More on Steel Siding
Island Eco Siding
Seamless steel is relatively new to the world of siding compared with wood, fiber cement aluminum and vinyl. Unlike wood, aluminum and fiber cement, steel siding never needs to be sanded or repainted. Its beautiful appearance can be retained for many years after installation with no more maintenance than a periodic rinse with a garden hose. Most manufacturers of steel siding provide excellent warranties and expect their siding to last 20+ years. In fact, longevity may be the single biggest benefit steel siding offers.
Seamless steel is relatively new to the world of siding compared with wood, fiber cement aluminum and vinyl. Unlike wood, aluminum and fiber cement, steel siding never needs to be sanded or repainted. Its beautiful appearance can be retained for many years after installation with no more maintenance than a periodic rinse with a garden hose. Most manufacturers of steel siding provide excellent warranties and expect their siding to last 20+ years. In fact, longevity may be the single biggest benefit steel siding offers.
Island Eco-Siding is custom-fit to your home, eliminating unsightly seams or splits in the surface of your siding. Besides the obvious aesthetic benefits, no seam means less opportunity for exposure to the elements. Other kinds of siding may come only in precut sections. Some, like fiber cement, are very difficult to manage at lengths of more than 12 feet. With steel siding, however, installation companies have a machine that can actually manufacture every piece on-site with a perfect fit, with the precise color and style you choose. Starting with a roll of steel, each siding piece is cut to the exact measurements of your home.
High on durability, steel is the strongest siding material available, able to resist extreme temperatures, salt spray, wind, hail, and fire, so it is an especially good option for those who live with a lot of snow during the year or in salty, sandy climates. A new PVC (polyvinyl chloride) coating protects against damaging UV rays that can cause fading, prevents scratches, and keeps dirt and debris from adhering to the surface.
Steel siding is more expensive than other materials (about twice as expensive as vinyl), but the long-term cost benefits in terms of energy efficiency, long-life, and low maintenance may actually make up for the initial investment.
Island Eco-Siding
Unlike vinyl siding, our steel siding is manufactured on site from a continuous steel roll. This means that there are no vertical seams in steel siding. We have done 52 foot lengths in steel.
Using steel siding rather than Hardie Plank allows you to dispense with a rainscreen, in municipalities that require one, and the need to caulk and paint siding.
For instance: when Hardie Plank is initially applied, we normally install it with a factory primed finish and caulk the vertical joints. The painting contractor applies the final coat of paint. This process of caulking and painting is repeated when the house needs to be repainted. Using Island Eco-Siding, no caulking of joints is required or painting.
Island Eco-Siding siding saves the cost of a rainscreen and the factory finish will last indefinitely. From an ecological standpoint, Island Eco-Siding has a 35% recycled content, is 100% recyclable and qualifies for Leeds points.
Irwin’s steel siding is our own product which we developed in 2008. We don’t advertise nationally and are just beginning to promote it locally, but this type of product has been used in other jurisdictions for many years.
