Your home’s siding is your first line of defense against weathers, pests, and other damaging elements that stand ready to compromise the beauty and comfort of your home. Installing the right siding will not only slash back your energy bills by thousands of dollars, but also improve the value and physical appeal of your home. Among the choices of vinyl, fiber cement, wood, and aluminum siding, fiber cement siding is definitely the recommended choice for homeowners going green.

Fiber Cement Siding vs. Vinyl Siding

Made from a combination of cement, cellulose (wood), sand, and water, fiber cement siding is the popular siding choice for its aesthetic, durable, and fire resistant nature. Fiber cement siding comes in a variety of styles and colors. Its ability to emulate other siding options further makes it a desirable addition for homeowners. Besides fiber cement’s flexibility and versatility to complement assorted home styles and structures, fiber cement also outperforms vinyl siding in many ways.

1. Fiber cement siding is more durable than vinyl siding

While slightly more expensive than vinyl siding, fiber cement siding comes with virtually zero maintenance and usually outlast its competitors by decades. As Yahoo Homes reports, fiber cement siding can withstand below zero-temperatures and winds up to 130 mph. It can endure extreme temperatures and can hold up well in different climates. Unlike vinyl and wood siding that suffer various degree of expansion and contraction, fiber cement siding does not crack and is loved by homeowners for its longevity and lasting beauty.

2. Fiber cement siding is more recyclable than vinyl siding

Fiber cement siding is a more eco-friendly choice than vinyl siding for its recyclability. According to a design/building professor from Berkeley, 80% of the vinyl siding is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), one of the least recyclable plastics. “The recycling of post-consumer PVC is rare because the process is difficult and expensive.” However, the cement, wood fiber, and sand makeup of fiber cement siding makes it an easy candidate for reground and recycle. Although fiber cement siding is a relatively new product with no specific recycling program to handle its retirement, the inert materials found in fiber cement siding will not pose any lasing hazard for the environment even if it were sent to a landfill.

3. Fiber cement siding is more sustainable than vinyl siding

Besides being resilient to extreme climate conditions and made of highly recyclable materials, fiber cement also requires much less energy in the production itself. According to one source, the manufacture of PVC used in vinyl siding requires excessive electricity. On top of these sustainability benefits, fiber cement siding also offers superior air resistance that will effectively improve the energy efficiency of your home.

Making the Switch to Fiber Cement Siding

Fiber cement siding is a paradigm of sustainability made of recycled materials that are meant to endure and last for decades. While vinyl siding, like fiber cement siding, is also economic and offers great insulation, homeowners who are seeking to preserve the aesthetic and authentic look of their home while going green will find fiber cement siding a great choice for their homes.