Why Insulation Matters for Long Island Homes
Long Island homeowners face some of the highest energy costs in the country. Between PSEG Long Island electric rates and the cost of heating oil or natural gas through our cold winters, the average Long Island household spends $3,000 to $5,000 annually on energy. A significant portion of that spending goes to compensating for heat loss through poorly insulated walls, which account for roughly 25 to 35 percent of a home's total heat loss.
Many Long Island homes, particularly those built during the post-war housing boom of the 1940s through 1960s, have minimal wall insulation by today's standards. Levittown Capes, Hicksville ranches, and Lindenhurst split-levels were built to the codes of their era, which required far less insulation than modern energy standards. Some homes have no wall insulation at all, just studs and sheathing behind the siding.
Understanding Thermal Bridging and R-Value
Even in homes with insulation between the wall studs, a phenomenon called thermal bridging reduces the effective insulation value of the wall. Wood studs conduct heat much more readily than the insulation between them, creating a thermal bridge every 16 inches across the wall. Studies show that thermal bridging through wood studs can reduce the effective R-value of a wall by 20 to 30 percent compared to the rated R-value of the insulation alone.
This is where insulated siding becomes particularly valuable. Because insulated siding covers the entire wall surface, including the studs, it provides continuous insulation that eliminates thermal bridging. This continuous insulation layer can add R-2 to R-5 to your wall assembly, which is especially impactful on older homes where the existing insulation is thin or absent.
Insulated Vinyl Siding: How It Works
Insulated vinyl siding features a rigid foam insulation backing permanently bonded to the vinyl panel. The foam is contoured to fit the profile of the siding panel, filling the space behind the vinyl that would otherwise be empty air. This design serves multiple purposes: it adds insulation value, increases impact resistance, reduces panel flex and distortion, and eliminates the hollow sound associated with standard vinyl siding.
Alside's Prodigy insulated siding, one of the most popular options on Long Island, features 1.5 inches of expanded polystyrene foam that delivers up to R-4.0 insulation value. When added to a wall that already has some cavity insulation, this can bring the total wall R-value close to modern building code requirements without the expense and disruption of opening walls to add blow-in insulation.
The energy savings from insulated siding depend on your home's current insulation level and overall tightness. For a poorly insulated Long Island home, insulated siding can reduce heating and cooling costs by 10 to 20 percent. For a home that already has good cavity insulation, the savings will be more modest but still meaningful over the 30-plus-year lifespan of the siding.
Other Ways Siding Affects Energy Efficiency
Beyond insulation value, the condition of your siding affects energy efficiency in several ways. Gaps, cracks, and loose panels allow air to infiltrate the wall assembly, carrying conditioned air out and unconditioned air in. Even small gaps around windows, doors, and at siding joints can add up to the equivalent of leaving a window open year-round.
Professional siding installation includes proper sealing of all penetrations, weather-tight trim around windows and doors, and a continuous house wrap beneath the siding that serves as both an air barrier and a moisture barrier. This complete system approach reduces air infiltration far more effectively than simply adding insulation alone.
Combining Siding Replacement with Other Upgrades
If you are already planning a siding replacement, it is the ideal time to address other insulation and energy-efficiency issues in the building envelope. While the walls are exposed, your contractor can add blown-in insulation to the wall cavities, improving R-value from the inside. Adding rigid foam sheathing over the studs before the new siding goes on provides another layer of continuous insulation.
Replacing windows and doors at the same time as siding ensures that the entire building envelope is upgraded as a system. New energy-efficient windows from manufacturers like Simonton dramatically reduce heat loss through what are typically the weakest points in any wall. Coordinating these projects also saves money by sharing mobilization, staging, and trim work between the siding and window installations.
Start Saving Energy with Brothers Aluminum
Brothers Aluminum has been helping Long Island homeowners improve their homes' energy efficiency for over 40 years. From insulated siding to energy-efficient windows, we offer solutions that reduce your energy bills while enhancing your home's appearance and comfort. Call 516-872-0947 or contact us for a free energy-efficiency consultation.