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Engineered Wood Siding vs. Fiber Cement Siding

While both fiber cement and engineered wood siding offer great aesthetic value to homeowners and require little maintenance, engineered wood is the more durable choice. Engineered wood, such as LP® SmartSide® Trim & Siding, is also much easier to install and comes with a much longer warranty.

What Is the Best Option for Your Needs?

Choosing the right siding material—and in this case evaluating fiber cement vs. engineered wood siding—can be a daunting task. And while certain universal criteria apply, the final decision should always be informed by the homeowners’ individual considerations, such as aesthetic value, neighborhood codes, weather-related threats or even geographical locations. Read on to find out how these substrates compare in some key areas.
fiber cement siding
Fiber cement is an exterior home building material consisting of sand, cement and cellulose fibers. Fiber cement can offer the look of painted wood clapboards, shingles, even stone or brick—but it lacks the industry-leading durability offered by engineered wood siding such as LP SmartSide Trim & Siding.
SmartSide siding
Engineered wood siding exterior is a manufactured siding that is made up of composite wood materials. Composite wood siding is mixed with different fibers and strands of various woods to create a durable and cheaper to install finished product.

Compare Fiber Cement & Engineered Wood Siding

Is fiber cement siding better than wood? Let’s see how fiber cement and engineered wood siding compare in some key areas:

Efficiency

man holding board

LP SmartSide Trim & Siding is less prone to breakage, making it easier to transport on a jobsite. It can also be installed by one person.

Durability

LP SmartSide Trim & Siding is built to last. It can withstand wind gusts up to 200 mph and comes with a 50-year limited warranty compared to the industry standard of only 30-year warranties. LP SmartSide products’ warranty is 67% longer than the industry standard.

Price

smiling man

Engineered wood may be less expensive than fiber cement siding.

Composition

yellow siding

Fiber cement begins as a mixture that includes wood fiber and Portland cement, while engineered wood uses treated wood strands combined with waxes, zinc borate and advanced binders for strength and durability.

Installation

nail gun

Engineered wood cuts like real wood, accepts nails and screws, and only requires ordinary woodworking tools for siding installation. By contrast, fiber cement may require specialized tools to cut and is more likely to break or crack, resulting in more material waste.

Length

man carrying long boards

Fiber cement lap boards come in 12-foot lengths, while engineered wood can be manufactured up to 16-foot lengths. The extra length may make engineered wood faster to install and allows for fewer seams.

How Durable is LP SmartSide Siding?

LP SmartSide Trim & Siding is the most durable siding material on the market—but you don’t have to take our word for it! Here are a few entertaining tests we’ve subjected our siding to in order to prove that it can stand up to a variety of challenges the world can throw at it.

Head-to-Head: LP® SmartSide® vs. Fiber Cement

Is Your Siding Tough Enough? LP® SmartSide® Siding vs. Baseballs

Four Components of Protection

LP SmartSide siding is a more durable material than fiber cement because of its proprietary 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 complete protection against extreme heat, moisture, termites, and fungal decay.

This naturally derived additive helps engineered wood resist damage from termites and fungal decay.
Engineered wood stands up to impact and survives freeze/thaw cycles due to resins that offer incredible strength.
Designed to resist moisture, waxes coat each strand to offer enhanced durability in humid environments.
This final element of protection resists moisture intrusion, providing a durable base for a finished look.
Replay

Featured Content

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Product Literature
With less durable siding, unsightly damage can happen merely from everyday bumps and exposure to the elements. LP® SmartSide® products combine…
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Blog Article
Do you currently use fiber cement for your siding projects? We know that old habits can be hard to break. However, by not learning about all your…

Check out LP SmartSide product literature on engineered wood vs. fiber cement siding.

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