Choose Siding:LP® SmartSide® vs. James Hardie®
When a homeowner is contemplating composite siding, one of the most frequently asked questions we are presented with from our siding installation clients is the difference between LP® SmartSide® and James Hardie®. Below, we’ve compiled a history on each siding product along with the advantages and disadvantages of each. We’re hopeful this will be helpful to you when it comes to choosing siding for your next home improvement project.
James Hardie® Siding
Pre -1990 maintenance-free siding products, such as aluminum, steel and vinyl dominated the home improvement marketplace. Starting around 2000, more homeowners were choosing siding that was paintable-engineered to differentiate their home from the traditional options. James Hardie® siding dominated the marketplace during this time and composite siding boards became the product of choice for millions of homeowners. One of the most appealing features of the James Hardie® siding product was its ability to stand up to adverse weather, such as hail unlike its vinyl counterparts, and the ability to apply a fresh coat of paint to change the whole look of the exterior of your home making it look brand new again.
The Rise Of the James Hardie® Fiber Cement Siding Era
James Hardie® siding came on the home improvement scene in the 90’s with their “fiber cement” siding product. They dominated the marketplace in neighborhoods because of their proprietary rights of a Hardie covenant in areas across the US. It seemed to have everything, allowing homeowners to have the siding installed pre-primed to paint in whatever color they preferred, or pre-finished in one of the traditional James Hardie® siding colors. James Hardie® dominated market share because their name was now being used as the universal term for any fiber cement siding product during this era with little competition and consumers were raving about their siding product.
James Hardie® Siding Installation & Product Improvements
James Hardie® did have a hard go for a while with certain warranty issues pertaining to delamination in high moisture areas resulting from inaccurate installation of their house siding product. To combat this issue, they re-formulated their siding product, specifically for northern climates like us, which has seemed to improve the overall performance of this product.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of James Hardie® Siding:
- Non-combustible, ASTM-rated for fire protection
- Large brand recognition in the marketplace
- If installed properly, it is insect proof
- Offers a variety of pre-painted colors
- Much heavier product requiring two or more workers to install which can increase labor costs
- Can be difficult to work with due to silica dust plumes caused by cutting the product
LP® SmartSide®
LP® (Louisiana Pacific) SmartSide® arrived in the marketplace in the late 90’s. Just like their competitor James Hardie®, they had a hard go right out of the gates with an issue with their OSB (Orientated Strand Board) house siding product that was plagued with rot and swelling issues, but they totally redeemed themselves! After applying a process of coating their wood flakes in zinc borate, before pressing the product into boards, resulting in more than 7 billion, yes I just said 7 billion square feet of LP® SmartSide® siding being sold over the last 17 years.
Advantages And Disadvantages of LP® Smart Siding:
- Can be installed 1” from where the roofline meets a wall (James Hardie® requires a 2” gap to maintain proper warranty specifications)
- It will bead up with water, instead of absorbing it like Hardie
- Unbeatable superior moisture protection and strength
- Longer lengths of 16’ vs. James Hardie®’s 12’
- 39% lighter
- More impact resistant
- Does not break when being carried or moved on a job site
- Hammer marks don’t show up as easily and no special blades or equipment are required
- Less dust than fiber cement
- Is comprised of a wood base leaving it more vulnerable to fire
