I wanted longer than 5 inch siding and the contractor found 8 inch with foam attached to the back of the siding and he says it saves a step by not having to put insulation. THe siding with the foam doesn’t seem as thick as the big pink rolls I see but I honestly don’t know a thing about insulation or siding so should I use a regular siding with reg insulation or use just the siding with the foam attachment or use both? Thanks!

3 responses to Should I use siding with foam insulation attached to the siding or use separate insulation or use both.?
I’m sure you are talking about vinyl siding? This works very well and is meant to be additional insulation because you should already have fiberglass insulation inside your exterior walls. As an additional help, you can use a tyvek vapor barrier between the wall and the new siding.
Should I use siding with foam insulation attached to the siding or use separate insulation or use both.?
Get the R rating on the siding. R ratings tell you how much heat the insulation will stop (leaving in the winter, getting in during the summer). The higher the R rating the better the insulation. It will say something like R – 11, etc.
I have never seen insulated siding with an R factor high enough to meet minimum standards. (R – 19) in my area ( Southern Oregon). Check with your local building dept. to see what the standards are for your area.
Correct insulation will save you thousands of dollars in heating and cooling cost during the time you live in your house.
Should I use siding with foam insulation attached to the siding or use separate insulation or use both.?
The foam in the vinyl siding is to make it more rigid. It does provide a minimal amount of insulation, but not enough for a rating. You still should insulate,tyvec wrap then siding.
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