Decisions about siding are among the most difficult for environmentally concerned designers and builders of homes. Siding must withstand all types of weather, look attractive both from a distance and up close, and be affordable to buy and install. But most traditional siding products are far from "green."

Composition siding products are environmentally attractive because they utilize low-grade or waste wood fiber (such as newsprint or sawdust), or strands of fast-growing wood mixed with binding agents and finishes. Although composition siding is resource-efficient relative to solid wood, some products in the past have demonstrated poor durability. Quality composition siding products, if durable, can be affordable green products.

FSC certified wood products are verified by the Forest Stewardship Council standards as the most rigorous and the only certification system with well-established chain-of-custody certification to ensure that products used were derived from certified forests.

Fiber-cement building materials earn green points for durability. Fiber-cement, the new generation of what was once an asbestos-containing material, is today made from portland cement, sand, clay, and wood fiber. Environmental concerns include the embodied energy of portland cement and the source of the wood fiber - some products use wood from such distant locations as New Zealand and Russia. Although the current generation of fiber-cement products isn't yet proven over the long haul, the material is quite stable, and products carry up to 50-year warranties. Most fiber-cement siding is available factory primed. It takes paint very well, and proper painting is important for long-term durability.