Siding your house isn’t just about good looks. You can add R-value and include recycled content.
Siding choices abound for today’s homes. Aesthetics are important when choosing one option over another, and when you take the environment into account, some
choices just look a whole lot better than others. According to research from the Freedonia Group (
www.freedoniagroup.com), fiber cement, stucco and brick siding will see rapid advances through 2014. Vinyl siding will remain the largest segment. Although long lasting, it’s a controversial material made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a plastic that until recently has had a poor recycling record. At least one company (Certainteed) has now begun to recycle vinyl, and the industry is beginning to look more closely at vinyl’s life-cycle impacts. We haven’t included it here as a “green” option, but we will continue to monitor the industry’s efforts to move in that direction.
BRICK A DURABILITY LE ADER
Made of clay and shale, brick is very durable. It is a solid barrier against weather, and the installation of brick creates a 1” air space between the brick and the interior house wrap. This provides insulation against temperature transfer and the transfer of sound, and it also prevents moisture from seeping into the home. Because of its thickness, brick provides thermal mass, making it slow to heat in the summer and slow to cool in the winter, which helps regulate a home’s temperature.
Manufacturers such as Boral Bricks are making brick manufacturing less environmentally caustic. The company recycles waste and uses air scrubbers to make sure emissions from plants are clean and particulate free.
Bricks come in many colors, textures and other variations. Approximately 3” thick, brick veneer (Boral Bricks are shown) creates an armored shell for your home. The durability of brick is one of it greatest assets. Boral, for example, offers a “two lifetimes” warranty. More info:
www.boralbricks.com
VIRTUES
> Recyclable
> Durable
> Can be recycled or repurposed
> Resists termites, fire, mold and rot
> Made from abundant natural materials
> Low-maintenance
CAVEATS
> Resources must be mined
> Not all brick manufacturers have taken steps to reduce emissions from their manufacturing plants
> Expensive
> Heavy weight
LP SMARTSIDE
Smartside products deliver the warmth and beauty of traditional wood, plus the durability and workability of engineered wood. The manufacturing process creates products that are engineered for strength, performance and protection against fungal decay and termites. Features four product collections, backed by a 5/50-year transferable limited warranty.
www.lpcorp.com/smartside
CERTAINTEED PVC CEDARBOARDS
A recent life-cycle analysis of this brand of insulated PVC siding found that it has an environmental impact similar to that of natural cedar boards. Certainteed’s CedarBoards D6 contain 60% post consumer and post-industrial recycled material. A company called Sustainable Solutions Corp. conducted the LCA.
www.certainteed.com
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