When it comes to rainscreen siding, we know that not every budget allows for Ipe wood siding. While there are plenty of synthetic products on the market, they all have their downsides. The typical composite decking material provides a notable example of how many composite building materials are inferior to the ultimate green building material: real hardwood lumber. Here at J. Gibson McIlvain, real hardwood lumber is our primary passion, and it has been for over 2 centuries. But we know a good product when we see it. Unlike many of its competitors, Fiberon composite cladding truly has proven to be exactly what it claims to be: where “natural wood beauty meets advanced composite technology.”
Fiberon Manufacturing Process
Made almost exclusively from recycled materials, this 94% recycled product is comprised of a wood flour composite core along with a molecularly bonded ethylene cap. If you visit the plant, like we did, you’d see expert handling of recycled plastics along with extrusion lines and an amazing lab for testing metrology. In that lab, the boards are placed in boiling water for half a year and still show no delamination or degradation of any kind. Even when broken, they remain strong, unaffected by water, and colorfast.
Fiberon Benefits
Fiberon produces completely water resistant, fade-free, and virtually maintenance-free cladding. That’s quite the accomplishment. Over the years, we’ve seen and researched several composite materials designed for exterior applications, but none of them have achieved this level of resilience. Fiberon cladding actually accomplishes what it claims to do. Not only does it actually outlast natural hardwoods, but its fade-free color makes it virtually maintenance free.
Because those characteristics are also accompanied by short lead time and exceptional quality control, Fiberon is the first composite cladding product we’ve decided would be able to meet our customers’ needs for both timeliness and quality. Easy to install and suitable for commercial applications, we’re pleased to be able to recommend this unique product to you.
Fiberon Options
One of the many facets of Fiberon cladding that make it unique among its rivals is that both faces of the boards are embossed, allowing them to be used for privacy screens and other applications where both sides are visible. Perhaps even more importantly, the boards showcase a variety of embossing patterns, providing an attractive, natural look. Because dyes are added during extrusion and have some variance, they allow for a streaking that appears similar to real wood, making them look more like natural wood than like plastic.
One option, Horizon, includes the dramatic color streaking that resembles natural wood. It’s available in 4 color options: Castle Gray, Ipe, Rosewood, and Tudor Brown. A second option, Symmetry, boasts a matte finish with subtle grain details, along with streaking that’s not as dramatic as the Horizon line. Symmetry color options are Burnt Umber, Cinnabar, Graphite, and Warm Sienna.
To read more about what we love about Fiberon cladding, check out Part 2.
