When you want the look of wood but not the headaches
fiber-cement siding is a great alternative.

Fiber Cement (FC) siding is relatively new in America but has been used for many years in
foreign countries.
FC gives you the durability and performance of concrete without sacrificing the natural
beauty of wood. This unique material provides high structural strength with good impact
resistance. It is the lasting exterior made to withstand extreme climate and weather
conditions.
Fiber cement is a mixture of cement, sand, cellulose, silica, and additives, which are
autoclaved (cured with pressurized steam) and molded into finished siding products. The
finished product is dimensionally stable making it very suitable for structural panel.
The manufacturers claim fiber cement won't burn, rot, or cup and is impervious to salt
spray, termites, woodpeckers, carpenter bees, and other pests.. Fiber-cement siding is
appropriate for hot and humid climates because it is resistant to rot, fungus, and termite
infestation is more durable than wood. FC holds paint for several years longer than
conventional wood siding and is warranted to last 50 years. In addition to its durable finish,
fiber cement surface is noncombustible-it will not burn and has a zero flame-spread index
and zero smoke development number.

Given the proper care, fiber-cement siding can give your home the look of wood with the
protection, low maintenance and lasting power of cement. FC siding is a practical and
beautiful choice for any exterior.

Oriented Strand Board (OSB) is a panel made with layers of precision-manufactured wood
"strands" that are aligned, formed into panels and pressed with an exterior grade adhesive
resin. The resulting engineered product is a high-quality, cost-effective panel for structural
building components that delivers exceptional performance providing uniformity, strength
and versatility. OSB is fully engineered for strength and durability. That means each panel
is specifically designed and tested to meet or exceed stringent quality standards. OSB
has proven to be an economical and competitive structural panel made from a completely
renewable resource -- small-diameter, fast-growing trees.
Since its debut in the marketplace in 1978, OSB has been rapidly accepted. In many areas
of North America, OSB has virtually replaced other panels in residential construction.
Today, all model building codes in the U.S. and Canada recognize OSB panels for the
same uses as plywood on a thickness-by-thickness basis. OSB, as a performance-based
structural use panel, is recognized by all the major U.S. model code agencies through the
adoption of DOC PS2-92 Wood-Based Structural Use Panels. OSB, certified to CSA 0325
and CSA 0437, is accepted in the National Building Code of Canada. OSB certified to EN
300 is recognized for structural use in Europe. In Japan, North American OSB is certified to
meet the JAS standard for structural panels.

The combination of Laminating Fiber Re-enforced Plastic to a structural component
produces one of the best materials technology has ever developed...and the possibly the
most versatile. In additional to its structural capabilities FRPL displays excellent
resistance to corrosive effects. Because FRPL has extremely low water absorption it
resists the destructive expansion of the freeze-thaw cycle of water it does not rust and
can provide long-term resistance to nearly every chemical and temperature environment.
Of particular benefit, is its ability to successfully withstand the normally destructive
effects of saltwater spray of the ocean.