Actually I have seriously considered building a home of light clay and may do so someday. Ideally we should not be building with materials that will not, when we are done with them, be able to return to components that existed in the environment before we intervened. Stone, wood, metal, even ceramic or concrete can eventually break down to ancestor substances. Many plastics will not. The ones I personally object to most vigorously are the vinyls and the styrofoam-related ones. On the other hand, plastics can do wonderful things that other materials simply cannot match. My personal code is that they should be used only when they are the best material, and not when they are merely the cheapest. But I do not make decisions for others, or even want to. You will note that I said what I would do, not what Larimie should do. (In fact, it is just now that I am noticing what an old thread this is. By now the decision has long since been made.) As always, each person must make his or her own decision. It is a wide world, and there is room for difference of opinion. Rosefolly

Let us assume that whatever you choose will be installed properly, to be weathertight. However, installation cost can be a factor whether it's for a topnotch mason or a crew that actually knows how to install Hardiboard. Do you want something that combines insulation with the exterior? Do you live in a wildfire-prone area, or want the benefits of good fire resistance? Is cost an over-riding factor? That means, does the wallet insist on the least expensive initial outlay, or can it afford a higher upfront cost in order to save down the road such as lower insurance rates for brick or fibre-cement or stucco; or lower heat/AC expenses due to insulative qualities. IMO, the cost of insulation should be included when comparing various exterior materials costs. This is the only way to fairly compare various types of SIPs to more conventional masonry or wood. While opinions and preferences vary as to which insulation is best, folks who live in highly insulated houses seem nearly unanimous in touting both the comfort and savings for heat and A/C. But I think one of the most important things is which 'look' appeals to you. What style is the house? Some styles call for clapboard (or planks of some material), and some look best in brick or stone or stucco, and others use a combination of materials. What appeals to me may not suit you. But if you question is, what did I choose and why did I choose what I chose, then I can tell you that the new house will have a stucco exterior. It's cottage style, which imo looks best in stucco. The location is quite rural and heavily wooded so fire is a definite concern ~~ the nearest fire dept is 12 miles away and has an average response time of 25 minutes to my locale. To me it seems better to build with highly-resistant material, not to mention savings on the cost of insurance. Notice I don't say fire-proof -- true fire-proof is way beyond my budget. But concrete walls and roof (with shutters for doors and windows) will go a long way to lessening the potential for catastrophic damage.

Have you already hired house painters? If so, does their company have a decorative finisher? (a lot either have one on staff or have someone they contract out to when needed). If not, depending on which finish you decide to go with it can be easy or slightly more complicated. Correctly applying a german smear takes more skill/talent than the internet would have you believe lol. I’d recommend finding a reputable decorative (faux) finisher in your area thats done an exterior in the past & has good references showing they know which materials to use and how to properly prep the surface. A white wash can be done a few ways: *Using regular house paint thats “watered down” using specialty glaze‘s which prevent the type of finish failure that using actual water would cause. *Distemper wash is both easy to apply & can be modified as the finish is worked on to achieve the look desired (either more or less color). Its made of natural slaked lime & has been used for centuries on exteriors throughout europe. The benefit of using a natural lime product are too many to list but the biggest are -permeability which allows the surface to breath (taking in & releasing moisture) -Limes has a high pH which prevents mold & mildew which is an important consideration for an exterior skirting.

I'm in the NE. We found one installer through the Everlast website (a larger firm that specializes in siding and roofing); however, as with most projects (at least at our house), it's not straightforward and we needed the gutters taken down (and re-installed) and fascia replaced, etc. and this big firm was not willing to do those details. So I found a local, experienced GC who has done similar work (it installs similar to vinyl) who was willing to do it (as well as the other work needed) and so far, so good. He did contact and work with the Everlast rep. We initiated about a year ago and our job just came up in his list about 2 weeks ago to start. So in that time, he said he's heard of more interest in Everlast. I don't know what's considered "budget" or not; I do know we were having trouble finding painters willing to deal with all the issues our old siding was having (and our last paint job was $$$ IMHO), and this will alleviate our having to do a painting rodeo every 8 years (again, just what our house was needing). Will the woodpeckers still peck holes in it? dunno. I do know it's not going to blister, peel, warp or crack. Knock on wood. Everlast does have a board and batten profile; the GC has commented he likes that it is not bendy at all (like vinyl) and each plank/board interlocks and there is no flex, cannot pull it away from the wall at all. So not sure if that's helpful for winds, etc.