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Jan. 18

Custom Home Builder Uses Insulated Vinyl Siding for Model Homes

Category: Siding Appearance
By: Lauren Higl

    

Paul Schumacher

We sat down with Paul Schumacher of Schumacher Homes to learn why the largest home builder in the country chose to feature insulated vinyl siding on their model homes.
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“Hi, I’m Paul Schumacher of Schumacher Homes. Schumacher Homes is the largest custom home builder in the country. Unlike typical home builders, all of our model homes are located in highly visible retail locations. We like to think of it as a Parade of Homes 365 days a year.

It’s essential for us to show the latest and greatest in our building products and materials to our customers who are coming through on a daily basis. Let’s face it, people are very visual, so it’s very difficult to look at a small product chip and envision what it’s going to look like on their home. Seeing it in a real life setting on the actual home, people can get a feel if that’s the look and the style of the material that they want on their home.

When it comes to siding in particular, a lot of people ask about cement siding because they like the look of it, however they don’t like the drawback of the maintenance part of it. That’s where we sit down and educate people on all their options. They can go with a vinyl siding product that has the same look of the cement siding but also has the added benefit of completely maintenance free as well as the energy efficiency of the foam-backed product, so then you get the best of both worlds. You get the look and the feel and the energy efficiency with no maintenance.”

For more info about insulated vinyl siding, click here.

More about Schumacher Homes: Schumacher Homes is the largest and one of the most decorated custom home builders in the country. Over the years, Schumacher Homes has taken the promise of an affordable, innovative, fully customized home and made it a reality for more than 8,000 families across the country. And, no two of those homes is alike. Each reflects the personal design choices and dreams of its owners. See more at http://www.schumacherhomes.com/aboutus.aspx?mn=nav

Posted in Siding Appearance | 1 Comment
Jan. 4

What is Siding Insulation?

Category: Introduction
By: Lauren Higl

     
If you’re interested in learning about different methods of insulating homes or other structures, then siding insulation is a phrase you definitely need to be familiar with. It can completely change the way you look at insulation; not only does it provide energy efficiency, but it can even improve the performance of the siding and the whole wall system!

Let’s start by identifying the basic problem that siding insulation solves. When most people think of home insulation, they picture pink, fluffy fiberglass insulation that goes in between the wall studs and other framing members. This type of insulation is great for adding R-value to the wall and making your home more energy-efficient, but there is one big flaw with this method of insulating a home; by putting batt insulation between the studs, you do not insulate over top of the studs themselves. This leaves a major “thermal bridge” for energy to leak across. In the winter, heat from the warm inside of the home escapes to the cooler outdoors; in the summer, warm air from the outside comes across the studs, warming the cooler interior of your home.

So how do you break this thermal bridge and stop the energy loss? You guessed it… siding insulation. Siding insulation is rigid foam insulation that is contoured to fit the shape of the siding panel it is paired with. It can be installed behind the siding on the job site or laminated to some siding panels during the manufacturing process. Because the siding insulation is installed on the outside of the home, it completely covers up the wall studs and other framing members, breaking the thermal bridge. Click here to watch a short video clip about how siding insulation breaks the thermal bridge.

Now that you know what siding insulation is, you may have asked yourself one of the following questions. Although the answer to both could be “yes”, here’s why siding insulation is the better choice:

Insulating from the inside out can be an expensive & messy process

1.) Can I insulate over the studs from the inside out instead?

Yes, you can insulate the studs from the outside in. However, to get to the studs in a remodeling situation, you may have to remove drywall, take down cabinets, pull back carpet and more, then replace them after the insulation is installed! This can be a long, messy process that can also cause you to lose square footage on the interior of the home. By using siding insulation on the outside, you can beautify the home with new siding while increasing its energy efficiency at the same time.


2.)    If I decide to insulate from the outside in, can I use something other than siding insulation?

If you decide to insulate on the exterior, there are other flat foam product options to insulate under new siding. However, by using contoured siding insulation you reap extra benefits. Depending on the type of siding that siding insulation is paired with, benefits can include:

  • Increased impact resistance (more)
  • Enhanced moisture management, protecting your home from mold (more)
  • Protects against pests, such as termites (more)
  • Perfectly installed panels every time for an enhanced appearance, and more!

To learn about the benefits of adding siding insulation to a specific siding type, click here:
VINYL SIDING – FIBER CEMENT SIDING – COMPOSITE WOOD – STEEL – OTHER

Posted in Introduction | 1 Comment
Dec. 21

Happy Holidays & Our Favorite Posts of 2011

Category: Uncategorized
By: Lauren Higl

    
As the year draws to a close, we would like to take a moment to wish all of you a happy holiday season and thank you for your continued readership! It’s hard to believe the siding insulation blog has been live for 10 months already. We’ve had a lot of fun posting our topics and reading your comments. If you’re new to the blog, here are a few of the most popular posts from 2011: Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Dec. 7

Decorate Your Home with this Fabric Wreath!

Category: Uncategorized
By: Matt and Shari

Click to play video

Believe it or not, many of the projects that we make for shows or specials don’t make it into the show at all.  Well, my “any season” wreath was one of those projects!  It’s very easy to make and depending on your choice of fabrics, could be appropriate for any season!  This wreath can be used indoors or outdoors if you have an awning or another covering over the place it is being hung. My next venture, soft pastels for spring!

Materials List:

  • Wire wreath frame: size of your choosing, mine were 18” frames
  • 1 yard each of at least four different, coordinating flannel fabrics
  • ½ yard each of at least two different coordinating felt colors

Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Nov. 23

Insulate Your Home Before Winter

Category: Energy Saving Siding, Lifestyle Impact
By: admin

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving day, and that means a harsh winter may be just around the corner. Before the snow is flying and your utility bills are rising, hear why these homeowners are thankful they chose to add siding insulation behind their new siding!

These are only a few reasons why these homeowners are ready for winter because of their siding insulation! Click here to watch their full testimonials.

It’s not too late to add siding insulation to your home; and if it is installed by the end of the year 2011, you could qualify for an insulation tax credit! For more information, contact us!

Click on the photo to play the homeowner’s short video testimonial:

Sue knows her home will stay comfy and cozy when facing harsh Iowa winters!

John and Kim's house is warmer in the winter and their bills have gone down!

Last winter a tree fell on Annette's house during a heavy snow storm, and her siding didn't even get scratched!

Posted in Energy Saving Siding, Lifestyle Impact | 2 Comments
Nov. 9

Decorating Your Home for Thanksgiving (Inside & Out)

Category: Uncategorized
By: Matt and Shari

If there is a season and holiday which get their identities from color, it’s autumn and Thanksgiving. I could survey dozens of people and their answers would be gold, orange, red and brown as the first and foremost colors that come to mind. So, use this information and this Thanksgiving try decorating with just one color in mind. Why? Well, when you add seasonal decorations in a single color family you are adding a lot of the same item around your home. This is a unifying factor that will make your home, both inside and out, come together and make a stronger holiday statement.

Click here to hear Shari's introduction to this blog!

Let’s take a look at some of the most common and appealing autumn icons within the four color families.

Gorgeous Gold

Leaves are almost always my first choice in nearly every color family. Inside use several branches, either real or artificial, and place them in pottery and set them in the center of your coffee table for a bold statement. Outside, make a Fall Leaf Wreath all in gold tones.

Don’t forget about wheat sheaves, dried corn, and sunflowers for great fall decorating. The gold tones are so inviting, warm and sunny, and the icons we mentioned can take you from September through Thanksgiving!

Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Oct. 26

Why Read Consumer Reviews Before Buying?

Category: Financial Impact
By: Lauren Higl

A couple speaks about their experience with a home improvement project.

As consumers, when we consider buying a product or soliciting a service, we will ask friends or family their opinions or suggestions. Generally we tend to value the references of others more than what salesmen or manufacturers tell us about their products and services. Consumer reviews typically represent unbiased, third-party opinions that can help us make a purchase decision. The larger the purchase, the more people we may consult before making a decision.

Thanks to the Internet, we now have an almost unending stream of consumer reviews right at our fingertips. Many websites will feature comment sections where consumers can submit their reviews. In addition, there are many third-party websites such as Angie’s List, Yelp, Consumer Reports and others that provide up-to-date reviews, whether they be positive or negative.

No matter what product or service you’re considering, checking out reviews can give you a sneak peak into the level of satisfaction that others have experienced when making a similar purchase. For example, reviews can help give you an idea of:

Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Impact | 3 Comments
Oct. 12

How to Hang a Bat House

Category: Uncategorized
By: Matt and Shari

Hanging my new bat house on the exterior of my home

Did you know that insect-eating bats eat billions of tons of insects each summer? They protect our crops and keep our costs down at the market place. Fruit bats bring us over 450 commercial products and 80 medicines through pollination and seed dispersal. Over 95% of rainforest re-growth comes from seeds that have been spread by fruit bats. And you wonder why we sold. And besides that they are just darn cute!

So that is why I purchased a bat house at a home show that Shari and I were presenting at and hung it on my house.

If you would like more information about bats or plans to build your own bat house, visit Bat World Sanctuary at http://www.batworld.org/myths_facts/myths_facts.html . As far as putting up you own bat house, here are the hanging instructions and location guide.

Location, Location, Location

Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments
Sep. 28

5 Tips to Determine if Products are Truly “Green”

Category: Environmental Responsibility
By: Lauren Higl

Remember a time when “green” was simply a color in a crayon box? Ever since the push towards more environmentally conscious ways of living swept the nation, the word “green” has taken on a whole new meaning.

Many companies have hopped on the boat to ride the green wave, and consumers are now forced to wade through the “greenwashing”. “Greenwashing” is defined as “the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company, or the environmental benefits of a product or service.”1 Because there is not one main organization to police green claims and prove their validity, consumers need to understand how to determine for themselves if products are truly “green”.

Here are a few tips to help in the process:

  1. Look for Products with Certifications

    Today there are organizations Continue reading →
Posted in Environmental Responsibility | 1 Comment
Sep. 14

Cleaning, Staining and Preserving Your Deck

Category: Uncategorized
By: Matt and Shari

Cleaning Staining a Preserving Your Deck

One of the first things that I want to do this weekend is to clean and seal my deck. Doesn’t sound like that much fun does it. Well, it’s better than replacing the deck, which is exactly what I had to do last fall. The old deck finally gave into years of wear and tear. Constant exposure to UV rays and rain can cause neglected decks to fade, crack, split and warp. All of those conditions are exactly everything that has happened to my deck over the years.

Wood damage occurs when water seeps below the surface of the wood, tearing the fibers apart. Direct sun will, over time, make wood brittle so that even the toughest pressure-treated types can rot and split. Protection is paramount to preserving your wood.

Prepping and Cleaning the Deck

The first step to protection and preserving your wood structure is Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment