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Know Your Green Building Materials is a Planet Green Series that helps you get to know some of the most popular and cutting edge green technologies out there, so you can make informed eco decisions when it's time to update, remodel or build with green in mind.
Fiber cement siding is just one of many home-improvement materials that have been featured on Renovation Nation. It's not a miracle product that fixes holes in the ozone or brings the dodo back to life. It's just a practical cladding for your house. Think of it as coveralls for your home but pretty, like the coveralls Will Smith used to wear on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Siding provides a home with some degree of insulation. It shouldn't be a home's primary source of insulation, but it will add to the overall insulation of the domicile. Insulation is good, as we all know, because it cuts down on the energy needed to heat or cool a home.
Fiber cement siding really racks up points in the durability department. The stuff is usually guaranteed for up to fifty years and can last a lot longer. That means that there is no need to pay for repairs or upkeep.
Although fiber cement siding looks like wood, it is fire resistant and termite-proof. It requires almost no maintenance. It is a paradigm of sustainability. Those of you looking to go the green extra mile may want to know that you can find fiber cement siding made out of recycled materials.
There is one great eco-concern about this product. When you cut it, the dust produced is toxic. Wear a mask if you are fitting and installing the siding yourself.
The next time the siding salesman darkens your doorstep, tell him to take a hike, unless he's selling sustainable fiber cement siding. If you are going to replace your siding, fiber cement is a sustainable and green alternative to vinyl or aluminum siding.
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