We pleased to announce that all of our vinyl siding installers here at Stallmann Construction have been VSI (Vinyl Siding Installer) certified.

Stallmann is one of only two siding installation companies in Arkansas that have such certification. Our siding isntallation crews must participate in a hands-on work shop and pass a test to earn VSI certification.

You can find more information about the certified vinyl siding course at the Vinyl Siding Institute.

The truth about vinyl siding is that it's an environmentally sustainable product.

Life-cycle analysis tools, such as Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES®) software, demonstrate vinyl siding's high level of environmental performance. BEES is established per ISO 14040 and ASTM standards and is recognized by green building professionals as a useful tool for selecting environmentally preferable products.

Silica-based fiber cement, like James Hardie siding products, require special tools for installation along with a dust mask or respirator and may potentially cause adverse health effects such as silicosis (an incurable IlLl1g disease) for installers who do not use respirators?

• Vinyl siding does not use any materials that can cause adverse health effects to installers or others.
• Fiber cement requires periodic painting and caulking. Vinyl siding only requires occasional cleaning with mild soap and water, reducing the overall environmental impact of vinyl siding.
• Vinyl siding requires less water and energy to manufacture per square than fiber cement.
• Vinyl siding is lighter per square than fiber cement.

Most of the raw materials used to manufacture vinyl siding are typically shipped by rail or pipeline, which is more energy-efficient than an equivalent volume of raw materials for fiber cement that are typically shipped by truck.

Scrap from vinyl siding can be fed back into the manufachlring process, while fiber cement scrap is typically sent to landfills.

While BEES software does not specifically address fiber cement products, the production of cement is responsible for 7 to 8 percent of all human-generated carbon elioxide emissions, contributing to global warming potential.

Production of cement-based products, including fiber cement, is generally responsible for creating more elioxin than the production of vinyl siding

Bottom Line on Vinyl Siding

Fiber cement can contribute to earning relatively few points in the draft National Green Buileling Standard:" On the other hand, vinyl siding has the potential to earn more points than other exterior cladeling, including fiber cement, because vinyl sieling requires no additional finish resources, may contain recycled content, and based on life-cycle assessment with BEES sofu'lare, qualifies as a more environmentally preferable product.

It’s a great time to upgrade your windows and doors. By installing energy efficient windows and doors, you not only reduce your monthly energy bill, you can also reduce your tax liability.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act (ARRA) of 2009 signed on February 17, 2009 extends tax credits for qualifying energy efficient windows and doors.  Full details of the tax rebate can be found on the Energy Star website, and updates to the ARRA can be found on the IRS Department of Treasury website.

Of course, restrictions apply to the types of energy efficient windows and doors you can use to qualify for the tax credit. The energy efficient windows and doors must have a U-factor and solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of less than or equal to .30. If this tech jargon doesn’t make sense, check our out previous article where we explain Energy Star Window Efficiency Ratings.

Our sales team can also help you make sense of these labels. We can help you determine which energy efficient windows and doors qualify for the tax credit and determine your overall savings when you prepare taxes for 2010.

According to the Department of Energy, Energy Star labeled products can cut your energy bills by up to 30 percent. Most consumers understand this and want to make upgrades to their homes in order to reduce their enegry bills. Yet, with every manufacturer eager to claim Energy Star logos on their products, how can consumers tell the actual energy saving performance that a product stands to offer? 

The National Fenestration Rating Council is an independent agency organized to help consumers quantify thermal performance. If you are considering buying new vinyl windows for your home, you should look for th NFRC label and compare the actual thermal performance ratings of the windows. 

When gauging thermal performance of a window, there are three factors to pay close attention to: 

1. U-Factor
2. Solar Heat Gain Coefficient
3. Visible Transmittance

Condensation Resistance is another important factor, but it doesn't directly relate to energy savings. U-Factor is the rate of heat loss of a window. The lower the U-value, the greater a window's resistance to heat flow and insulating value. Solar Heat Gain Coefficient indicates a window's shading ability. Here again, the lower the window's solar heat gain coefficient, the less solar heat it transmits and the greater shading it produces. Visible Transmittance measures the amount of light that passes through a window. This is important in order to prevent fading in your carpets and furniture. Visible transmittance ranges from 0 (no light) to 1 (all light).

We are happy to answer any questions that you may have about the thermal performance of our vinyl windows. You can contact us by phone, email or comment on this blog. For more information on a window's thermal performance visit the National Fenestration Rating Council.