Vinyl siding over wood siding vapor barrier fiber board insulation?
Question:Confused here. I live in northwestern PA, about 10 miles from Lake Erie. I have wood siding on an old house that has the paint badly peeling off. I'm going to put vinyl siding over this old wood siding. I've had different answers from different people about insulation and vapor barriers. The walls are not insulated. So I have old peeling paint on wood siding over uninsulated walls.
At some point I plan on insulating those walls. So a contractor I used for my roof suggested using celotex fiber board over the wood siding prior to putting on the vinyl. This would also help make the wall flat for putting on the vinyl as well as insulate the house. However, it's not waterproof is that going to cause a vapor situation which gets absorbed into the fiber board?
A neighbor also has vinyl over his old wood siding, however he just has a foam vapor barrier.
Yet another has said I don't need anything and that the wood siding is already insulat, just put up the siding.
Correct answer?
Answers:
You're asking for educated opinions and I'll give you that. It may not, however, be the answer you want to hear but it's an answer that provides avlue for your home's resale and your monthly utility bills. First, fiberboard is not a very effective insulator and vinyl siding is not a permanent solution either. If you're set on vinyl siding, then apply 1/2 foam board and wrap with a vapor barrier but applying the vinyl siding. If you're serious about investing in your home, then I would suggest this course of action: 1) inject your exterior walls with foam (loose fiberglass would be my 2nd choice and cellulose absolutely last as it is nothing more than treated paper that absorbs moisture and promotes mold and mildew), 2) wrap your house with a vapor barrier (Tyvek is a brand), 3) apply HardiPlank concrete siding, and 4) paint. The HardiPlank siding gives homes in Texas the same insurance fire rating as brick veneer.
all three are options, however putting a layer of something to make the wall flat, will make siding installation much easier. if you're planning to insulate, anyway, why not rent the machine and blow cellulose into the walls from the outside before you put siding up. it's cheap and easy and the holes can be covered when you side the house, you'll get more bang for your buck by insulating the wall cavity. cellulose is far less expensive than the board type insulation, and with board, you can only build up an inch or so, under the siding.
I would use level wall
you will be more than good with just a 1/2 inch foam backer board, but if you are really worried about moistur issues, i would first apply a house wrap, like tyvek or typar whichever your local store carries, start at the bottom of the wall ofcourse and lap the next over the last.
I don't like vinyl siding it makes the house look like a trailer or Mobil home just paint the wood that would look much better then vinyl
fan fold insulation under vinal siding its 1/4" thick of foam you can tape the joints also vapor barrier and a little insulation value makes a flat surface. sheets of 1/2" would be better but not the foil faced that will reflect the heat back into the siding and warp it.
blow in insulation before you side
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