"No Vinyl, That's Final"

Our amazing builder, Henry Souza, was at EcoBuilding Bargains last week and noticed that they had some Hardiplank siding. We were excited, as we had already planned on installing Hardiplank (fiber-cement) siding.


Why, you ask? Well, here is a summary of the environmental attributes of available siding material options: www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/additional-information/pros-and-cons/. If you went to this link you would see that vinyl siding is a no go for the eco-conscious consumer.


If you need more information to be convinced, here's additional  explanation courtesy of Umbra Fisk of Grist Environmental News: "Why do we want to identify and avoid [vinyl]? Because its manufacture, use, and disposal involve dioxin, phthalates, lead, and other nasties that can cause cancer, endocrine disruption, endometriosis, birth defects, respiratory problems, and immune system damage. Because the full range of its effects on human health hasn't been fully determined. And because there are indeed alternatives, including other types of plastic, that are not nearly as damaging to the environment and to our health." Wow, that's quite an indictment. Umbra often urges her readers to remember "No Vinyl, That's Final", and we've done our best to observe that rule during this development project. You can read Umbra's full blog on this topic here: http://www.grist.org/article/pvc1


So, this presented us with a problem, as vinyl is far and away the most widely available (and least expensive) siding material. However, we did our research and decided that it would be best to install Hardiplank fiber-cement siding. We learned that it is a little more difficult to find fiber-cement siding products and even more difficult to find contractors who install them. We selected a color (stay tuned for the big reveal on our color pallette), and we found a builder's supply company in Springfield (Bradco) that keeps some Hardiplank colors in stock (which is necessary for our timeline). Thankfully, they stock the color we want. Whew! But then, Henry noticed the Hardiplank siding at EcoBuilding Bargains, and they happened to have our color! Yay! So, we've now got some siding coming our way! And, we've found a few contractors who install this type of siding to boot! Onward!