As we make progress toward greater sustainability and Net Zero Energy home construction, builders, architects, and homeowners are increasingly focusing on a home’s building envelope. This outer shell keeps heated or cooled air inside and unconditioned air out, and it prevents unwanted liquid moisture from entering the home.
The walls, windows, and roof all are vital parts of the building envelope, but so is siding. Here are some of the ways that engineered wood siding offers building envelope advantages:
Exceptional durability – Conventional wood is subject to both fungal decay and termites, but engineered wood products like LP SmartSide siding are treated with waxes, resins and zinc borate to protect against these envelope-damaging problems.
Fewer siding seams – Engineered wood siding can be manufactured in consistently straight 16-foot lengths, which can reduce seams by up to 33 percent compared to 12-foot fiber cement siding panels. Fewer boards mean faster installation and less opportunity for moisture intrusion.
Sustainable production – Engineered wood siding uses fast-growing trees sourced from programs certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. Because they don’t have knots, voids or other defects, engineered wood products also create less waste than traditional wood.
Improving the building envelope is a whole-house endeavor, not just a matter of siding choices. For example, radiant barrier sheathing is now a key ingredient in high-performance attic design. There are now products like LP TechShield Radiant Barrier Sheathing that block up to 97 percent of the radiant heat in the roof panel from reaching a home’s attic, reducing attic temperature by up to 30° F.
Home siding is arguably the building envelope component that receives the most visual attention. That’s why the newest engineered wood siding products combine beautiful curb appeal with greater protection against envelope intruders.
LP, SmartSide and TechShield are registered trademarks of Louisiana-Pacific Corporation.
