What Sets the WX-5 Package Apart From Standard Vinyl Siding

Your siding faces the full force of Michigan’s winters: freeze-thaw cycles, ice buildup, and cutting wind. If you're replacing siding and want a solution that improves your home's performance in cold weather, the WX-5 Energy Package is our recommendation for Macomb and Oakland County homeowners seeking more than a cosmetic upgrade.

Standard vinyl siding holds up in harsh weather and offers significant protection, but it adds no meaningful thermal layer to your wall assembly. The WX-5 Energy Package changes that by adding polyisocyanurate insulation (polyiso) and a radiant barrier, installed as part of your siding replacement.

Polyiso is a rigid foam insulation board that sits between your home's sheathing and vinyl siding, creating a continuous insulating layer that wraps the exterior rather than relying solely on cavity insulation. This matters in Michigan because cavity insulation can't address thermal bridging that occurs through framing boards.

The radiant barrier reflects radiant heat rather than simply slowing conduction. Together, these materials form a system: the foam slows heat transfer through the wall assembly, and the barrier reduces it by reflection. 

How Polyiso Insulation and a Radiant Barrier Work Together

Polyisocyanurate is a high-performing rigid foam board used in exterior insulation applications. It functions as a thermal break, meaning heat moving through the wall assembly must pass through the foam before reaching the cladding. In Michigan's climate, where outdoor temperatures can swing dramatically from day to day, maintaining a stable wall-surface temperature is essential for comfort and moisture management. Cold wall surfaces in humid conditions create condensation risk; continuous insulation helps keep the wall assembly above the dew point.

The radiant barrier handles a different mechanism. It reflects radiant energy rather than slowing conductive heat transfer. With this barrier, radiant heat from inside the home is more likely to stay inside rather than radiating through the wall to the cold exterior. When installed as part of the same system, the result is a more complete thermal envelope than either material provides on its own.

Where the WX-5 Package Fits in a Full Siding Installation

The WX-5 Energy Package is part of a complete exterior replacement and is installed in sequence during the siding process. It goes on as part of the wall assembly prep before the vinyl siding, so we cannot add it over existing siding. If you're considering insulated vinyl siding, the WX-5 package specifies the insulation type and adds the radiant barrier component.

Where We Install the WX-5 Energy Package

We serve Macomb and Oakland counties, where older housing stock and harsh winters make full siding replacement with insulation a worthwhile option. We regularly install the WX-5 Energy Package in:

• Macomb Township

• Shelby Township

• Sterling Heights

• Clinton Township

• Chesterfield Township

• Harrison Township

• Warren

• Fraser

• Roseville

• St. Clair Shores

• Troy

• Royal Oak

• Birmingham

• Rochester

• Grosse Pointe

For the full list of communities we serve, visit our service area page.