I absolutely love working with Western Red Cedar siding, but have just about given it up for environmental reasons (I’m on the East coast and the product gets shipped from the Northwest), and it is costly. I tried fiber cement siding, and found it to be heavy, dusty and slow to cut with a saw, slow to cut with shears, prone to fracture around technical cuts, and just generally unlikeable. Now I’m thinking of trying Louisiana Pacific’s SmartSide, which is treated, engineered wood lap siding. My lumber yard quoted me a price 13-cents per square foot higher than fiber-cement. But, the SmartSide comes in 16-foot lengths vs. 12-foot for fiber-cement. So the SmartSide will cover faster and show fewer seams, and the wood is definitely easier to work with than fiber-cement, so I think the installation time will be a good bit less, thus over-coming the slight difference in price. Has anyone tried the LP SmartSide? Any comments? Thanks, Andy Lee
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Replies
I havent tried it but remember ; fiber cement has a masonary veneer rating for the insurance company. It will pay for it self easily. The wood siding will cost you frame home price , or the percentage it is thats covered. A lot of difference since 911s increase. Check with your agent about the difference.
You cant get cheaper than that,
Tim Mooney
Is this LP siding a composite, or what?
Jim , its a wafer board product , thats primed [looks like masonite ], they have different styles of siding . Also they have 1 by dimensions for trim to match it. Comes with a warranty. Pretty stable product as fas as ;straight, no shrinkage, covers well with paint , and holds paint like masonite. A little pricey for a blandex product.
Only thing wrong with it is the fire rating.
Tim Mooney
HI, Tim-
I thought that the new LP 'smart' siding was just an improved version of the class action-OSB style-mushroom-growing stuff that weathered so poorly here in the Great Northwest.
Ken Hill
I am in that class action. That is why the word "Masonite" worries me.
SJ
Know a little about alot and alot about little.
My grandfather was a masonite.
:o) Ken Hill
Did he swell when it rains?
SJ
Know a little about alot and alot about little.
Why would a Menonite swell when it rains?
Only if he were made of Masonite......the old Masonite.
SJ
Know a little about alot and alot about little.
Thats another point to consider Ken . I know that I feel good about cement fiber being close to floor concrete. [such as the driveway , or garage entrance, porches , roofs, etc. I dont think I would feel good about blandex , especially at a higher price. The insurace alone is the deciding factor for me. Im saving 200 dollars a year on a 1100 sq ft rental house. House appraised at [rural Arkansas]$ 67'500. You guys would save a lot more than that because of the higher appraisal.
Tim Mooney