If you've decided to add vinyl cladding to your home, then you have to decide whether to use regular cladding or an insulated product. While insulated vinyl cladding will increase your costs, it is a worthwhile investment that often actually saves money in the long run.

How does insulated vinyl cladding work and what are its benefits?

What Is Insulated Vinyl Cladding?

When you install regular vinyl cladding, you simply place plain vinyl sheets on your home. If you use insulated cladding, then the vinyl has a specialist backing on it. This backing gives the cladding an extra layer of thermal efficiency.

The backing is typically made from polystyrene foam. It is stuck to the cladding in varying thicknesses. You choose a thickness that best suits your walls, the installation process and the amount of thermal efficiency you'd like to add to your home.

What Are The Advantages Of Insulated Vinyl Cladding?

While regular vinyl cladding adds a layer of materials around your walls, this layer doesn't really have any significant insulation benefits. If your home is uninsulated and draughty, then you might see a small difference once your cladding is up. However, you're unlikely to see a decent boost to your property's thermal efficiency.

If you install insulated cladding, then your home immediately becomes more thermally efficient. The foam controls the ways that heat and cold enter and leave the building.

For example, the cladding's foam will block out heat in the summer but keep heat indoors in the winter. It will keep cooled air indoors in the summer and keep it out in the winter. This two-way blocking process makes your home more thermally efficient.

So, you should be able to reduce the amount of energy you use to heat or cool your home. If you can achieve this, then your energy bills should be lower. You won't waste as much energy because your home will be more effectively insulated.

Cladding is also a cost-effective alternative to retrofitting insulation in an inadequately insulated property. If you want to retrofit regular wall insulation, then you might need to strip back your internal walls before you can insulate them.

This can be a time-consuming, messy and expensive job. However, it is a useful secondary result when you install vinyl cladding. You won't need to retrofit insulation inside your home if your cladding adds it outside the property.

To find out more about insulated vinyl house cladding and to get advice on which product will best suit your home, contact house cladding installation contractors.