Source: REPLACEMENT CONTRACTOR Magazine

By Mark Clement

Vinyl is the most popular siding material in the U.S. But when it comes to adding heating or cooling resistance (R-value), the material is, well, hollow.

Welcome, then, to foam-backed siding, in which the foam is either applied at the factory or in the field. Combining foam insulation and siding in a single product gives vinyl siding solidity, provides a vapor barrier and an energy-saving capability of around R-4, according to manufacturers.

“Normally, siding is a design element,” says Dave Cook, owner of Feldco, a Chicago-area window and siding company that has offered foam-backed siding for two years. “The fact that we can add the energy-saving component to that makes this a two-for.”

Just how does foam-backed siding keep a home warmer? Bear in mind that a new 2x4 batt in a stud wall offers an R-value of somewhere around R-13; older and poorly detailed batts or spray-in material compressed in the stud bay offer less. And studs themselves have low R-value. Because foam-backed panels interlock in a contiguous sheet over the entire sidewall, they enhance resistance to thermal bridging and improve thermal performance.

The systems work for heating and cooling climates. And water vapor can pass through without turning into liquid water.

Click here to read full article from Replacement Contractor