Siding can do more than improve your home’s aesthetics and impact resistance. In today’s post, local siding and window replacement contractor California Energy Consultant Service discuss how choosing the right products for your siding replacement can help improve your home’s energy efficiency and help you save on your energy bills.
Energy Envelope
Before getting into specifics about siding, let us first discuss what an energy envelope is. Every home has an insulated enclosure that consists of the attic and/or roof, the exterior walls, and fenestrations (entry doors, windows, and skylights). Together, they are called an energy envelope, which is intended to keep thermal transfer to a minimum. With proper insulation, radiant heat from the outdoors during summer stays outdoors, while indoor heating during winter stays indoors. This helps reduce required output from your heating and cooling systems, and result in energy savings.
How Can Siding Improve Your Home’s Energy Efficiency?
Insulated siding can help improve home performance by adding another layer of insulation to the exterior walls. While most exterior walls already have insulation, it isn’t insulated in some areas, such as where the framing is. Depending on the material, framing may conduct heat and contribute “ghosting” on the walls. Insulated siding helps prevent such problems by increasing exterior wall insulation, as well as reducing air infiltration through the walls.
Home Energy Efficiency Tips
In addition to installing insulated siding, there are things that you can do that can help improve your home’s energy efficiency:
Invest In Energy-Efficient Replacement Windows — Windows with insulated frames and double- or triple-pane glass complement the other parts of the energy envelope.
Choose Upgrades With ENERGY STAR® Certification — ENERGY STAR provides certification for products that consume energy or affect its consumption. When buying anything from electronics to insulated siding, look for the ENERGY STAR label.
Hire a Home Performance Auditor — A home performance audit can help you identify energy problems in your home. The auditor will then help you come up with and implement a plan that will help you save on your energy costs for the long term.
California Energy Consultant Service offers insulated siding from Prodigy, James Hardie® and LP® SmartSide®. Give us a call at (916) 852-8132 or (916) 281-0548. You can also fill out our contact form to schedule a consultation or energy assessment appointment. We serve customers in Sacramento and Rancho Cordova, CA.