Impressive Insulated Vinyl Siding, Part 2: CertainTeed Cedarboards

Welcome back to our series on impressive insulated vinyl siding, where we’re diving into a handful of the very best insulated vinyl siding products on the market. In case you missed it, in Part 1 of the series we covered Norandex Polar Wall Plus! insulated siding, the difference between insulated and traditional (non-insulated) siding — as well as what to look for in an insulated vinyl siding solution. In today’s installment of the series, we’re taking a look at the CertainTeed line of insulated vinyl siding, which includes two options: Cedarboards Insulated Siding Cedarboards Board & Batten Insulated Siding CEDARBOARDS INSULATED VINYL SIDING Durable, energy-efficient, and eco-friendly, this siding had the aesthetic of real cedar without any of the need for maintenance. TOP BENEFITS A high-quality, dependable interlocking system — coupled with high-performance insulation — delivers excellent durability, stability, and thermal efficiency Provides protection against harsh weather conditions, rot, decay and insects Innovative foam insulation minimizes outside noise, which is especially beneficial on high-traffic blocks; it also enhances interior acoustics Available in a wide range

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Impressive Insulated Vinyl Siding, Part 1: Norandex Polar Wall Plus

In this series, we’re diving into a handful of the top-quality insulated vinyl siding products we install. The goal of the series is to help Madison homeowners be in-the-know regarding these products so they can make educated decisions when choosing new siding for their home. Before we jump into the Norandex Polar Wall Plus! insulated vinyl siding line, let’s quickly define the difference between insulated and traditional vinyl siding, as well as what to look for in an insulated vinyl siding solution. INSULATED VINYL SIDING … … is made with a layer of rigid foam backing that’s attached to the siding. This foam backing acts as a layer of insulation, keeping your home’s temperature better regulated in both hot and cold months. That said, not all siding insulation is the same, as each type has what’s called an R-value. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation. All of the brands we’re highlighting in our series have excellent R-values, and no matter what insulated vinyl siding brand you ultimately choose, we recommend you seek out

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How to Prevent Ice Damming on Your Roof

Ice damming is something every homeowner wants to avoid because it can cause various types of damage to your roof and home. Ice dams can form when heat loss occurs through the roof, melting the snow and causing water to flow toward the eave overhang (which can be VERY cold in winter months), where it freezes. When this happens, over and over, ice builds up on eaves and gutters creating a dam. The most common physical sign of ice damming is icicles hanging off your gutters. The reason this is bad for your roof and home is the fact that ice damming can prevent your gutters and drains from effectively doing their job (or can prevent proper water drainage all together). This can cause issues like shingle and gutter damage, attic and insulation damage, rotted sheathing and decking, and more. In this article we’ll share some of the ways to prevent this from happening. Before we begin, it’s important to note that unless you have solid experience with the following tasks, it’s always best to

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How to Safely Remove Snow from Your Roof

Around this time of year, the question of how to remove snow from a roof is pretty common. This article tackles the most effective and safe ways to remove snow from your roof, as well as what should be avoided. We’ll also take a look at whether it’s advisable to remove snow from solar panels or solar shingles. For our purposes here, our discussion revolves around cleaning snow off of a pitched asphalt or metal roof. Let’s dive into how to safely remove snow from your roof … USE A ROOF RAKE A roof rake, when properly utilized, is the best way to remove snow from your roof. The added weight of snow can put a strain on your roof, so it’s worth investing in a well-made roof rake to remove some of the snow off of your roof. One of the most important things about a roof rake is the fact that it lets your clear some of the snow off your roof while remaining on the ground. Be sure to get a roof

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The Pros & Cons of Solar Roof Panels & Shingles

Welcome back to another installment of our series on solar roofing. Today we’re focusing on the pros and cons of having a solar roofing system — either solar panels or solar shingles —  installed. In case you missed them, here are the previous articles in the series: The Benefits of a GAF Timberline Solar Roofing System The Best Type of Roofing to Use with Solar Panels What’s interesting about a pros and cons list is that each positive and each negative can have a different amount of weight for a homeowner depending on their particular situation — so be sure to look at this list of pros and cons through your own lens to see which points feel important, and which don’t. Before we begin, it’s important to note that the 30% federal residential solar tax credit expires on December 31, 2025, which means if you have a solar roofing system installed before then your overall savings will be greater. If you have questions, or would like to get the ball rolling on defining whether

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