Why Should You Choose Aluminum Wood?
While wood adds old-world charm to an exterior, it is also unsustainable and requires continuous maintenance. Aluminum wood, on the other hand, poses as an effective and efficient alternative to real wood. Its innate characteristics make it cost effective, easy to maintain, durable, and safe for the environment. What makes aluminum so beneficial? Let’s elaborate.
Aluminum is a cost effective alternative to other siding materials. The price of aluminum siding depends on the quality, size, thickness, and style chosen, but it is lightweight and easy to install, which lowers installation costs, especially when compared to other products.
Urbanization has increased the demand for wood, leading to mass deforestation in the name of developmental opportunities and growth. Considering the research put forth by the University of Michigan, more than 25% of the earth is covered by flora and fauna, but millions of hectares of this ecosystem are destroyed every year without any regard to the type, and depth of the possible effects these practices will ensue on the ecosystem.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is mainly due to deforestation. Paper, furniture, wooden interiors, and structures need a significant amount of wood, resulting in inhumane destruction of the climate and the entire ecosystem.
This is where the debate turns towards aluminum versus wooden sidings in construction. You could want your house to have a wooden exterior, is the harm it causes really worth the aesthetic? Thanks to aluminum, your house can have a wooden exterior, without contributing to carbon emissions. How? Let’s list it down.
Why Aluminum Trumps Wood
Durable and Low Maintenance
Unlike wood, aluminum siding doesn’t rot; it is dent-resistant, and sturdy. Made of recycled aluminum, it is a great, green siding option. Its longevity ensures it outperforms and resists even the harshest of weathers.
Premium quality aluminum sidings, if installed correctly, can last up to 20 years without the need for a repaint or intensive periodic maintenance.
Environment and Energy Efficient
Aluminum siding can withstand colder, as well as, warmer climates. It outdoes other siding materials and works as an insulator in countries with cold weather, keeping the warmth in, and cold out while offering energy efficiency and fire-resistance in countries with dry and hot climates, and frequent bush fires.
Furthermore, because solid aluminum sidings are completely recyclable, they are much more environmentally friendly as opposed to other products that have aluminum laminated onto them, which usually find their way into landfills.
Diversity in Textures and Colors Aluminum panels are available in a variety of different sizes, patterns, and textures; offering vertically or horizontally aligned, functional and aesthetic wooden exteriors. The preferred color can be baked on while the final texture is imprinted on the siding.
If you would like the siding to give off a wooden exterior vibe, you can go for and color combinations to fit your décor and style choices. The printing begins with real wood plank that is digitized to bring the printed image on the aluminum siding, promoting low maintenance and a genuine look.
Aluminum Wood as a Critical Construction Material
On an average, people tend to spend 90% of their daily lives indoors; however, indoor air quality is often highly unhealthy. With walled-up air flows and emissions from construction materials, opting for greener buildings can provide and promote healthier lifestyles.
Constructing environmentally-friendly buildings helps conserve natural resources while also reducing carbon emissions. Aluminum is critical in the on-going shift towards sustainable constructions as it does not emit harmful gases, is weather-friendly, and can be painted and molded into different shapes and colors.
Its greatest advantage is found in the material’s non-toxic nature, making it safe for utilization in interiors and exteriors. As an efficient and environmental-friendly construction material, on an estimate between 50 to 80% of the aluminum manufactured is recycled and reused while about of the aluminum that has been produced over time, is still in use.
Innovation in Interior and Exterior Designing Due to Aluminum Wood Cladding
Although numerous metal and aluminum applications have been found, aluminum is now touted as a structural raw material. Thanks to the many innovations in the design cladding of aluminum, the industry is witnessing a shift in architectural designs thanks to the introduction of newer materials. Aluminum cladding has a wide range of textures, and after the failure of plastic cladding, it is the new-age innovation of the construction industry.
Cladding has now advanced to digital printing, resulting in high-definition textures over a number of wood-grain looks, different colors, and designs to fit the trends.
When considering a replacement of wood sidings, it’s not only important to consider the benefits provided by aluminum to the eco-system, but also to analyze which offers a more valuable investment. In a nutshell, it would be safe to say that aluminum siding’s rise to popularity is primarily due to the many advantages it offers, alongside longevity, lowered carbon footprints, and customization.