| Siding material |
Pros |
Cons |
First Cost |
Recommendation |
| Solid wood |
- Renewable resource
- Some FSC-certified or salvaged siding available
- May be reusable
|
- Requires frequent painting or staining
- May come from unsustainable forestry operations
|
Medium to high |
Use if FSC certified or salvaged |
| Vinyl |
- Durable
- Low maintenance
- Doesn’t rot
|
- Toxins created during manufacturing and disposal
- Few recycling options
|
Low |
Avoid |
| Stucco |
- Durable
- Fire-resistant
- Low maintenance
|
- Requires careful installation to prevent moisture problems
|
High |
OK to use |
| Fiber-cement |
- Durable
- Fire-resistant
- Doesn’t rot
|
- Portland cement is energy intensive to manufacture
- Wood fibers from imported, non-FSC certified sources
|
Medium |
OK to use |
| Aluminum |
- Durable
- Fire-resistant
- Recyclable and contains recycled content
- Low-maintenance
|
- Energy intensive to manufacture
- Quarrying bauxite ore to make aluminum has environmental impacts
- Susceptible to dents
|
Low |
OK to use |
| Masonry |
- Durable
- Fire-resistant
- Uses abundant (although nonrenewable) resources
- Low maintenance
- Local or salvaged products may be available
|
- Portland cement manufacturing and brick firing are energy intensive
|
High |
OK to use |
| Engineered wood (OSB, hardboard, plywood) |
- Uses wood fiber from small, lower-grade trees
|
- Requires frequent painting
- Prone to premature disintegration if it gets wet
|
Low |
Avoid |
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