Is It Green? Vinyl Siding Considered
There is honest debate on what materials are really green. Vinyl siding is durable, easy on maintenance, and even easier on the pocketbook, but did you know it's also a more environmentally conscious option than most home siding materials? According to Tad Radzinski, who served as a Waste Minimization Program Expert for the US Environmental Protection Agency, vinyl siding is sustainable throughout its entire life-cycle, particularly when compared to other cladding products. Here are just a few of the reasons why.
- Save a tree (or ten). It probably goes without saying that wood siding is, well, wood. Unless you use a reclaimed wood product, new trees must be harvested. In fact, according to the Sierra Club, some siding companies still harvest from old-growth forests.
- Insulated, green vinyl siding boosts efficiency. According to a study from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, insulated vinyl siding can reduce your energy consumption by boosting your home's thermal resistance, or R-value. In other words, insulated vinyl siding styles save energy (and money) heating and cooling your home. Insulation adds about $1 per square foot to your total cost, but for the environmentally conscious homeowner, its benefits are priceless.
- Reduce and reuse with vinyl siding. Vinyl siding manufacturing is incredibly efficient. The Vinyl Siding Institute notes that because returned scrap can be reprocessed immediately, vinyl siding production produces minimal waste a key tenant of Green. Vinyl siding also produces less waste during installation because paint, stain, and caulk aren't necessary.
- Vinyl siding is built to last. Vinyl siding is a durable cladding product engineered to last, which means fewer resources are used maintaining, repairing, or replacing it.
If you'd like to invest in a home improvement that is green, vinyl siding is a good choice. While all vinyl siding styles are eco-friendly, insulated vinyl siding styles reduce CO2 emissions while boosting energy efficiency.
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