LP Smart Side Siding & 1 x 4 Pre Primed Trim Boards do they really last 50 years ??
How do they know when it hasn’t been out that long ?
Thinking of using it on a small barn but 5/8′ T1-11 sounds beefer than 3/8″ Smart side. 3/8″ is all they stock around here inless you order a bunch.
Veneered wall paneling is popular for its clean style, but it's a surprisingly complex trim carpentry job to do well.
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Replies
I re-sided my whole house with 3/8 thick 8" lap Smartside and trimmed everything with their trim products.
I have the same Q as you about the 50 yr claims--obviously they are projecting what its lifespan will be based on tests and (probably) on playing the numbers: the warranty extends only to the original purchaser and his buyer. Since the average American stays in the same house only about 5 yrs, the majority of installations would have to last only about 10 yrs for LP to be out from under their warranty obligation, and the few claims that they might have to pay out would come out of the profit on the many sales where they pay nothing, even if the product should fail.
Sounds cynical? Well, I bought into it anyway, because of the recommendations of a high-end builder I trust who's used Smartside, and I did a little unscientific test of my own: I dropped a cutoff piece into a bucket of water and left it there for over a month with no sign of de-lamination. It had no protection other than the factory-applied primer.
T1-11 sheets would give you more structural strength, but you can also buy Smartside 4 x 8 panels in various thicknesses, and they make full line of trim, soffit and fascia.
The Smartside lap siding is easy to work with, and you can lift a 16' length of it in the middle with no risk of it's breaking, unlike Hardie planks.
Thanks Rdesigns
Thanks for the reply... I really like your way of testing.
Part of this small barn is already done with T1-11, replacing the front panels all decayed.(not painted under trim) also building new doors. I'm thinking since Smart Side has to be painted, as the T1-11 I'll go with whats already on the other sides of the building that way they all look the same. 4" centers on the T1-11 & Smart Side has 8". But who knows I could use the Smart Side maybe it won't decay like the T1-11 did. For yoursake I hope not.
Can you buy the trim at the big box stores Home Depot & Lowes?
Can you buy the trim at the big box stores Home Depot & Lowes?
Not at ours--I checked, but HD had only some of the 3/8" 4 x 8 panels, and their distribution center had no access to trim or much else.
I bought mine at Lansing Corp. Supply.
Thanks to all
I stand corrected sounds like Smart Side panels are the right way to go, even though I can only get 3/8". Unless someone knows where I can buy just few panels of the 19/32" . "Where's the beef"
Never heard of Lansing Corp. Supply, Don't soppose thats any where around Grand Blanc MI. near the big city of flint.
Again thanks to all... its nice to share info with others who have been there & back !!!!
More on Smart Side Siding
For all who think smart side won't decay... Check out this site http://www.siding4u.com/failing-siding-help.php
i dont think anyone is saying that smart siding wont decay, all wood siding and composite siding products will decay if they are not maintained, composite siding products are lower end budget materials and will rapidly decay if not kept painted, it is water that works it way into the siding through voids that causes it to decay-the link you posted concerned the older lp sidings which for the most part were masonite, there were class action law suits in the past that have already been settled concerning these products, smart siding is a newer version of composite composite and it is more weather resistant then the masonite sidings
with siding, you get what you pay for, but even if you use solid wood siding instead of a composite, it will still rot in certain parts of the country if it is not kept painted and sealed from the weather
i have a customer who has had the older masonite siding on his house for the last 20 years and it is in perfect shape, but he paints it every few years
http://www.sidingsolutions.com/pages/classtat.htm
LP sidings were never "masonite". Only Masonite sidings were "masonite", and both companies have produced a wide variety of composite sidings, with widely varying characteristics.
We've had Masonite "Woodsman" tempered composite siding on our house for 20 years, painted it once since it was installed, and it's still in perfect condition. Wood wouldn't come close to that performance. Before that we had some other brand on the house, and it was going punk in ten years. (But a non-trivial amount of the blame goes to the Olympic "Overcoat" flat latex paint that was popular when our house was built -- it pretty much let water go straight through.)
smart siding
Straight from the posted web site... http://www.siding4u.com/failing-siding-help.phd What about Smart Lap®, Smart Side® siding and Smart Panel® siding?
Our Opinion: We DO NOT advise installing this stuff, PERIOD!
If you want this stuff installed there are plenty of companies that will install it for you.
Due to LP Corp., their lawyers and our legal system - we CAN NOT say anything other than our OPINION - even then we have to be very carefull. You will have to fill in the blanks.
* Smart Lap®, Smart Side®, LP® and Smart Panel® are registered trademarks of the Louisiana Pacific Corporation
Sorry If I touched any nerves. Probably holds up differrent in differrent parts of the country. (climate wise)
It's the blessing and the curse of the Internet -- you can find sites that praise or condemn just about anything. Hard to tell which are truely representative and which are oddball cases, made-up stories due to bad blood (or pure competition), or whatever.
same
Good thought, didn't think of that... good,bad & ugly to everything.
Close to 20 years ago we resided our house with a product that closely resembles SmartSide, and used some similar stuff (PrimeTrim) for the fascias. I do not regret that decision at all -- it's performed very well and still looks great.
But of course the devil is in the details. I was obsessive about priming/painting cut edges, careful caulking, etc. And we used tin joints and corners, to eliminate any chance of failure there.
t1-11 is not a good product to use
smart siding is more weather resistant then t1-11, t1-11 has a lot of voids which let water in and causes it to delaminate, also unless you paint the bottom of the sheets and keep them painted, the bottom of the panels will rot
i have some smart siding on a shed in my back yard that i never painted and 12 years later it is in good shape, i have some t1-11 on a garage on a rent house i replaced two years ago and primed and painted and it is already starting to show signs of problems