Environmentally-Friendly Homes

8 Reasons why Vinyl Cladding is a Green Choice for the Home

Vinyl was first developed in the 1920′s, and quickly became a key component in numerous products, including wall siding. Vinyl has since emerged as the world’s second most used plastic, but unlike its counterparts, vinyl has a number of environmentally-friendly features.

Here’s a list of 8 reasons why vinyl cladding is a wise choice for your house and the environment:

1. Environmentally Sustainable
The main building block composing vinyl is Chlorine, which is developed from salt. This makes up almost 60% of vinyl’s chemical structure, meaning it is a sustainable and cost-effective product.

2. Less Energy During Manufacturing
Vinyl cladding manufacturing uses less than half of the energy necessary to produce bricks and mortar. Vinyl siding also uses less fuel during transportation as it’s lighter than bricks and mortar.

3. Solid Foam Insulated
Prestige Exteriors’ Duratuff Select Vinyl Cladding comes with pre-installed solid foam insulation backing. This CFC-free superior insulation helps reduce the heating and cooling energy bill, saving money and having less impact on the environment.

4. Long-Lasting
Adding to its environmental credentials, vinyl cladding is very durable, meaning it spends more time on your house than in a landfill. Confidence is so high in Duratuff Select vinyl wall cladding that we offer a lifetime guarantee.

5. Reduced Impact Maintenance
Unlike other common products on the market, vinyl cladding never requires painting, which not only saves time and money on labour costs, but circumvents the environmental damage from continuous painting. In addition, only a mild soap and water is required for cleaning which ensures that you are not responsible for releasing harmful chemicals into the environment.

6. Recyclable
Recyclability is a key factor in vinyl’s sustainability. In America, more than one billion pounds of vinyl was recycled in the last year. In addition, much of the waste from manufacturing can be recycled straight back into the manufacturing process.

7. Less Waste during Installation
In comparison to other types of exterior cladding and exterior materials, the installation of vinyl siding generates very little waste.

8. Releases fewer toxic chemicals than other exterior cladding through life-cycle
Vinyl cladding emits significantly lower levels of toxic chemicals, including mercury and silver, into the environment, in comparison to other types of exterior cladding.

Protecting the future of our environment and your home.

Because guarding the environment for a sustainable future continues to become a focus in society, vinyl cladding delivers many recognised benefits which make it a perfect choice for your home.

Prestige Exteriors is a leading supplier of vinyl cladding in Queensland. We choose to install only Duratuff Select vinyl wall cladding, which comes with a 50 year transferable manufacturer’s warranty! We clad directly over wood or fibro to leave a beautiful, colourfast and lasting impression. Available in thirteen colours.

Read more about Prestige Exteriors vinyl cladding now, or contact us today.

Looking for a great alternative to painting for your home? For Brisbane Wall Cladding & Brisbane Vinyl House Cladding, call Prestige Exteriors today or visit http://www.prestigeexteriors.com.au/

Why you should use spray foam insulation

Acoustic Insulation Benefits
Low density Polyurethane Foam Insulation has anexcellent sound absorption properties and sound transmission properties. When making a comparison of polyurethane foam to other insulations, there often is a very large difference. As an effective air seal, it gets rid of the air gaps through which sound travels theeasiest. Low density polyurethane foam Insulation is far greater in controlling mid-range frequencies that include the most common sounds, the human voice and loudstereo music.
Increased Insulation

When typical R3.5 fiberglass batts are field installed using traditional methods, the end result is an effective value of only R2.45. Much is lost in inexact fit, ineffective air barrier and broken vapour barrier. Polyurethane foam does not suffer from the same installation challenges of traditional fibreglassbatts.
Superior Air Barrier Properties

Spray foam insulation is able to hinder air leaks much more effectively than other types of insulation. Traditional insulation materials for example rigid foam board or fibreglass batts may slip out of place over time, leaving spots for air to penetrate the home. Additionally, these materials seldom fill the entire wall cavity, which means air can usually find a way into the living area between the sections of insulation, or at the top or bottom of the wall. Polyurethane spray foam fills the entire area, leaving less gaps for air leaks. This material is also more dense than most other insulators, and provides a tight, impenetrable barrier to air infiltration and leaks.

Superiror Energy Efficiency in the Home
Air barrier sealing and a increased under floor insulation material result in greater energy efficiency. This often means a reduction in the use of heating or cooling systems, this often can result in lower energy bills and less carbon emissions. A well insulated home may even allow you to opt for smaller air conditioning and heating systems, which can save both money and space.

Roof Insulation never sags or breaks down
Polyurethane Foam insulation sticks to the surrounding substrates as it is sprayed on. This bond holds the foam in place for the life of the building ensuring its effectiveness lasts offering ongoing savings.

Costs
Even though polyurethane spray foam insulation is generally more expensive than typical batts or rigid insulators, the foams real cost may be far less. Spray foam serves as insulator, vapor barrier, and moisture barrier, removing the need for most exterior caulking, building paper, and separate vapor barriers. Not only does the home owner save the cost of these materials, but there is an associated installation saving. Rather than buying and installing four or even more products, a single application of spray foam can be used instead. When the cost of spray foam is compared to the total cost of batts and related weatherproofing systems, foam actually is more affordable option. In addition, the higher R-value of foam means a greater reduction in energy bills is likely, resulting in a shorter payback period for this project.

Flexibility
Due to the fact that polyurethane foam expands to fill a voic, it offers many benefits to people requiring a flexible roof insulation. It is particularly useful when filling oddly-shaped spaces, or those subject to some type of obstruction. Spray foam allows for smaller, thinner walls, which means greater flexibility with living space. Finally, because foam insulation is so versatile, builders have far greater flexibility when it comes to framing designs. While rigid insulation requires adequate spacing between studs, polyurethane foam can simply be sprayed into any size opening. For more information on spray foam insulation contractors visit www.insulbarrier.com.au