Best Environmentally Friendly Siding

Repurposing recycled steel requires more manufacturing power than wood or other materials which is a concern for some homeowners.

Best environmentally friendly siding.

The iconic american house is sided with clapboard also called bevel siding lap siding or weather board typically made from tough insect repellant cedar pine spruce redwood cypress or douglas fir. The manufacturing process of steel siding has less of a negative impact compared to many building materials as steel siding is made with very few chemicals. The first way to make your siding project more eco friendly is to carefully remove the existing materials. Sustainable siding options increase a home s efficiency and limit the emissions created in the production and installation of the product.

That s kind of the gold standard malin says. It gives ratings on 5. Get the pros and cons of each siding option as well as the return on investment for the each siding type. This data is given by nist the national institute of standards and technology.

Below is a chart that compares a handful of siding options by their environmental performance of the life cycle. After all there are very few siding materials as eco friendly as steel for a number of reasons. Fiber cement siding aluminum stone brick or wood may all be reused in other homes and kept out of landfills if gently dismantled in a process known as soft demo. In choosing siding for your home you must factor in durability maintenance and insulation as well as sourcing the most eco friendly choice would garner high marks in all categories.

Wood siding is made from a number of types of trees including cypress cedar redwood douglas fir pine and cedar. This is a building certification that gives points for building sustainable eco friendly and environmentally safe construction. Steel is easily recyclable making it a viable option for environmentally friendly siding. Plus steel siding is made with 25 recycled content.

Nist ranks cedar siding as one of the highest in eco friendly siding options beating out vinyl brick stucco and aluminum. Metal siding specifically steel comes from recycled sources like junked cars and scrapped building materials. Ask for lumber that s certified by the forest stewardship council fsc.