Eco-Friendly Siding: Why is It Important?
Vinyl siding might achieve that charming farmhouse aesthetic you’ve been dreaming of for years, but its environmental impact dwarfs that of stucco. It floods your home with toxins during installation and leaches into your interior via off-gassing for years afterwards.
Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) found that its environmental impact is lower than most alternatives, but that doesn’t mean it gets a five-star on the green scale. If you’re determined to achieve eco-friendly cladding, you’ll need to assess every material by its many merits and inadequacies. Even then, your manufacturer matters. Even the most planet-friendly siding materials sometimes contain volatile compounds. Let’s take a closer look at some alternatives to vinyl siding.
Fiber Cement
Fiber cement is earning a name for itself for itself as cladding’s eco-friendly hero. It’s made from recycled and sustainable products, and its manufacturing process is light on energy. It doesn’t off-gas, but some products do contain respirable crystalline silica: a carcinogenic substance.
For that reason, its installation needs to be handled with the utmost care. Fiber cement is stylish and climate-friendly. It doesn’t rot or attract insects, so it’s an excellent addition to the siding market. Its lifespan and reduced maintenance needs make it a favorite among residential clients. It can mimic the wooden aesthetic beautifully, so your neighbors will never know your secret.
Metal Eco House Siding
Metal is one of the most eco friendly siding options on the market, and it performs its duties with aplomb. Its fully recyclable and can be blended with textured coatings to achieve an organic aesthetic. Steel can take on the surface of wood grains, batten, and shiplap.
If you live in a tough-weather region, you can’t do better than aluminum or steel. Both metals make easy work of storms, snow, and gale-force winds. Shiplap is the trendiest option of the bunch, and its impervious joints are almost as attractive.
If you’re determined to take durability to its highest level, carbon-reinforced alloys will carry you through the seasons without showing signs of wear. This is one of the most elegant exterior siding options on the market. It doesn’t fade, so you’ll be enjoying that timber ash look for many years into the future, even if your climate comes with sweltering summers. If you expect your natural siding options to reflect the latest trends, metal shiplap is where it’s at.
Reclaimed Wood
Despite the intrusion of steel and fiber cement, reclaimed wood has kept its spot in the sustainable siding market for years. Nothing does wood like wood can, so this is the most authentic way to achieve the look. Reclaimed products are made from materials that were on their way to a landfill, so in that sense, they’re extremely eco-friendly. That said, some reclaimed woods produce off-gassing due to trapped volatile organic compounds (VOC).
If your siding relies on wood used before 1978, it may contain small particles of lead, which can contaminate your garden. This is complicated territory. If timber is taken from disaster zones, it could contain mildew and mold. If it’s repurposed from untrusted sources, it could contain creosote. Reclaimed wood only earns a spot on the list of environmentally friendly siding options if it’s certified by enterprises like Greenguard Gold.
An eco friendly exterior has never been easier to achieve. Fabrication innovations have added a veritable treasure trove of elegance to this niche. Green siding will protect your home from the choppiest of climates without expanding your carbon footprint or eroding your conscience. Better yet, it’ll perform its job with true panache.
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