LP Building Solutions uses engineered wood to create a portfolio of products that help professionals build smarter, better and faster. The innovations of engineered wood siding are relatively new. For instance, LP® SmartSide® Trim & Siding was introduced in 1997. Thanks to its advanced manufacturing process, it is one of the most durable siding solutions available. Sometimes people are skeptical of things that are really that good. So, let’s crush a few myths with engineered wood facts.
MYTH #1: Engineered Wood Siding is Not Real Wood
Engineered wood isn’t fake. It’s real wood. It starts with combining individual wood strands (primarily Aspen) with other materials to provide advanced durability. It’s a fact that LP SmartSide products are treated with the proprietary LP® SmartGuard® process, which helps keep out moisture and resist fungal decay for long-term durability and strength.
MYTH #2: Engineered Wood is Not Made of Sustainable Materials
LP SmartSide Trim & Siding products are made with wood, a renewable resource, grown and gathered under strict Sustainable Forestry Initiative® standards. These standards include responsible forestry practices that protect water quality, biodiversity and wildlife habitat. Products like vinyl and aluminum are made with non-renewable materials, consume additional energy to manufacture, and are not likely to decompose in a landfill.
MYTH #3: LP SmartSide Products are More Susceptible to Rotting than Fiber Cement
When reviewing LP SmartSide products versus fiber cement, many professionals prefer LP SmartSide products for a number of reasons. Not only can they be easier to install and offer a longer limited warranty, the durable engineered wood products are specially manufactured to help keep out moisture.
As mentioned, every LP SmartSide product is treated with the proprietary LP SmartGuard process, offering four elements of protection:
MYTH #4: LP SmartSide Products Do Not Comply with Strict Fire Codes
LP SmartSide siding in tandem with other building materials, including LP® FlameBlock® Fire-Rated Sheathing, has multiple California Fire Building Material Listings approved for use in Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) areas. To date the California Office of the State Fire Marshal has approved and listed multiple applications of LP’s products for use in WUI areas, proving that wood-based building materials can be part of a WUI-compliant solution. LP SmartSide siding helps meet California Fire WUI codes when paired with either gypsum board or LP FlameBlock Fire-Rated Sheathing with its proprietary Pyrotite® coating.
MYTH #5: LP Legacy® Premium Sub-Flooring is Not Water Resistant and Will Swell from Significant Water Contact
LP Legacy® Premium Sub-Flooring Panels are made from oriented strand board (OSB) and are packed with more strands, resin and wax than commodity OSB to provide exceptional resistance to moisture and edge swell. In fact, LP stands behind its premium sub-flooring and offers a unique Covered Until It’s Covered® No-Sand Warranty (no re-sanding after a deluge!) plus a Lifetime Limited Warranty that lasts as long as the home.
Want to learn more about LP’s entire portfolio of engineered wood innovations? Watch two professionals build an LP House and get tips from professionals by following @lp_pros.
With this guide, you can avoid these top mistakes and ensure LP WeatherLogic panels keep air and water out—and that they’re backed by the LP WeatherLogic 30-year limited warranty.
Continue ReadingThe initial conversations with new homebuyers generally focus on architectural style, price per square foot and aesthetic requirements (like the dream kitchen island!). Discussing the structural details that determine the value of your home often happen while poring over blueprints. Here are some tips for having a conversation with your clients to help them understand the importance of investing in the part of their home that’s never seen.
In this guide from LP® SmartSide® Trim & Siding, you’ll learn how to replace rotted siding on a house and how to repair rotted wood siding, depending on the severity of your client’s current siding’s damage. With these simple tips, you’ll be able to spot damage and recommend new products that will help your clients enjoy their home’s new exterior look.
When the build requires greater strength, look for an OSB roof and wall sheathing that is APA Structural I Rated Sheathing—also known as Struc I—for increased structural reliability. What is APA rated sheathing? This valuable designation is a “stamp of approval” that verifies the panels have passed APA’s manufacturing and performance standards.