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Did You Know? Engineered Wood is One of the Most Durable House Siding Options

At the turn of the twentieth century, a new product called fiber cement was introduced to the siding market as manufacturers sought to produce the most durable house siding possible. Early versions of the material combined sand, Portland cement and asbestos fibers for reinforcement. Decades later fiber cement began to be manufactured using wood fibers, and this is the material used today.


Engineered wood siding is a newer innovation first patented in 1965. Modern engineered wood is produced by combining treated wood fibers with binders, waxes and other ingredients. LP Building Solutions is the nation’s premier manufacturer of engineered wood trim and siding products, known to the market as LP® SmartSide® Trim & Siding. It’s designed from the inside out to be a more durable wood siding option than fiber cement, vinyl and other traditional wood siding options.

Tough Protection Against the Elements with Engineered Durable Wood

Its composition and advanced manufacturing process make LP SmartSide siding one of the most durable siding solutions available. The proprietary LP® SmartGuard® process treats every strand of wood with a carefully formulated mix of adhesive resins, water-resistant waxes and zinc borate. Next comes a water-resistant, resin-saturated overlay. Together, these treatments give LP SmartSide products protection from heavy rain, high humidity, extreme heat and cold, strong winds and freeze/thaw cycles.

Not only can LP SmartSide products stand up to the worst of Mother Nature, they are also more impact-resistant than fiber cement. In independent NASA testing, LP SmartSide engineered wood resisted impacts from baseballs, golf balls, river rock and marbles traveling at high speeds, while damage was sustained by fiber cement siding under similar conditions. Independent impact testing also showed that LP SmartSide siding demonstrated superior hail resistance to fiber cement siding. Even the most durable wood siding options can’t compare to engineered wood siding’s durability.

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Termites are No Match for LP® Engineered Wood

Due to the application of zinc borate during the SmartGuard process, LP SmartSide products are more than impact-resistant. They are also resistant to termites and fungal decay, which is important when choosing the most durable siding for a house. This durability has been proven with testing in the tropical rainforest of Hilo, Hawaii, home to thriving colonies of Formosan termites. Even after years of exposure, LP SmartSide samples remained structurally sound.

LP® SmartSide® Durable Engineered Wood Siding

You can be confident that your projects can enjoy lasting protection from the most extreme weather and damage from impacts when you install LP SmartSide Trim & Siding, one of the most durable siding options on the market. We offer a full line of exterior products, including lap siding, shakes, engineered wood panel siding, soffit board, and house fascia and trim. Find out where to buy LP SmartSide products, or call our Customer Care Center at (888) 820-0325 to schedule a product knowledge meeting with an LP representative.

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