Tell Me What You Know about Siding

[tirolski]

I've never got a dent from a ladder against it. Those rubber sticky things at the end of the ladder has left gunk behind which is hard to get off.

We used to put old thick socks over the ends of the ladder for bumpers.
I ain’t going up high anymore though.

 

[Milo Maltbie]

The second house I put one inch of styrofoam insulation up before I put the siding over it.

Insulation on the outside is a good idea, but it needs to be installed correctly to be sure water drains adequately and moisture doesn't build up behind it. Actually, "installed correctly" is a real challenge in new construction, and even more so in renovations.

There's an Canadian engineer named Joe Lstriburek (really) who runs a company called Building Science. He does a lot of renovation plans for older homes in cold climates. His general plan seems to be lots of insulation including the basement floor, tight windows, heat pumps and a separate heat exchanger ventilation system. He thinks spending the money that way makes more sense than adding solar. He's right about that except that you can't finance insulation/windows the way you can solar.

mm

 

[Harvey]

Insulation on the outside is a good idea, but it needs to be installed correctly to be sure water drains adequately and moisture doesn't build up behind it. Actually, "installed correctly" is a real challenge in new construction, and even more so in renovations.

Does this apply to the vinyl that is backed by foam too? I'm starting to like that idea.

What did you do @Joneski73?

 

[Joneski73]

Does this apply to the vinyl that is backed by foam too? I'm starting to like that idea.

What did you do @Joneski73?

I’ve only used it on a couple jobs - most homeowners don’t go for it due to the added expense. Definitely use a housewrap (tyvek) behind it or better yet, Zip system sheathing.

 

[Milo Maltbie]

There's always water vapor moving through your wall and ideally you want it to condense outside all the insulation. One strategy for dealing with that is to let the vapor out and let condense on cold siding where it can drain harmlessly. The other strategy is a good vapor barrier in the inside. That's what you need to do with insulated siding.

I'm gonna tap out of this. I haven't worked in wood frame buildings in 25 years and I haven't kept up with technology. I've forgotten more than remember.

mm

 

[Campgottagopee]

Zip system sheathing.

That stuff is the bomb

 

[Joneski73]

The other strategy is a good vapor barrier in the inside. That's what you need to do with insulated siding.

This^^

 

[Joneski73]

That stuff is the bomb

Wrestling with a roll of house wrap on a breezy day is the worst.

 

[Harvey]

So if you have a layer of tyvek under the insulated vinyl that should be good?

 

[Milo Maltbie]

So if you have a layer of tyvek under the insulated vinyl that should be good?

I'm not sure what the current best practice is. There are a lot of good products but if you don't install them correctly you can end up spending a lot of money and a result that doesn't perform well at ll, or in the worst case the different components work against each other, sometimes to the point of failure.

It's probably better to get advice from a qualified engineer then to ask questions on a regional ski forum.

I really am out of here now.

mm