Has anyone tried putting ridgid insulation on the exterior of an existing home to boost its insulation value?
If so, was another vapor barrier needed?
What siding did you put over the new insulation?
did the energy costs go down enough?
2 Likes
We often use rigid insulation on the exterior of a home. We install it prior to new vinyl siding.
You only want to have a single vapor barrier in any exterior wall system. If you have more than one vapor barrier, moisture can become trapped between the two. Trapped moisure can support mold growth.
Any type of siding can be installed over a layer of rigid insulation, but vinyl is the most common for remodel situations.
Many factors contribute to reducing energy costs. Adding insulation is never a bad thing. However, if your primay means of heating/cooling loss is due to air leaks, simply adding insulation won’t fully solve the problem. Properly installed additional insulation should include appropriate sealing details around doors and windows.
The short answer is that additional insulation will improve the performance of your exterior walls, but a building professional will need to assist you in evaluating the most cost effective approach to reducing your energy costs.
You can install rigid insulation on the exterior of your home without needing to use another vapor barrier. Also some rigid insulation comes with a foil vapor barrier. I use certainteed brand siding. It will help with energy cost.