Why I Think Wood Siding is Superior
I think it’s about time for a more functional, topic-related post. Thank you to those of you who reached out last week - I so appreciate your kindness. As I told anyone who spoke to me about last week’s post, I was just having a bad day. As someone who struggles with depression and anxiety, I know very well that sometimes it’s more than just an off day, or a rough week. There’s a stark difference between a bad day as a functioning human and the dark hum of depression. One you can get through with love, some ice cream, and a couple of good coping mechanisms. The other is much more complex, and not so easily stilled. If you’re going through this type of thing, here is a resource that includes some really great numbers to call.
But onto the reason I assume you visit this site: help with your home! I don’t think I’ve gone into depth about this on the blog, but I recently partnered with a contractor in the area to offer interior design services for all of his clients. It’s such an amazing opportunity for me, and because he has a lot of projects going on all at once, I have been fielding waaayy more questions than I’m used to from clients!
One thing that comes up frequently is questions regarding exterior siding. Most people want vinyl. It’s what they know, it’s what they see everywhere. There are so many different types and colors and textures and it comes with a guarantee that you’ll never really have to do anything to them. Most of the clients I’ve worked with have never even considered wood siding as an option.
Now, I am very opposed to what the vinyl industry is doing to our environment. Not only is it environmentally taxing to create, it is cancer-causing to those who work in the plants and it is utterly un-recyclable. What are we going to do when we’ve all outgrown vinyl siding, when the hot new thing comes in and we have absolutely nowhere to put all of it? Can’t burn it. Burning it releases extremely toxic gases into the air and can do some really scary things to our lungs. You could bury it, sure. But then we’re well on our way to a Wall-E reality. We could maybe send it to another planet. Seems rude though. It appears to me that, yet again, we’ve gotten ourselves into something I’m not so sure we can get out of.
But this is not a critique of vinyl. It is a celebration of wood!
Look at heeeerrrrr
I could probably write an entire thesis paper on the environmental impacts of each type of exterior siding. And in doing so I would surely drive myself completely insane. The research would never end. Thousands of pros and cons would likely all balance out to equal at the end, and I’d be left with just as many answers as I have now.
Wood can be pretty environmentally friendly, depending on your location in the world. Once you introduce paints and stains to it things get a little muddier. But there is one category where wood blows vinyl out of the water: beauty.
Wrapping your home in plastic is simply not beautiful. It can look nice, for what is is, but in my opinion, it can never be beautiful. If you run your fingers over it, it feels kind of gross and unnatural. The colors never appear quite as nice as they should. It doesn’t really blend very well into the surrounding scenery. And it doesn’t age. Much like the botoxed faces of the Bachelor contestants, something about vinyl siding just looks off.
Be honest… wouldn’t this stately home be less stately if it were covered in plastic?
Wood is classic. Wood is your little black dress or your favorite red lipstick. It’s never going to be unfashionable. It has very clearly stood the test of time.
When you feel it, it feels good. It feels natural. There’s something just right about sheathing your home in something that can be found all around it. Obviously, this post is for people in regions that have an abundance of wood. I find this principle applies to any area, however. If the material can be found naturally where you live, I think it’s the best thing you could use. After all, we do have to peacefully exist with our surroundings if we have any hope of continuing to live on this planet.
Another thing where wood excels: establishing mood!
I’m fully aware that aged wood is not for everyone. If you like things to be looking brand new all the time, painted wood siding will require a decent amount of upkeep. It takes real commitment. But doesn’t that make it even more special? What if you got a brand new type of puppy, one that you didn't have to take care of. It doesn’t need to be fed, walked, or cuddled. Sure, it sounds nice, but then what’s the point? If your puppy didn’t need you to take care of it, you would never establish the deep and lasting bond that we all treasure so dearly.
If you think about your home as a living, breathing thing (which I believe it is), would you want to wrap it up in cold plastic, or would you want to surround it with the warmth of wood? Something that breathes with the home, that shows the passing of years and memories the way our bodies do?
Look at those colors!
Wood siding can also be customized! With pre-made siding, you can choose from a selection of maybe 10-12 colors. Which means more houses looking exactly the same. If you’re painting wood siding, you can choose ANY color you want, not just for the house itself, but for the trim too. It can be completely, wonderfully, yours. It also allows you the flexibility to change the color of your house with changing styles or homeowners. Sure, you can paint vinyl, but once you paint it, you need to keep painting it. Thus rendering the “no upkeep” clause null and void. May as well have just used wood.
Raw, natural beauty. Like seeing a gorgeous person without makeup on.
At the end of the day, choosing new siding for your home is an incredibly complex decision. I know that vinyl isn’t popular just because of effective marketing. People like it, and find value in it. I also haven’t discussed other siding options here, like stone, brick, or fiber cement (although Hardie boards will be getting a post in the future). Even I am at odds with this decision, as I don’t know that I could ever bring myself to take vinyl off of a home to replace it with wood, because I know it has nowhere to go.
The one thing I know is that wood is decidedly more Enchanting than vinyl. All I’m trying to do in this world is make our homes a little more enchanting, and to leave this place a bit more beautiful than it was when we inherited it.
Until next time,
Nicki
