Element land planning . engineering . architecture . beyond

House Painters Beware!

In the world of Sustainable Design and Construction, the goal is minimal impact to the environment, conservation of materials and the use of durable products that will stand the test of time.  Taking this to the practical environment where costs and efficiencies are of the utmost, Designers and Builders must find those products that meet all the criteria because, in general, Home Owners that are renovating or Clients that are designing/building homes will not pay more than 3% more for “green” products.  One way to achieve this and deliver a product that is low maintenance for the End-User is by using “pre-finished” materials.

Pre-finished materials are those that arrive ready to install with no additional work in the field required.  This can save the Builder time and, because no field finishing labor is required, the Client money.  The environmental upside is achieved as most pre-finished materials, if specified correctly, are much better for the environment because they are finished in a factory and constructed of environmentally preferable ingredients.  In this installment of our on-going series about the NAHB’s Model Green Home Building Guidelines, we will look into the types of products that can come to the site beautiful, healthy and sustainable.

Exposed to the sun, rain, wind, and, now popular here on the Coast in Delaware, snow, the exterior of a home must be durable.  The elements (plug intended) that can be either finished on-site or prefinished can help this durability.  The exterior products available that are pre-finished are mainly a form of fiber cement. There are several great manufacturers – James Hardie, Nichiha, and CertainTeed to name a few – and all provide great exterior cladding.  The look is timeless and can match the vernacular of most regions.  From Craftsman detailing, to Colonial, to Modern, fiber cement siding can create the aesthetic.  Additionally, fiber cement is made from water, sand, wood fibers (usually post-industrial waste) and cement.  Those are four of the most readily available materials on the planet.  Most fiber cement manufacturers now make their products impregnated with color.  This means no painting – and no maintenance for a LONG time – up to 50 years on some products.  The impregnated color is important because that means the color is a through color – if it gets nicked – sorry – WHEN it gets nicked the color is still there.

The trim around windows and doors, as well as, soffits, corners, and fascia pieces all can be found pre-finished.  Manufactures like James Hardie, MiraTEC, and AZEK come ready to install.  These, too, have 30 to 50 year warranties and are obtainable in smooth and wood grain.  Detailing with these products puts the finishing touches on the home.  One word of advice, found out the way all wisdom is gained – the hard way, check the thickness of the product you are trimming and the thickness of the trim.  Some products are ¾” or thicker, so trim pieces will need to be 1” or great to make the reveal authentic instead of the ever so popular movie set fake look.

To a great extent, the cladding of the home is typically the only field finished product.  These days, most windows, doors and garage doors come pre-finished.  Decks are typically all floored with synthetic materials made in a wide variety of widths, colors, and finishes.  Remember the great part about pre-finished is that it typically will not have to be finished again – if you are like us, that takes a potential weekend killer off the old “to do” list.  The environmental benefit comes in the form of durability, as it doesn’t have to be replaced as often, and factory finishing in a controlled environment with preferable products.  Next week we will move inside to pre-finished interior finishes – wood floors, plaster walls, doors, cabinets and counters….but if you think of any questions before then, contact us, we would love to help.