Many building owners appreciate metal siding more because of looks and other plus points. Of course, there are more critical factors than beauty, like the comfort and durability of the building. If these are the concerns, insulating a building is a viable solution. But does it make sense to put insulation against metal siding?
Before we jump into the insulation part, let us check first what is in metal siding.
Generally, siding is the clad or skin put on the surface of the building. Metal is one kind, but it can also be wood, ceramic, etc. Siding strengthens the structure against the effects of losing or gaining heat and harmful elements. Among its type, metal siding also brings the same commendable qualities with a few more additions.
- Protect walls from pests or insects
- Increase the capacity to withstand fire.
Note that metal sliding can be aluminum or steel. Whichever you choose provides additional benefits. For example, aluminum can withstand blisters or rust. On the other hand, steel is stronger against pressure or impact.
Reasons to consider putting insulation
Although it may add to the cost and time of applying metal skin, Insulating a building offers purposeful qualities.
Lessen carbon footprint – Extreme humid weather is good enough to consider insulation in one’s place. What more for metal cladding, which adds more heat on the wall surface. Without insulation, cladding leads to more use of air conditioning or ventilators. In this aspect, all these trigger emissions of greenhouse gasses and increase energy bills to pay.
Thus, if the owner chooses metal siding and wants to counter the problems with energy, then insulation is a step to do it.
Keep the temperature at a comfortable level – As metal cladding reflects thermal radiation, the probably already hot room temperature can be even more heightened. And this leads to uncomfortable feelings, as well as health issues to building occupants.
Moreover, humid or warm weather causes condensation that eventually invites microbes to populate. Mold exposure usually causes allergies, respiratory problems, and more.
Putting insulation against the metal siding
With regards to types, there are several insulation options available. It can be spray foam, fiberglass, rigid board, loose-fill, etc. The vital thing to remember is which one is fine to put against the metal siding.
On the other hand, there are logical ways to put insulation on metal cladding.
- Apply insulation materials first on the exterior building wall and then perform metal cladding. Rigid foam is one example of insulation type that is best to add to an unfinished outer wall. It is one of the recommended ways to produce a better R-Value rate. However, note that it must be done appropriately and may require different processes.
Fiberglass insulation is also a popular option when it comes to metal skin. And compared with the others, it is the type that can directly put on a metal siding to keep condensation at bay.
- You can also buy metal siding ready for the intake of insulation materials. For this matter, the excellent option to tap is the spray foam type. It is one of the insulation methods for filling irregular gaps or spaces.
