CertainTeed Raises the Bar for Product Transparency, Publishes WeatherBoards™ Fiber Cement Siding Life Cycle Assessment Data
(Valley Forge, Pa.) – CertainTeed Corporation is taking product transparency to a new level by becoming the first and only fiber cement siding manufacturer to publish an independent Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Offering an analysis of a wide array of environmental and economic impacts, the WeatherBoards™ fiber cement siding LCA was published through the Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) program. The LCA follows the company’s industry-first vinyl and polymer siding LCA.
Conducted by Sustainable Solutions Corporation of Royersford, Pa., the LCA included an in-depth analysis of raw material acquisition, manufacturing, transportation and distribution, installation, use, maintenance and end of life recycling and final disposal. To provide full transparency and accessibility, the LCA was submitted to the BEES database for independent review and publication.
“With the completion of the WeatherBoards analysis, all CertainTeed siding products — which include fiber cement, vinyl, polymer and insulated siding — are backed by a publicly available LCA,” says Xavier LeBlanc, director of product marketing for CertainTeed’s Siding Products Group. “Our approach to understanding and evaluating the environmental impact of our products solidifies our commitment to offer complete freedom of choice to the building industry — providing everything needed to make informed environmental design decisions.”
An online program designed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), BEES offers transparency and credibility into a product’s performance since data is reviewed and verified by NIST. The BEES system aligns with ISO 14040 series, the internationally recognized standards from the International Standards Organization. Environmental performance results are based on 13 impact categories, such as human health, global warming potential, air pollution, and smog.
“The LCA is part of our continuous improvement, allowing a comprehensive view of our commitment to quantify and reduce energy, water use and waste,” adds LeBlanc. “We are excited to share the results of years of rigorous work and innovation within our corporate, research, development and manufacturing teams presented in an independent report.”
CertainTeed has streamlined its fiber cement manufacturing operations to reduce water use and carbon emissions — significantly reducing waste from manufacturing facilities. Moreover, all of the company’s fiber cement plants have been ISO 14001 certified, an international standard that requires the development and third-party verification of a formalized environmental management system. In addition, WeatherBoards contain more than 30 percent post-industrial material, which contributes to LEED and NAHB credits for recycled content. Having recycled content within the WeatherBoards product also creates a greater inter-laminar bonding for better and longer lasting performance.
Similar to CertainTeed’s complete line of vinyl siding products, including Cedar Impressions™ and CedarBoards™ Insulated vinyl siding, WeatherBoards is the only fiber cement siding with a third-party validated life cycle assessment. CertainTeed is also the only manufacturer to qualify for the new LEED transparency double credit in all of these siding categories. In addition, many of these products are NAHB Green Approved and third-party certified for recycled content by GreenCircle™ Certified, LLC.
WeatherBoards fiber cement siding has a Class A (1) flame spread rating and is impact-resistant, impervious to wood-boring insects, resists UV rays, will not rot and consistently outperforms wood siding. It features a TrueTexture™ finish, which utilizes a direct transfer system from real cedar boards to create an authentic wood texture and FiberTect™ primer/sealer, which protects against moisture. WeatherBoards can be coated with CertainTeed’s optional ColorMax® Finishing System or painted within an industry-leading 24-month window. ColorMax is available in 16 solid shades, providing the look of painted wood, and six natural stains — all with a 15-year limited coating warranty.
The product is backed with a 50-year limited transferable product warranty with two-year SureStart™ protection covering both labor and materials. In addition, fiber cement siding is proven to provide a strong return on investment and remarkable curb appeal.
For more information, visit www.certainteed.com.
About CertainTeed
Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed, headquartered in Valley Forge, Pa., has helped shape the building products industry for more than 100 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm's slogan "Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed," quickly inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed® is North America’s leading brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, fence, decking, railing, trim, foundations, pipe, insulation, gypsum, ceilings and access covers.
A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, the world’s largest building products company, CertainTeed and its affiliates have more than 6,000 employees and more than 65 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. Recognized as a 2009 and 2010 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CertainTeed earned the 2011 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award, the highest level of recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency. The group had total sales of approximately $3.2 billion in 2011. www.certainteed.com
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