Depending on the application, spray foam is oftentimes preferable. Closed cell spray foam, applied properly, can also help reduce or eliminate the growth of mold, as long as it doesn't exist already. Spray foam is typically more costly, but has many benefits to include an excellent R value.
Set it where you are most comfortable as that is why you have it. A good idea is to update the thermostat to a programmable version that will run the A/C mostly when you are home and according to your schedule as well as at the desire temperatures. It isn't necessarily recommended to shut off the A/C on warmer days when you are not there as it will have to struggle to catch up when you turn it back on. This would be due to the warmer air in the home and the storage of heat in the walls, ceilings, floors etc in your home.
It sounds like the back room of the house was really cold during the winter. One thing to consider is to insulate your house from the outside before using either type of siding. This can be done by the right contractor. Next, what type of siding do the neighbors have? While you want your home to be unique, to a point, this is something to consider. Hardie does give you a more traditional look and will allow you to change the color scheme of your home at a later point if you chooose to do so. While vinyl siding can also be an excellent choice, I would stay away from insulation backed products. To guarantee a good vapor barrier Fanfold insulation board is the better choice. It comes in different thicknesses and is installed before the siding. This allows the contractor to tape the seams and avoid gaps in the insulation. There are two things to consider using insulation board. They typically give you minimum R value for insulation versus removing the exteror cladding and insulating between the wall studs. Second, using a very thick exterior insuation board will probably require trimming out all wiindows and doors. Putting on thick insulation board will, in effect, cause the siding to significantly stick past all openings and may not give you a look that you like. Please visit http://www.croixco.com/ for more ideas and possible answers to your questions. We would also be willing to visit your home to give you some ideas and solutions. Call 847.895.8125
Any insulated siding should suffice. Vinyl siding with a backer board or insulation should make the room usable.
Hardie Siding is effective as well as it is more durable but is more expensive.
Make sure to find the a highly energy efficient window. There are several quality manufactures in your area.
Best wishes.
Dan, Both Hardie Plank and a 3/4" and 1.5" insulating foam board are good options. There is also the choice of using Insulated Siding that is a custom contoured foam backer. It fits to the specifications of the siding panel you choose. Best, Ken
73-79 when active in home. This can go up when everyone is at work or school.
Supplies needed:
hopper gun and compressor (available for rental at home-center stores), paint tray, paint suit and glasses, stepladder , putty knife, paint mixer, paint roller, masking tape, drop cloths, ceiling texture, primer sealer, spackle
Here are the steps you need to take to get the job done:
1. Fill any dents or imperfections in the ceiling with spackle, and then apply a coat of primer with a roller. Allow the primer to dry at least four hours.
2. While it's drying, mask off the walls and floor with masking tape and tarps, plastic sheets or drop cloths.
3. Wearing proper protective clothing and goggles, pour some texture mix into a large bucket and mix according to directions. Use a paint-mixer attachment to achieve a nice blend. The mixture is ready when it's the consistency of thick porridge.
4. Fill the hopper with texture mixture and fire up the compressor. Practice spraying on an old board or a large piece of cardboard to get the feel of the machine.
5. Lightly spray the mixture onto the ceiling, and keep moving to avoid oversaturating any area. Use multiple light coats and allow the texture time to dry between coats. If you spray the texture on too thickly, it will drip off the ceiling.
I think you really need to see both on a home and decide what looks better to you. Vinyl will be cheaper and is a more modular system and less prone to leakage and installation errors.
You mentioned this room being over a crawl space. We have found that most spaces are incorrectly conditioned.....or should I say say, not conditioned at all. Insulation is typically installed within the floor joist, leaving the crawlspace open and unconditioned. The foundation walls and ground should have a vapor barrier installed over them and insulation should be installed around the perimeter. You wouldn't do the wall that connects to the main house. You want this space to be treated like an extension of the basement.
We at NEWPRO have a alternate view from our industry colleague, Mr. Damora. Since the greatest concern you voiced was the lack of insulation in your extension, we recommend Vinyl Composite Siding, also know as Insulated Vinyl Siding.
Hardie Plank is a cement board; it's composition is sand and water. It is heavy on the wall and provides no insulation value. Formed to resemble wood, it fails to provide a deep, rich grain and does not come close to the look of wood. It is highly susceptible to mold and mildew. Hardie Plank has many seams and the seams must be sealed or water can infiltrate behind the siding. It can crack and if it does, you must tear the whole wall down in order to replace just one plank. It also is not maintenance free and requires painting every 10 years.
Insulated Vinyl Siding solves all of the aforementioned problems. It has high R-value, some up to 5.3, and has the potential to yield an 80% return on investment due to the increased energy efficiency and lower energy bills. You can learn more about this from the highly respected Remodeling Magazine's Cost to Value 2014 Report.
Additional benefits of Insulated Vinyl Siding include:
I hope this information is helpful. Being located in Massachusetts, we didn't get nearly as rough of a winter as the Chicago area, but we can certainly understand why you put insulation so high on your Siding Needs List!
All the best,
Michelle Slowe
NEWPRO
Without question you should invest your money in Fiber Cement Siding for the following reasons:
1. Authentic and more tranditional appearance.
2. Better fire rating.
3. Does not fade like vinyl.
4. Higher Return on Investment.
5. The ability to paint your house should you choose, down the road.
6. Will not warp, buckle or move on the walls.
7. The trim finshes that can be achieved with Fiber Cement are not possible with vinyl.
How would you like to have been the last person on your block to have bought Aluminum Siding 30 years ago? That is the reality of today's exterior cladding market. The vinyl industry is scambling but have yet to come up with a viable alternative to Fiber Cement. There are some new composites that are starting to make inroads but they are still too costly and are in limitied profiles.
Be sure to choose a Perfered James Hardie Contractor so you know all the best practices will be followed in accourdace with the manufactuere's specifications.
Unlike vinyl, Hardie Board needs a skilled craftsman to insure a propoer and long lasting installation.
Michael Damora
K & B Home Remodelers
I would encourage you to read up on SPF and if you do go that route, make sure you get a great and insured installer. SPF does have additional benefit from and air sealing standpoint but beyond the airtightness improvements, does not (in the case of OC SPF) have any greater R-Value than traditional batting assuming that both are in an static air environment. Best thing you can do from a real high performance wall assembly is to thermally uncouple the exterior wall from the framing. This will net you a much higher performance assembly than SPF alone but should be done by someone that is familiar with this approach and applications.
SPF is great but I prefer it to be used as an air sealant first and foremost.
Educate yourself on the pros and cons before you engage in an insulation schedule.
Eric Novotny
Hey Alex,
?I would say that close cell spray foam insulation is the way to go if your budget allows for it. Although it's much more expensive than batt insulation, the long term savings on your energy bills will be far greater.? Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Eric Consuegra, AROCON Roofing and Construction, LLC
Spray Foam. Much better insulator and fills any gaps that might otherwise be missed.