The Facts About Engineered Wood Siding

Myth vs. Truth

The Myth: Engineered wood will crack when impacted by hail. 

The Truth: LP^® SmartSide^® Trim & Siding is engineered to protect from hail damage so it can take a hit and keep looking good.

Protect Your Home Against Damage from Hail

Other siding materials such as vinyl, aluminum, fiber cement, or stucco may suffer from chips, cracks, dents, and even holes when subjected to hail. LP^® SmartSide^® siding can withstand impact from hail up to 1.75 inches in diameter at 80 mph. The facts speak for themselves: penny-sized (0.75 inches) or larger hailstones can cause damage to homes and property, which is why homeowners need to learn to recognize the signs of hail damage. 

How Does LP^® SmartSide^® Siding Protect Against Hail?

LP^® SmartSide^® siding is a great choice for homeowners looking for siding engineered to withstand damage from hail, thanks to its proprietary LP^® SmartGuard^® manufacturing process. This process ensures that every strand of wood is treated with a carefully formulated mix of resins, waxes, and zinc borate, and finished with an overlay to offer protection against many weather elements. 

Proven to Perform Against Hail

In third-party testing commissioned by LP Building Solutions in 2014, LP^® SmartSide^® lap siding resisted hail damage better than comparable fiber cement or vinyl siding.

• LP^® SmartSide^® siding showed no signs of impact when being struck by 1.75-inch hail at 80 mph.

• Fiber cement siding showed dents ranging from 0.082 inches to 0.201 inches deep after being struck by 1.75-inch hail at 74 mph.

• Vinyl siding was fractured by hail of just 1.25 inches at 57 mph.

Myth vs. Truth

The Myth: Engineered wood is susceptible to damage from moisture. 

The Truth: LP^® SmartSide^® Trim & Siding is engineered specifically to stand up to moisture.

Defend Against Problems Caused by Moisture

Moisture is considered the single most important weather element to threaten a home’s siding. Over time, humidity compromises the siding’s paint, which leads to substrate problems and internal moisture that damages the siding’s integrity. Every LP^® SmartSide^® product is treated with adhesive resins, water-resistant waxes, and zinc borate, helping protect against moisture intrusion from many weather elements.

How Does LP^® SmartSide^® Trim & Siding Protect Against Moisture?

LP^® SmartSide^® products are a great choice for homeowners in high-humidity regions, thanks to the proprietary LP^® SmartGuard^® manufacturing process. This process ensures that every strand of wood is treated with a carefully formulated mix of resins, waxes, and zinc borate, and finished with an overlay to offer protection against moisture.

Proven to Perform in Humid Environments

LP^® SmartSide^® Trim & Siding is engineered specifically to stand up to moisture, packed with our proprietary LP^® SmartGuard^® process: 

• Lasting Protection: Helps keep out moisture for long-term durability

• Performance in the Storm: Provides strength against many weather conditions

• Peace of Mind: Keeps siding structurally sound for years, so you can feel confident

Myth vs. Truth

The Myth: Engineered wood siding isn’t durable. The Truth: LP^® SmartSide^® Trim & Siding is engineered for advanced durability.

Engineered for Durability

You don’t need to be an expert to see the difference in durability. When pitting 'kid v. wall,’ LP SmartSide Trim & Siding outperformed fiber cement and vinyl, showing LP SmartSide Trim & Siding can endure even unexpected impacts that fall outside of the warranty

What Makes LP® SmartSide® Trim & Siding Durable?

The exceptional durability of LP^® SmartSide^® Trim & Siding is built on engineered wood strand technology and the LP^® SmartGuard^® manufacturing process. This allows our siding to withstand impacts from hail and damage from many other weather conditions.

Tried, Tested, and Proven to Perform

To help prove the superior durability of LP^® SmartSide^® siding, in 2013 LP Building Solutions asked the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to evaluate the impact damage resistance of both LP^® SmartSide^® siding and fiber cement siding. Here's a summary of some key findings.

• Golf Balls: A golf ball traveling at 63 miles per hour left no visible damage to LP^® SmartSide^® strand siding. A golf ball moving at less than 50 miles per hour left visible damage to the fiber cement. 

• Baseballs: LP^® SmartSide^® siding was hit by a baseball at 77 mph and showed no visible damage. A slower-moving baseball put a hole in fiber cement. 

• See It In Action: You can watch our video of the NASA evaluation on our YouTube channel.