Insulated Vinyl Siding Reviews

Read insulated vinyl siding reviews and find out what consumers and industry experts think of this foam backed vinyl siding.

Insulated Vinyl Siding Reviews | #1

Pre-insulated siding doesn’t really have enough insulation to make a difference in terms of energy efficiency. The advantage that it does offer is a stronger, firmer panel. Uninsulated brands will include an underlayment, so they’re going to be reinforced. The insulated siding might be nice if the siding prices are similar, but if there’s a big difference then I would forget about foam backed.

It might be tempting to buy the siding and do it yourself. It’s possible, but it’s a big job and it’s not for everyone. The soffit, corners, and window/door channels have to be installed first, and these parts aren’t simple. It takes some skill to wrap the metal around window frames and cover the fascia. The plain sides are pretty simple, and a lot of people start out thinking that they can handle it but then get stuck on the more complicated parts.

When you hire a contractor, pay attention if they try to talk you out of the product you were planning on. They know which houses need repairs soon after new siding, which materials fades and look lousy and which ones leak around the windows. They know what they’re doing, and they don’t want to work with lousy materials.

Larry – Contractor – Georgia

Insulated Vinyl Siding Reviews | #2

I’m a big fan of the Heartland CedarMAX, which is an insulated siding that I charge somewhere in the neighborhood of $2 per square foot to customers. I believe it received the highest score from Consumer Reports (not that I put much stock in CR, but it’s worth noting). The panels go up nice and straight, but you have to really know what you’re doing because there is very little room for error with these panels. It comes in almost 20 colors and I was impressed with how the job came out.

Joe – Contractor – Virginia








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Insulated Vinyl Siding Reviews | #3

Insulated siding has a few problems. For one thing, it doesn’t really add anything to the insulation value of the house (R-value). It just makes it harder to get in when you need to make repairs behind the siding. It’s a little firmer and sturdier than regular vinyl but that’s hardly worth paying four times as much for. The insulated siding can be a big problem in some places, too, because it creates a vapor barrier. To keep it simple, too much insulation can trap moisture and you end up with mold and mildew.

Ray – Architect – Connecticut

Insulated Vinyl Siding Reviews | #4

Insulated Siding has its place. It’s more rigid so you can have a wider face, and a lot of people like that. It’s just about the only thing that can give the look of real cedar siding, because it stays flat and doesn’t curve like traditional siding. The biggest problem is that home owners buy it thinking it’ll save energy, and it just doesn’t. You can do better and spend less money getting plain siding and a thicker xps board.

Don – Installer – Milwaukee

Insulated Vinyl Siding Reviews | #5

I’ve installed Alside Prodigy and I wasn’t very impressed (which I was expecting to be at $1.60 psf). The siding was hard to work with and it sat a bit out from the wall with the foam backing. As a result, I had to build out the door trim and windows and use way more J channels and corners – all added to the cost. It was a tedious project and in the end I don’t think the owner got much in terms of the insulating value that manufacturers tout when they sell these products.

Steve – Installer – Pennsylvania

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