Fiberon Wildwood Composite Cladding | 2022

Designer: FiberonUSA, Maumee, Ohio, USA

Manufacturer: FiberonUSA, Maumee, Ohio, USA

Fiberon Wildwood composite cladding brings performance and beauty to forward-thinking architectural designs, while utilizing materials that support important sustainability initiatives. Available in a variety of nature-inspired colors that feature realistic wood embossing patterns, Wildwood gives architects endless opportunities to explore their creativity. Wildwood is made from 94 percent mixed recycled wood fiber and plastic content that would otherwise likely be destined for landfills, incinerators, or oceans. About half of what’s in Wildwood comes from recycled wood—sawdust and leftover material that would otherwise be discarded. This saves more than 1 million trees from being cut down every year, which is about 15,000 football fields of healthy forests preserved annually. The other half of the core of our wood composite boards come from recycled plastic, including grocery bags and recycled packaging material.  

The average American family uses around 1,500 plastic bags each year, with each bag being used for an average of just 12 minutes. If not recycled, these plastic bags likely end up in landfills or the ocean, where they could remain for up to 1,000 years. But it’s this same resistance to decomposing that helps make Wildwood composite cladding last such a long time. As many as 2,000 plastic bags can be used in the manufacturing of a single board, averaging 100 million pounds of recycled plastic each year.  

In addition to sustainable materials, Fiberon emphasizes sustainable practices in the manufacturing process. All Fiberon plants use a closed-loop system to conserve water. These reservoirs store and recycle the same water every day, preventing billions of gallons of water—enough to fill 5,300 Olympic-size swimming pools—from ending up in the waste stream. 98.5% of the waste is reused from themanufacturing process, from misfit boards to router clippings.  

Unlike solid wood, the durable composite core of Wildwood ensures exceptional resistance to rotting, cracking, insects, and decay. The three-sided cap layer protects against fading and staining common with solid wood cladding, and it has a finished surface on both the top and bottom to further prevent water absorption—unlike wood and stone, Wildwood cladding deflects the water it encounters. Wildwood resists fading due to sun exposure and is not affected by freeze-thaw cycles. Additionally, the material never needs sanding, staining, or painting. Not only does this make it perfect for difficult-to-reach applications, but it also supports healthier ground-level air quality since it reduces the number of VOCs released from stains and paints.  

Wildwood features two globally inspired collections—Eden and Sahara—both of which feature on-trend color palettes. The Eden collection is inspired by lush, tropical forests and features an array of exotic hues including Mora, Wenge, Meranti, Koa, and Tupelo. The Sahara collection draws inspiration from arid, sandy landscapes and includes rich desert tones like Mulga, Sumac, Palo, and Bamboo. The product features an open joint profile and is available in a variety of board lengths and widths for added design flexibility. Wildwood composite cladding is perfect for architects who want a long-lasting, maintenance-free, more sustainable alternative to traditional wood cladding, offering a solution for projects that require the beauty of wood with long-term warranted performance.