eco bark engineered siding for your home

We’re all familiar with engineered wood flooring, but siding for your home?

I love the rustic look of a home whose exterior features wood. My first home in the Catskills was constructed of Cedar siding. It looked gorgeous but the maintenance could be a bear. So when I heard about eco-friendly engineered bark siding, I had to take a peek.

backstory: BarkClad is an FSC-certified company and member of the Western North Carolina Green Building Council. Rather than cut down trees for wood siding, BarkClad works with loggers to re-purpose the bark from trees that are already cut for use in the furniture and plywood industries.

today: BarkClad also offers a line of engineered bark siding called SmartBark. Earlier this year they released their eco version of Poplar and today they’re introducing Sourwood and Walnut finishes. Here’s why we like these engineered bark siding options:

• weather-resistant: won’t fade, darken, rot, mold, crack or curl
• don’t require cutting down Poplar, Sourwood and American Chestnut
• easy to install
• estimated installed savings of $2/square foot compared to natural bark siding
• don’t require bug treatment or a special moisture barrier
• washable, paintable and flame resistant
• R-value of 4.7 per inch, so you save on energy costs year after year
• 30-year limited warranty

Let’s face it, there will always be new home construction, but we don’t have to use up all our natural resources in their design. From roofs, foundations and floors to siding, plumbing and windows – every day there are better, more sustainable ways to get the job done without sacrificing style.

related: more green building on alternativeconsumer.com