The Best Home Renovation Materials For Humid Climates

*2023-25 Camp Street, Listed by Kasi Champagne of Rêve | Realtors

New Orleans is known for its muggy climate , so you must use building materials that can withstand extreme humidity when renovating your home. Choose these products when upgrading your roof, siding, insulation, windows, interior wall cladding and flooring.

1. Steep-Slope Roofing — Fiberglass

Fiberglass shingles are perfect for the muggy New Orleans climate. They look exactly like organic asphalt shingles from the street, but they have superior water and rot resistance and are lighter without sacrificing durability.

If you’re renovating a Creole cottage in the French Quarter, fiberglass is out of the question. Unless you can find a fiberglass-based shingle roofing product that mimics the appearance of slate or clay, strongly consider standing seam metal instead.

Metal is a cool roofing material, helping reduce energy bills during the hottest months. The only caveat is that it can be a significant expense. However, it will eventually pay for itself since it requires little maintenance outside of routine inspections and lasts a long time.

2. Siding — Fiber Cement

Fiber cement performs well in Louisianian cities that experience oppressive temperatures, like the Big Easy. This material is comprised of sand, Portland cement, cellulose fibers and water. Depending on the manufacturer, it can contain proprietary additives that enhance its strengths and diminish its weaknesses.

When appropriately installed, fiber cement siding can hold itself against heavy downpours and withstand hurricane winds of up to 130 mph. It looks like wood but is noncombustible and gives zero nourishment to termites and fungi, so it can last for decades without needing too much upkeep. Fiber cement is also immune to high humidity, intense sunlight and salt air, which is reassuring if you live near the sea.

*2023-25 Camp Street, Listed by Kasi Champagne of Rêve | Realtors

3. Insulation — Polyurethane

Sprayed polyurethane foam is the best insulator in hot and humid climates. Its average R-value per inch can reach R-9, thermally enclosing your home with less material.

Spray foam polyurethane foam comes in two types — open and closed cells. The latter is more expensive but outperforms the former in various ways. Closed-cell foam is more rigid and can be 100% more efficient when sprayed inside standard walls. It can also serve as a vapor barrier, preventing outdoor moisture and water from entering. Closed-cell foam is also impervious to water damage.

4. Window Framing — Fiberglass

Fiberglass makes an excellent material for window frames and sashes in places with sultry weather. It’s immune to moisture, so it doesn’t warp, shrink, expand, rot or corrode.

The Fiberglass frames can have insulation to help you meet the minimum R-value requirements for various parts of your home. They’re dimensionally stable amid extreme temperature fluctuations, allowing them to remain airtight.

The downside to fiberglass is it needs regular repainting to protect itself from the elements. Besides regular maintenance, fiberglass windows can help you maintain a desirable indoor climate and stay comfortable during humid days.

5. Insulated Window Gas Fills — Argon-Krypton Blend

A healthy mix of argon and krypton offers the best balance between thermal performance and cost. Argon is better than regular air regarding heat flow resistance, but krypton is superior to argon.

Krypton will help you conserve energy if you rely heavily on your air conditioning system and dehumidifier to neutralize mugginess. However, this premium gas fill can inflate window replacement’s cost to the point that its potential energy savings may not justify its price tag.

Instead of choosing between argon and krypton, find an insulated window manufacturer that blends the two to deliver the best of both worlds.

Alternatively, consider vendors that offer triple-pane units. These products may only contain either argon or krypton but deliver better thermal performance than double-pane windows filled with a mixture of the gasses.

Check out the National Fenestration Rating Council label when comparing window energy efficiency. Pay closer attention to the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient of the five metrics included. The lower the value, the better the product prevents unwanted heat gain.

*2023-25 Camp Street, Listed by Kasi Champagne of Rêve | Realtors

6. Interior Wall Finishing — Lime Plaster

Natural plasters like lime and clay are spectacular wall-cladding solutions for homes with moisture-ridden air. They’re breathable and help keep your house’s indoor humidity in check.

Although lime and clay are porous and absorb and slowly release heat over time, the former performs better. Clay is more sensitive to direct or sustained exposure to moisture. In contrast, lime performs better in wet rooms and high-humidity areas like the kitchen.

Furthermore, lime plaster is a more reliable mold deterrent. It helps keep indoor temperatures below 77 degrees Fahrenheit and is highly alkaline to prevent mold spores from forming colonies.

7. Flooring — Engineered Hardwood

This composite material outperforms solid wood on many levels. Engineered wood is more stable because of its substrates of strengthened plywood or oriented strand board. Unlike solid wood planks, engineered wood flooring is more resistant to expansion and contraction due to high humidity and wild temperature swings.

Moreover, some engineered wood products are waterproof and scratch-resistant, making them more suitable for wet and moist rooms.

*2023-25 Camp Street, Listed by Kasi Champagne of Rêve | Realtors

Neutralize Humidity With the Right Building Materials

No home renovation project can single-handedly address all issues New Orleans’s excessively moist air brings. Prioritizing these building materials will give your home a better fighting chance to combat the humidity.