New England
New England’s extreme winters and humid summers pose big challenges when it comes to home energy usage. Your siding plays a critical role in regulating indoor temperatures, especially during cold winters and hot summers. Quality siding will act as a barrier against heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer, minimizing how often you have to run your heating and cooling systems.
In addition, homes with efficient siding enjoy better temperature regulation and reduced drafts, which enhances overall comfort levels. In terms of energy costs and indoor comfort, there’s a big difference in homes with and without high-quality, energy-efficient siding. For instance, studies show that replacing standard siding with insulated vinyl siding can offer an average heating energy savings of eight percent by reducing air infiltration and improving overall thermal resistance, says the U.S. Department of Energy.
Efficient siding: Lower energy bills thanks to reduced heat transfer, with less reliance on heating and cooling systems.
Without efficient siding: Higher energy bills due to more heat that escapes in winter and enters in summer; requires more frequent HVAC operation to maintain comfortable temperatures.
Best siding materials for energy efficiency
From insulated vinyl siding to fiber cement siding, there are many siding materials to choose from if your goal is to improve your home’s energy efficiency.
Insulated vinyl siding
While more expensive than standard vinyl siding, insulated vinyl siding offers cost savings on the back end for years to come, in the form of lower energy costs and more comfort. Backed with a layer of expanded polystyrene insulation, insulated vinyl siding is durable, energy-efficient, and noise reducing. In addition, it offers an extra layer of protection against pests, as the foam behind the siding eliminates common spots for termites or other bugs to gather.
Up to 40 percent of energy lost through a traditionally insulated wood-framed wall is through wood studs, comprising up to 25 percent of a home’s exterior. Each study acts as a “thermal bridge” that allows conditioned air to pass through the wall. Breaking the thermal bridge is made possible with insulated vinyl siding.
When you reduce your home’s energy consumption, you also reduce your carbon footprint. Energy-efficient vinyl siding helps lower greenhouse gas emissions for a more sustainable environment, points out CertainTeed.
R-value is another thing to consider when choosing siding. Insulated vinyl has the highest R-value of all siding types, typically between 3 and 4. R-value is a measure of how well a siding material resists heat transfer. The higher the number, the better the insulation.
Fiber cement siding
Boasting long-term cost savings, fiber cement siding is a durable, energy-efficient option for homes in colder climates such as New England. With minimized environmental impact over its lifespan, fiber cement maintains a consistent indoor temperature, and reduces reliance on heating and cooling systems. In addition, it helps to lower energy consumption and utility bills. Fiber cement siding can augment your home’s energy efficiency by acting as an insulating layer and minimizing heat transfer.
Wood and composite siding
Engineered for extreme performance, wood shakes and composite siding emulate the look of natural wood and other materials yet without the maintenance and challenges that typically plague real cedar. It eliminates the need for paints, stains, solvents with VOCs, and caulking, and is completely recyclable.
Blending components such as wood, plastic, fiberglass, cement, and synthetic compounds, composite siding offers excellent insulation properties. This energy efficiency helps keep your home warm in winter and cool in summer, significantly reducing your utility bills over time.
Why choosing the right siding is critical for Massachusetts homeowners
When considering siding, it’s important to select a material that meets New England’s climate challenges and maximizes energy efficiency. Golden Group Roofing can help MA homeowners choose and install the best energy-efficient siding for their home’s needs. As your local construction expert in business for decades, we are extremely familiar with Massachusetts’ climate and energy efficiency standards.
Additional siding features that improve energy efficiency
Even the highest quality siding material can’t perform the full job of completely insulating a home. Your siding needs help, and that comes in the form of insulated backings, weatherproofing and sealing, and energy-efficient siding installation.
Insulated backing:
Additional layers of insulation or insulated siding panels can increase energy efficiency by adding more protection behind the scenes.
Weatherproofing and sealing:
Proper weatherproofing and sealing around windows, doors, and seams will prevent heat loss by creating a barrier against the outside elements. Estimates show homes with drafty windows and doors lose 20 to 30 percent in heating costs.
Energy-efficient siding installation:
The best siding in the world won’t give you the energy efficiency your home deserves if it’s not installed properly. That’s why you need to hire experienced siding professionals in Greater Boston to properly handle siding, sealing, and insulation.
The long-term financial benefits of energy-efficient siding
Making the investment now in quality siding pays off in savings over the long term. Not only can you experience immediate benefits with savings on your monthly utility bills, you will benefit from return on investment (ROI) due to reduced energy bills and increased home value. For instance, a vinyl siding replacement gives you an ROI of 80 percent, and a fiber cement siding replacement gives you an ROI of 88 percent, according to the 2024 Cost vs. Value Report.
You can also take advantage of Massachusetts-specific rebates, incentives, and tax credits available for energy-efficient home improvements.
