Comparing Exterior Wall Finishes Using Life-Cycle Assessment

Syracuse, NY

Selecting products that are environmentally friendly can help reduce the negative environmental impacts associated with the built environment. However, the process can be difficult. Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is an approach used to measure the environmental performance of a product or service by considering all stages of a product’s life-cycle from extraction of raw materials to its end of life. Many products that claim to be environmentally friendly are based on a single life-cycle stage or environmental impact. These claims are often misleading as they do not consider other life-cycle stages or other environmental impacts associated with the products. This study examines alternative exterior wall finishes for a traditional single-family home in the State of Ohio from an LCA approach to determine which finishes are friendlier on the natural and built environment. Advantages and disadvantages of exterior wall finishes including aluminum siding, brick, wood siding, fiber cement siding, stucco, and vinyl siding have been investigated, as well as the impact each finish has on each of the life-cycle stages. Their life-cycle environmental impacts during various life-cycle stages are compared using the BEES (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability) software developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Each of the exterior wall finishes were compared in the following categories: overall lifecycle environmental impacts, global warming potential, recyclability, service life, and the cost of material and labor. Not one of the materials scores the best in every category. While vinyl siding does not have much potential for recycling or a long service life, it performs well in other categories and appears to be a better option from an environmental and cost perspective overall.

https://surface.syr.edu/ibpc/2018/BE8/1