Heating and cooling your home can get expensive. This is especially true in Minnesota where we experience both frigid winters and sweltering summers — our furnaces and air conditioning alike get quite a workout.
One way to reduce your heating and cooling costs while keeping your home comfortable for your family is to improve your home’s energy efficiency. Replacing old siding and windows can significantly boost your home’s energy efficiency — here’s how.
New Siding Improves the Energy Efficiency and Comfort of Your Home
Did you know that old siding and insufficient insulation can cause your home to lose more heat through the walls than the roof or even the windows? It’s true.
Replacing your old siding will help reduce your home’s heat load in the summer and keep cold air out in the winter. This means less work for your HVAC system and big savings on energy costs.
When it comes to choosing new siding for your home, there are a number of options available, all with different levels of energy efficiency and a variety of other benefits. Among the energy-efficient siding options available, the following are some of the most popular:
- Wood siding such as LP SmartSide is efficient, eco-friendly, beautiful, and long-lasting. But it is also more costly and requires more ongoing maintenance than other options.
- Fiber Cement siding is durable, beautiful, energy efficient, and easy to maintain. Plus, it can be designed to mimic the appearance of natural wood, stone, and trim.
- Vinyl siding with insulated backer is the most energy-efficient siding option available. It is also cost effective, durable, recyclable, and low maintenance. Vinyl siding comes in a variety of colors and styles to suit your home’s style.
One other factor to consider when choosing new siding for your home: color. Believe it or not, the siding color you choose can have an effect on your home’s energy efficiency. Light-colored siding reflects heat, keeping your home cool in warmer weather. On the other hand, darker colors absorb more heat, making them ideal for cooler climates.
Replace Old Drafty Windows To Boost Your Home’s Energy Efficiency in Big Ways
Windows play a significant role in your home’s energy use. In fact, the average home can lose as much as 25-30% of its heated or cooled air through old, inefficient windows.
In the summer, old windows let in the sun’s rays, heating up your home and causing your air conditioning unit to work harder to keep things cool. In the winter, warm indoor air escapes and cold air is let in. Installing new, energy-efficient windows helps block heat from the summer sun, keep frigid winter air out, and seal in indoor air treated by your HVAC system.
Replacing old single-pane windows with energy-efficient double-pane windows could save you hundreds of dollars — as much as 18-24% of your energy usage — each year!
Double-pane windows are made of two sheets of glass filled with gas (typically either krypton, xenon or argon gas), which significantly increases the window’s insulating power. When it comes to energy efficiency, the old single-pane windows just don’t hold a candle to the double-pane options on the market today.
To improve energy savings even more, look for windows with low-emissivity (low-E) coatings. These translucent coatings cut down on the amount of UV light transmitted through your windows, ensuring less heat is lost in winter and heat from the sun’s rays is kept out in summer.
One last window tip: When choosing new windows for your home, look for the Energy Star label. This indicates a product that has been government-certified to meet or exceed energy performance standards.
Benefits of Energy-Efficient Siding and Windows
Replacing old, inefficient siding and windows with energy-efficient options offers a wide range of benefits, including:
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- Lower HVAC costs. Improve the efficiency of your HVAC systems and enjoy lower energy bills.
- A more comfortable home. Eliminate extreme temperature fluctuations and icy winter drafts.
- Superior soundproofing properties. All of the structural elements that help keep the elements out also help block sound.
- Increased property value. Energy efficiency is a big draw for homebuyers.
- Eco-friendly. Better efficiency means less reliance on fossil-fuel-powered energy to keep your home comfortable.
Energy-efficient siding and windows are better for the environment, your home, and your pocketbook.
Hoyt Exteriors is your home exteriors expert. If you’d like to learn more ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency, contact us today!