While the insulating properties of insulated vinyl siding are becoming increasingly recognized in new construction, less is known about the effect the product can have when used in retrofit situations. To learn more about the performance benefits of insulated vinyl siding in residential remodeling, the Vinyl Siding Institute commissioned Newport Ventures, a research firm from Schenectady, NY, to conduct a study on four different homes in climate zones 4 & 5.

The four chosen homes, located in Colorado, Indiana, Maryland and New York had to meet a myriad of requirements in order to provide an accurate representation of air infiltration and energy efficiency rates.  Some of the home specifications are listed in the cart below:

For each home, three air tightness tests were performed: the 1^st was done before the remodel began, the 2^nd after the siding had been removed and the weather resistive barrier was installed, and the 3^rd after the insulated vinyl siding was installed.

The results of the third air infiltration test showed an average of 12% air tightness improvement across all four homes. Both the weather resistive barrier and the insulated vinyl siding improved the air tightness of the home.

Newport Ventures is still evaluating the impact that insulated vinyl siding has on heating energy use. A final report will be released pending the collection of two years of utility data after insulated vinyl siding was installed.

When it comes to siding insulation, there are many factors that can influence how much it will cost, including but not limited to:

• where you live (will influence shipping and availability)
• the design of your home
• the specific product or trim details you choose
• the contractor that will be installing the product
• the time frame you want the job completed in, etc.

Keeping all these variables in mind, we recommend that you have a qualified contractor come out to your home to provide accurate pricing for the project you’re thinking of starting. He or she will take accurate measurements of your home, assess your unique situation and generate an accurate price based on your needs. (If you would like to be contacted by a qualified contractor for a quote, please enter your information here or call Progressive Foam at 330-756-3351.)

However, we understand that it may be important to have a ballpark idea of job cost before a contractor comes to your home. That’s why we refer to Remodeling Magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value report to provide one reference point for price. The report shows that the additional cost of installing new foam backed vinyl siding (vinyl siding with siding insulation laminated to the back during the manufacturing process) is approximately $2,545 more than traditional vinyl siding, or adds about 22% additional cost.

Because siding insulation is an energy saving product that will reduce your utility bills as long as it is on your home, you may be interested in seeing how much money you can expect to save with the product. We recommend that you have a certified Energy Rater perform an energy audit on your home before your siding insulation is installed with new siding to give you a more accurate idea of your estimated energy savings.

In addition, your new siding insulation could also qualify for a tax credit or rebate due to its energy saving properties. These incentives are sometimes provided by the federal, state and local government, and even the utility companies themselves! We encourage you to visit www.dsireusa.org to find out more informationa bout the potential savings in your state!

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

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:

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

• Did Heating Bills Drain Your Wallet This Winter?
• April Showers Bring May… Mold?
• Five Remodeling Projects with the WORST Paybacks
• How to Choose a Contractor

We’re looking forward to our next year of blogging, with many new and interesting post topics. Here are some of the topics you can expect to see in 2012, just to name a few:

• What is Home Insulation?
• How to Install Siding Insulation
• Do I Need Housewrap?
• Sick Home Syndrome: Could Your Home Be Making You Sick?
  and so many more!

So check back bi-weekly on Wednesdays to see our newest posts. You can also click here to sign up for our newsletter and receive automatic updates when new topics are posted.

Happy Holidays from everyone at Progressive Foam Technologies, Inc.!

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

• Several different ribbons: wired, sheer, sparkly and different widths are   interesting as well
• Pinking sheers
• Ruler

This wreath will look great on the inside or outside of your home!

Instructions:

1. When using an 18inch wire wreath frame, cut the strips of fabric, felt and ribbon to 2” wide by 9” long using pinking shears. 
2. Once you have everything cut to size, start tying them onto the wire frame.  The finished look you want is random, but it can be achieved by tying the pieces on in a diagonal pattern.
3. Every now and then substitute a ribbon for the fabric or felt strips to add dimension and interest.

 

Tip:

Be prepared with at least 324 strips of cloth, felt or ribbon total.  And, if you want to make one of these wreaths for fall, I used oranges, brown and greys and it was beautiful.  For spring, use fresh pastels and then red, white and blue for the summer months would be perfect.

An entire wreath takes about 6 to 8 hours, depending on how sharp your pinking shears are.  I recommend using sharp ones, or you’ll have to do what I did and invest in a box of band-aids!!

Happy Holidays!

Shari

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!

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!

Spicy Oranges

Pumpkins are probably the most recognized and first mentioned orange of the season. I think we could safely put gourds into this category as well. Pumpkins are lovely indoors if they are baked in a pie….but I digressed, we are talking about decorating! So, instead, select small ones and place in bowls or baskets, line them up along your fireplace mantel or even a windowsill! Large ones group well outdoors on your front stairs, placed on top of a collection of urns, or even in a grouping of other fall icons within a wheelbarrow in your front landscaping. Other great autumn oranges include bittersweet, candy corn, and mums.

Berry Red

Cranberries would be the number one red for Thanksgiving, and you can float them in shallow glass bowls with tiny lit candles and they fill up tall vases with a rich red hue. They also fashion into fabulous crisp, neat, all berry wreaths. Pepper berries (if you aren’t allergic) can make beautiful outdoor wreaths and fabulous unstructured bouquets that could fill a tall ceramic vase on your exterior entry. Apples can be ornamental as well, from real apples in bowls and tall vases to well crafted plastic or wooden ones made into topiaries and wreaths for both inside and out.

Earthy Browns

Nuts, acorns and many seed pods are in a beautiful rich autumn brown. Use then in bowls, as anchors in vases, or string them into garlands. Use garlands along an outdoor railing or around your front door. Pinecones are perfect for garlands as well. For outside your home make pinecone wreaths or even pinecone topiaries to set on either side of your front door!

So, that’s the idea of decorating with one single color family for Thanksgiving. Remember, it ties your accessorizing together, from outside to inside, it blends well with your home’s colors and décor, and if you buy in quantities, you may save a few bucks as well!

Happy Thanksgiving from Matt and Shari and the folks at Progressive Foam!

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:

• The cost of the product/service relative to the value received
   
• The important questions to ask your sales representative or service provider
   
• Issues or concerns that you may not have never considered before buying
   
• How the product or service stacks up to competitors
   
• The average level of consumer satisfaction with that product or service

If you’re a business owner or marketer, consumer reviews can be exceptionally valuable to you as well. Encouraging feedback from your customers can help provide testimonials for your products or services, or reveal ways in which you can improve to make your next customer more satisfied than the last.

In the end, your experience with a particular product or service will be unique to you, and it may not always line up with the reviews of others. However, being aware of the opinions of other consumers like yourself can make you more informed before deciding how to spend your hard-earned dollars.

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

1) For best results, the house should be placed on the southwest side of the house at least 15 feet to 25 feet from the ground.

2) The house should face a clearing and not be near any power lines or trees, even though bats aren’t blind – myth…they can see as well as we do, they do like to have easy access to insects and a clear landing path.

3) Even though there are no tricks to attracting a bat to their new home, having the house within a ¼ mile of a body of water, like a lake, stream or pond does seem to help. And of course, if there are more bats in the neighborhood, they seem to be attracted to that as well.

4) Don’t hang a bat house in a tree, they tend not to roost in a tree, and those that do are usually loners and just like to hang out by them selves. Get it? HANG OUT…I’m killing myself here… don’t forget to tip your waitresses.

How to Hang a Bat House

1) Find the location on your home that fits the criteria above. If the house has side vents, make sure that they are left clear for proper ventilation.

2) Use a safe extension ladder with ladder mitts to protect the siding.

3) Measure up at least 15- 25 feet from the ground.

4) Secure the bat house to the wall using 2 inch galvanized screws (galvanized won’t rust).

How will you know if a bat has started to occupy the house? Well, colonial bats like to move around during the day in the house looking for a roost mate or just looking for the best resting spot, so they can be a little noisy. Also, and I know Shari won’t like this; they tend to make a little mess with their bathroom habits, so there will be bat droppings on the ground. Just rinse off the area with a hose.

These little creatures are cute, shy and gentle, but they are wild animals and should be treated like any animal in the wild. Don’t pick one up if you find one on the ground, they may bite in self defense, and contrary to popular myth, they don’t “carry” rabies, however, they are capable of catching the disease just like any other mammal.

One more thing….they are one of the slowest reproducing animals on earth. Most only have one offspring per year and the bat population is declining. Half of the bats in the U.S. are listed as rare, threatened or endangered. So please consider these little guys and give them a home… your mosquito’s will hate you for it.

Bat….Matt