What is your experience with flat roofs and roof membranes?

A: Great question! Affordability is an important criterion for the judges. In the application guidance document, we state, “Provide an Indication of affordability. How does this product price in comparison to similar solutions in the marketplace?” Affordability considerations include first costs, labor, maintenance, efficiencies (reduced energy or water use, etc.). A description that touches on these elements would be helpful. For example, a partial description might read, “The first costs of the product are 10% higher than alternative options, but installation requires no heavy equipment and less labor and therefore, the total cost should be equivalent to 20% less than the current technology” (whatever the case may be). We do not expect you to conduct a formal competitive analysis.

A: Please create a video or slideshow that does not exceed 3 minutes in length. If you choose to make a slideshow, the number of slides is flexible, but you should narrate the presentation and ensure it stays within the time limit. Videos and slideshows should be posted on YouTube per the application instructions.

Videos and slideshows will be used by the judges, and all of the finalists will be posted online for others to learn about the products and stories.

A: Yes! We currently have participants registered from more than ten countries.

We currently do not use stucco on any of our projects. It has been reviewed, but currently is not in our list of products we build with.

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American Institute of Architects. (Date Unknown). Considerations in Selecting Siding Materials. Retrieved from http://www.aiacbcgreen.org/siding.php

Endo-Online. (Date Unknown). PVC and Me. Retrieved from http://www.endometriosisassn.org/pvc.html

Los Alamos National Laboratory. (2002). Los Alamos National Laboratory Sustainable Design Guide. Retrieved from http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/commercial_initiative/sustainable_guide_ch6.pdf

Wilson, A., & Malin, N. (1997). Residential Siding Options, Environmental Building News, 6(7). Retrieved from http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/1997/7/1/Residential-Siding-Options/

Wood, the traditional siding, requires relatively frequent repainting. Paints contain a variety of harmful chemicals, so minimizing their use is optimal. Wood often comes from unsustainable logging operations, though it is possible to find siding made from salvaged wood or from trees grown in sustainably managed forests.

Vinyl siding is made from PVC. While the siding is very durable and low-maintenance, manufacturing and disposing of PVC can release highly carcinogenic dioxins.

Fiber-cement siding is very durable and low-maintenance, but it requires a lot of energy to manufacture (mostly because of the cement content and because the wood fibers are often imported). Its impressive durability does help offset some of the embodied energy in its production.

Hardboard siding is made from scraps from small trees, which lessens its materials impact. However, the scraps are held together with a binder that usually contains formaldehyde. It also needs to be repainted periodically, as wood siding does.

So which to choose? I encourage readers to share which siding option you’ve chosen and why. Which characteristics do you find most important? Have you found any compelling products that circumvent the common problems above?

A: Yes. Chemicals on our Banned Lists are not allowed. You can find the lists here: http://c2ccertified.org/images/uploads/C2CCertified_Banned_Lists_V3_121113.pdf