Apartment Therapy Re-Nest | Is it Green? The Case of Durability vs. Cor-ten

Is it Green? The Case of Durability vs. Cor-ten

So we're still deep in the thick of making a decision about new siding for our house. We can't reuse the old cedar siding, which is a shame, but it's in really bad shape and there's the specter of lead paint. Thanks to lloydalter's comments, we've come to terms that our long-term crush with Cor-ten could be, in reality, a short-term fling. Vinyl, despite our musings, just doesn't feel right. But where does that leave us?

An article in today's San Francisco Chronicle caught our eye -- and, of course, it mentions Cor-ten steel, which makes a beautiful and poetic appearance next to the cedar on the structure above.

The article wanders a bit, veering from architecture to issues of luxury and invoking the questionably green Lexus hybrid. But the broader point is that green design means we must privilege durability over all.

Such platitudes are nice, but they leave us one step short of a decision. The wood framed houses most of us live in, for example, aren't intended to last forever, and they certainly need maintenance. This brings out one fo the things we think is most difficult about green building: while it's easy to get the principles down, those principles often conflict. And that, in turn, can be downright paralyzing when it comes to making a simple decision.

image by Kodiak Greenwood via SF Chronicle article linked above

Comments (5)

Just as an aside, Cor-Ten is a trademark of US Steel (or whomever owns them now). It does not denote a type of steel -- it denotes a brand name, which has been applied to certain types of steel. Sort of like "Fuji Water" vs. water.

There are other companies that make weathering steels with exactly the same chemical characteristics (A606, A588, A242, etc.).

...sorry, just a pet peeve of mine.

posted by minimalia on April 16th 2008 at 10:45am
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Sure, "Corten" will age over time .. a very long time. It is in wide use architecturally. See: http://buildllc.wordpress.com/2008/03/26/cor-ten-architectural-siding/ And if you are really worried about the wear you can clad your house in rainscreens http://buildllc.wordpress.com/2008/03/05/rainscreens/ and just replace them if they wear.

On the green side -- steel is very recyclable.

I'd love to have "Corten" cladding.

posted by gh1 on April 16th 2008 at 11:14am
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have you thought about zinc siding? it won't achieve the patina that copper or steel will, but it's self healing (and thus long lasting) and i believe its recyclable AND requires less energy to produce (although i don't think it's cheaper to buy)

posted by lu on April 16th 2008 at 1:33pm
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I really like cor-ten and zinc. What about cement fiberboard? It's eco-friendly (cement, sand & wood fiber, very hard & durable, and is available in pre-finished colors so maintenance is low. You can get it in a wide variety of designs: horizontal or vertical siding, shingles, and planks. The planks are cool because you can design your own pattern, and it works as a rainscreen. Certainteed is a good company to use because they incorporate 30% post-industrial recycled fly ash.

posted by RLW on April 17th 2008 at 9:14am
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I have been researching siding for my parents' passive-solar home in Wyoming. They want something inexpensive and almost zero-maintenance, and I think environmental as well as economic sustainability is worth investigating.

I keep falling in and out of love with weathering steel, such as Cor-ten, loving its color and sheen, but knowing the staining issue would really suck.

The sidings that have struck my fancy are:
Swiss Pearl (link goes to distributor website, since I find the manufacturer's site not helpful at all), which is a fiber cement, but comes in finishes that have more depth than other fiber cement products I've seen.
Parklex, which is gorgeous and reportedly durable, but more expensive. But so gorgeous!
Although I don't think my parents would go for this (techniques: shou-sugi-ban, or burned wood siding), I think it's classic and lovely too.

I found this article helpful, as it describes steel, Parklex, and fiber cement and some more details about installation and pros/cons. http://www.residentialarchitect.com/industry-news.asp?sectionID=283&articleID=82723&artnum=1