CountryPlans Forum

I specify Hardie cement fiber as it is the only easy to find brand around here.

This is for a high desert dry climate; called a mixed-dry climate. Annual precipitation average is 8.5 inches. Rainiest month is August at almost 2" average.
Temperatures:
Summer - 91 degrees / 62 degrees
Spring - 70 degrees / 40 degrees
Fall - 71 degrees / 43 degrees
Winter - 49 degrees / 23 degrees

I like the Hardie product; it's on the cabin. I don't like cutting it, but I only have to do that once (if I measure carefully). It should last a long long time as long as nobody attacks the house with a sledge hammer.

The LP Smartside is lighter weight; I like that since it will be hung on / nailed to furring strips over rigid foam sheets, over the OSB. Furring strips attached to the studs with structural grade screws.

High quality paint stands up to the sun very well. We have had no issues with any of the existing painted materials (composition fascia boards, soffits, trim and real wood timber posts and beams). Hardly any paint peeling has occurred over the last 27 years. There are actually areas (trim and soffit mainly) that have the original 27 year old paint.  :o 

No experience with Smartside but I checked into it when doing my house. My building supplier suggested it to me (whose opinion I trust). Said when they got their first order in he took one look at the material and told them to get that junk out of the store. But he gave it a shot and has been very impressed with it, no failures and holds paint well. He said they sell a lot of it. Comes in longer lengths than Hardie, is lighter, easier to handle, and cuts with regular tools.

One things that's apparently very important with it is to leave a 3/16" gap (check on that distance for sure) between end butted boards for expansion. This happens to be the thickness of the thick part of a speed square. I heard the LP rep in the store talking to my supplier the other day, talking about just this thing. He said nearly all the failures they're seeing is from people not leaving this gap. Of course this was the sales rep talking so I don't know how accurate that really is.  Sounds like now when you buy their siding they give you a speed square to use for setting the gap.

Alan

Thanks Alan. LP, like hardie, has detailed installation instructions available for their products online. The 3/16" is listed as a minimum. Lots of other info too.

When I was planning on using the Hardie I read and re-read their instructions and made specific notes to help in following them all.    Still pondering the choice.

I vote LP because my buddy that owns the lumber yard likes it.  Better price, lighter and LP has strong bonds to his store.  After talking to him if we build anything this year most likely will be 'speced' with LP Smartside.   

I just installed LP SmartSide on my place last year and it was easy to install and paint. I too was skeptical when I saw that it was a fibre-strand board, but so far I am pleased with the results. I was recommended it by the local building-supply company. They gave me so much other good advice that I took their word on it. They have been installing it on most of the houses they build too.
Just be warned that there are 2 variations of SmartSide. One is a fiber board (looks like hard board) and the other is a strand board which looks like OSB on the back. I much prefer the OSB-looking board and used it for the lap siding on my place. The SmartSide Cedar Shakes I used were the made of the hardboard-like material.

I installed Hardie plank on a small shed on my property and found it OK to work with. I did find that moving the boards is difficult my one-self and they are prone to crack/break a lot more than SmartSide, epsecially if you are working alone. Hardie is a two person job in my opinion. It was this prior small project that helped me decide to go with LP SmartSide.

I've never knowingly looked at a house with LP and have always wondered how those 3/16" gaps look over time. I believe they sell color matched caulk to fill them as well as some sort of trim piece that bridges the gap. Just curious what those of you who have used it think.

Alan

I have to re=read the info, but Hardie also specs a gap at the end. They say to caulk the gap. Caulk that stays resilient.


Note: there are handy tools available for solo installers of both type. I installed every piece of 12" wide Hardie on our cabin by myself using an adjustable hanger helper called Solo Sider. There are others too I believe. Never broke a piece, not even a full 12 foot length.  I have the ones that work with the Hardie thickness material. There are also ones for the thicker LP material. I think they were on eBay.

An excellent article from Fine Homebuilding on this topic
http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/tips/installing-fiber-cement-siding-solo.aspx