Paint vs. Vinyl Siding + Foam Insulation Board – Money & Energy Costs
Energy Savings Table
The following table illustrates that 1/2 inch foam insulating board can definitely save you money. In fact, it can go a long way in helping to pay for the initial cost of the vinyl siding installation. This table shows the benefits after 20 years, a reasonable life expectancy for a vinyl siding job. In other words, if you are going to install vinyl, there is a good chance it will remain on your house for at least 20 years. The heating costs have been adjusted for inflation (the adjustment is minimal and not realistic - the values have been adjusted just 1 percent per year). Actual annual inflation has been higher than 1 percent. Thus, your savings would be greater than those shown in the table if inflation is greater than 1 percent per year.
All figures are in dollar ($) values.
| Your Monthly Heating and Cooling Cost (Actual Annual Cost divided by 12 months) | Total Heating and Cooling Cost for the 20 year period (adjusted for inflation) | Potential Savings available by using 1/2 inch Foam insulation board beneath the vinyl siding |
| $75 | $19,817 | $2,180 |
| $100 | $26,423 | $2,907 |
| $125 | $33,029 | $3,633 |
| $150 | $39,634 | $4,360 |
| $175 | $46,240 | $5,086 |
| $200 | $52,846 | $5,813 |
| $225 | $59,451 | $6,540 |
| $250 | $66,057 | $7,266 |
| $275 | $72,663 | $7,993 |
| $300 | $79,268 | $8,719 |
| $325 | $85,874 | $9,446 |
| $350 | $92,480 | $10,173 |
| $375 | $99,086 | $10,899 |
| $400 | $105,691 | $11,626 |
Table Values courtesy of Heartland Building Products
Column B100