Here in Norway we use pressure treated pine siding. It’s milled on all four sides, so it overlaps nicely. We also install them on vertical 1x2 battens, to provide ventilation behind the siding so it dries out properly.
The LP Smart Siding doesn’t get the greatest reviews on some sites. I’m starting to believe you guys hype anything you get for free even if it’s good or not. I really think it hurts your credibility a great deal. I think it’s absolutely mandatory that you mention the fact that you don’t pay for the products you promote so highly. LP Siding gets terrible reviews for water damage and the warranty doesn’t cover the damage in the states where it rains the most. Imagine that.
We just finished siding a tiny house with fiber cement board. The non-profit we helped with this project gets a break on their insurance due to fiber cement being fireproof. You'd think that would be a MAJOR plus in your area due to the abundant vegetation. I can't stand installing fiber cement due to the dust in cutting, brittleness, weight, etc., but it does have it's place.
It's not fireproof, it's non-combustible. I don't know about the specific fire properties of fiber cement board, but if it's anything like regular concrete it will degrade during fire conditions, as well as in the cooling phase, becoming more brittle, having reduced strength and potentially undergoing explosive spalling from the release of chemically bound water. Probably still better than regular wood siding, but I can think of wood products that i think would be better such as Shou Sugi Ban siding.
You used the broken end of the hardiplank to show it absorb moisture, cut a piece of the LP siding, put the cut end in water and see if it wicks to be a fair comparison.
@@stewiesaidthat You are also supposed to seal the cut ends of Hardiplank, which they did not do. This gave the appearance that fiber cement siding just readily absorbs moisture. I just do not believe an OSB product can have the longevity of a fiber concrete product. Another drawback of LP is the 3/16 gaps they spec. for expansion at joints and trim, that much caulking has got to be a failure point over time.
Excellent piece boys. I installed Hardie siding on my house. Pro's: Insect, fire & hail resistant. Easy to paint Dead straight on all dimensions Comes in various widths & textures: smooth or woodgrain Can be ordered pre-painted & or primed on the back as well. Doesn't require a forest of trees to make. >> Cons: Like you mentioned: Heavy, dusty, brittle & requires special tools & equipment to cut install & protect your lungs. >> One of the best things about this product is that you can easily paint it again & again & it never peels. Vinyl siding fades like crazy, so when it does, you have to either leave it or paint it, which doesn't work well. Not a fun material to install, but I'm glad I did.
Of the choices shown I have to go with solid cedar claps, pre-primed, then oil primed on cut ends. Two coats of really good paint. To prevent short, under window pieces a story board angled. But my favorite is cedar shakes and even better from a fun to install siding-- cedar hand splits. They aren't the cheapest but the most satisfying from a carpenter's perspective. All done with the production end of building. I'm in it for the art of the trade.
I started out in carpentry working for a siding installer on new housing. At the time aluminum siding was pretty much the standard (yes, I'm THAT old)! Eventually having my own crew I was given the task of being the first in my area to install fiber cement siding. Being a brand new product at the time the supplier had me use standard carbide tooth framing blades to cut the siding and "Maze" nails to attach it to the walls. (double dipped galvanized nails) the type used for installing cedar siding. I would get 1 or 2 days use out of a blade before they were ruined and hand nailing would generally take 2 or 3 nails just to get through the boards. I asked about pre-drilling and was told it would void the warranty. Needless to say the job took forever and I never wanted to see the stuff again! Another great, informative video. I've always felt that you never stop learning and I think you guys do a great job of explaining to everyone how things work and how to do things well. Keep up the good work!
I am installing the cement siding on my house. I found that the blades last a very long time when you use a cordless saw. The cordless saw runs at a much lower rpm than a corded saw which also creating less dust. I have had zero issues installing with a nail gun. Every nail goes right in and I have had almost zero cracks in the boards or blowouts from over penetration (1 each in 43 pieces).
@@chet174able yes, those make it much faster, cleaner and easier to work with fiber cement. I wish they were an option back then, I would have a much different opinion of it for sure.
I like these type of vids. As someone who is buying their first house within the next 6 months and needing to renovate parts of it myself, I like having this type of expert knowledge.
Just a friendly observation and a question. Matt Risinger (a high quality builder in Austin TX who also has a RUclips channel) has done some comparisons of siding options. He comes down on the exact opposite side of the debate between fiber cement and LP SmartSide. Here are two issues that I think PBB is not fully considering (I say this with respect and not to nitpick...I love your channel). First, SmartSide is relatively new, and it is a wood-based product. The track record for this product is fairly short at the moment. It is not obvious that the performance of a wood-based product will be as good as a fiber cement product (or even close to it). Building science comes down firmly on the side of fiber cement lasting much longer than a wood-based product (and there is literally no disagreement about it). Second, any homeowner I know will opt for slightly higher installation cost to get (1) greater durability, (2) a longer track record of proven performance, and (3) better life-cycle performance. What I mean by life-cycle performance is that fiber cement runs almost no risk of needing replacement for the life of a home, while SmartSide almost definitely runs the risk of needing replacement during the life of a home. Although it will be tempting to agree with this post by saying "all true" but the cost is greater for fiber cement than SmartSide, the question is "how much greater?" So, maybe a "concrete" answer to this question is possible. On the Nantahala Retreat, what did you price out for siding using SmartSide (labor and materials) and what would you have priced out for using fiber cement (labor and materials) (setting aside the sponsoring arrangement from LP)? Thanks for considering this question!
I’ve had spruce clapboard on my dads house for nearly 30 years. We do paint every 8 -10 years or so but the siding is still in good condition except where it was touching a poorly installed deck. Fibre board , when it starts to flake, has to be replaced.
SmartSide has been around for 20+ years, without major issues. I've used both products, and prefer SmartSide for the ease of install. The key though for either is to install it according to the manufacturers guidlines. Do that and both products will last a long time
@@johnnydekalb I know that the corporate media and the company's literature say 20+ years, but that leaves a false impression. It started to become used somewhat widely in different climates in more recent years (within the past 5-7 years, maybe less). This is an important point because a product's performance profile is only truly discovered after it is used on a large scale in different climates over a significant number of years. I think everyone agrees that installation is easier. If ease of installation is the primary factor, LP SmartSide is the hands down winner. Homeowners probably care more about product performance than what makes a builder happy, which is one of the points of my post.
Up here in the Pacific Northwest we're using fiber-cement a lot. We've been having a lot of fires during the summers, as we build into the hills more and more fiber cement siding is being installed
In Australia wooden siding & vinyl of any sort would not meet local codes for what's known as Bushfire Attack Level (BAL). Might get approval for residential but I suspect the insurance premiums & extra building costs would be cost prohibitive. In one of their videos they can see a fire on a nearby mountain so they obviously occur in the area they work in & I imagine fire resistance systems, especially for remote homes will eventually be part of their local building code
The tide of this comments section illustrates the classic problem of sponsored videos. Build a channel on good content, build rapport with audience, try to figure out how to take $ without alienating the audience. Suggestions: play long game, don't take money, keep your dignity, it will pay off eventually (Andrew Camarata). Only sponsor a really good product you don't have to make excuses for (that water "test" was rigged). Only sponsor stuff outside the building realm (Keeps, Athletic Greens, etc...) That being said, love the channel.
Well I agree with you on everything except the « sponsors outside building » part. A lot of companies sponsoring RUclips are selling shitty stuff that is useless (Keeps is a good example). The point is to accept sponsporing from companies selling good, useful products ; not necessarely to get a sponsorship from companies outside construction.
They didn't want it to sound like an infomercial, but it was. They know damn well that you have to coat the cut end of the cement board before installing.
Here in the Faroe Islands, the most popular choice is 22mm pressure treated fir for our siding. I have seen OSB siding, like the smart siding kind, but that gets soaking wet with all the rain we have here. So the pressure treated fir is probably the safest and cheapest siding you can have here, it also withstands the many hurricanes and heavy storms we have.
Found you guy’s on You Tube looking at LP siding for a small house project since then can’t stop watching your videos!! I was laid up with Covid over the holidays and binged watched the farm house build . Jealous of you guy !!! Keep up the good work !!!!
Used LP Smart Siding on my cabin here in Alaska. I'm 60 and NOT planning on ANY painting during retirement! Looks beautiful and maintenance free. Nice siding, looks great and I've received many compliments on it.
Sure do love you guys. Only just found your channel about 2-3 weeks ago and have made my way through a BUNCH! I shutter to tell you exactly how many, but I am up to speed on Jamie's injury as well. You guys are so fun to watch, I love the vibe. Thanks for being here and doing what you do.
Fiber cement for longest life, never warps or rots, CAN NOT BURN!!!! Holds paint well, easy to install when using the Gecko hangers. Cuts like butter with a cordless saw and an air nail gun gets the job done quickly with no issues. I'm about halfway through doing it on my house.
Cedar shingles, laid over an air gap mesh. Expensive, labor intensive, lasts a long time, and is absolutely glorious! Friends don’t let friends install vinyl. Nice video.
This is interesting because where I am, people pretty much use vinyl exclusively unless they're upgrading to something like brick or stone. I've never seen lap siding of any type used here. The options presented to me by my builder are pretty much summed up by, "what kind of vinyl do you want?".
to prevent that blowout on the vinyl siding when it is cold out...turn the blade around in the saw. Works a treat and no more blowouts. Works well with aluminum soffit as well
I used a plywood blade installed in reverse for all vinyl siding. I wish now that I had used hearing protection as I definitely harmed my hearing. There are certain high pitched sounds that I can't hear at all as a result.
Vinyl siding cuts well with a regular carbide blade if you flip the blade around backwards. Smart siding is by far my favorite option for the price and durability. Just used their t1-11 style 4x8 panels on our off-grid cabin here in Hawai'i. We get tons of rain here so the Smart Side water and mildew resistance is a huge advantage!
I don't care what Jason says, Eric's beard is looking great! You guys are my go to for videos and I look forward to your content. Jason, love ya brother.
You are correct in saying you can pressure wash vinyl siding. However it is not recommended by manufacturers as you will destroy the UV protection sprayed on the exterior side. Also vinyl siding is not waterproof and pressure washers will blast water behind the siding.
40 years ago my brother and I replaced About 60 sq ft of wood siding with OSB on our parents house. We just bought a few 4x8 sheets, ripped them, installed and painted them. Well I ended up inheriting the house and just replaced it last summer. Now that was OSB from 40 yrs ago. I am considering residing the entire house and am liking the LP best so far. Good video and nice to hear it is different than OSB.
I work for a builder here in Ontario, mostly we use vinyl for the cost. It's what I prefer to use and the only thing I'd use if I was to build my own house. I'll admit that I've never used smartside lap siding, but I've used the smartside sheets, if you don't treat the edge and it finds moisture it turns to mush. Likewise with fiber cement siding, in fact the brand we used voids your warranty if you don't paint every edge, so one person comes and cuts one hole without painting the edge, and it can void your warranty. And talk about fragile. To me vinyl is just cheap, simple, easily fixed and maintenance free, it also isn't whatsoever affected by water. All things that I care about
Around here .. Eastern Canada. Vinyl is still fairly common on older houses but generally larger cities have limited it's use because it looks so cheap - it takes away from the urban quality of a lot of neighborhoods. For the most part it's reserved for the sides and rear of the house. Our 'affordable' wood siding products like Maibec/Cape cod style siding are already profiled from the mill and painted. Very rarely do I see houses being painted on site. Like the LP smart side, manufacturers give you a bit of touch up paint for ends/cuts. It was funny to me when I started watching your video that you have to calculate the lap of the siding because here, even on a traditional looking profile lap, there is a lip and the siding just butts up to the next piece with no need to figure out the exact spacing. Cool to see the regional differences! Love the videos, very informative. Thanks!
I priced out LP smartside vs Hardiboard (fiber cement) and the hardy panels were significantly cheaper per sqft (Denver foothills, different region than you guys). I agree the fiber cement board is much harder to nail, which is why we went with sheets+battons vs traditional boards. How is the fire resistance of the LP smartside vs cement board? That was another deciding factor for us, wildfire risk is crazy here.
My last house has insulated vinyl siding that I had installed. It cut noise and made the home more efficient, and it was a lot more durable and sturdy (thicker) than the thin vinyl siding on my current home. There was no fading in the 10 years I had it on the house.
Smart side says to avoid lawn sprinklers in the instructions and also is not sold in damp humid areas. Also hardie board at least has a flame retardant factor as a posed to lip.
Great points. Cons of the LP. Not fire rated and not termite proof. Now you know why they are sponsored by LP. Wasn’t talked about in the video, A good product but definitely wasn’t mentioned.
I think the Hardy board is fire resistant and would cut back on double sheet rock for common areas. Just that alone is why it became so popular in multifamily builds.
Fireproof (resistant?). Exactly. Here we are a couple days after 1000 houses burn down due to wildfire on Front Range and only passing reference regarding fire protection. Smh
Thank you roofing insights channel tried to bash smartside to the ground claiming hardie is far superior... after I stalling both countless times they both have pros and cons but I much prefer working with smartside however most homes here in n.y are viynl siding
this was very informative. Thank you. We are about to embark on building our forever home and we have used Hardi siding on our previous two homes. Now we have another option.
Loving the video and input from you guys. My only question is - your opinions are coming from a builder’s perspective (obviously). What about the durability and longevity that the homeowner will eventually deal with? For example, if you just started using the newer LP smart side, how do you know how it performs 15 years down the road?
In northern europe almoust all smal houses have different wood siding. Thickness about 7/8 inch. No vinyl siding. Some modern public school have fibercement siding, thickness 5/16 inch. These are in different rektangular sizes for a pattern. Not as brittle as shown.
I was definitely wondering about that siding. All I could think of was OSB and it just seemed like that stuff would suck up water, expand and disintegrate! Thanks for going in to greater depth as to why it does NOT do that. Then again, it is wood and it is glued together. What's the longest time frame you've seen this siding on a house and how is it holding up? Thanks.
Ive installed this many times. it definetly DOES suck up water. If you pick up a piece of your scrap pile after a rainstorm, you will see a variance of up to 3/16 of an inch from it retaining water (on your exposed cuts, not on the finish edges)
We’re building a new house and my priorities are historical accuracy, longevity (quarter sawn/ rift sawn), price. Our last house was 100 years old and still had the original siding and windows. Imagine if we still built quality & beautiful houses like that.
Haha that picture of the siding near the grill reminded me of the huge bonfire that I had and it destroyed a 15' by 20' section of my siding.. I just remembered looking at it a few weeks later and going... How in the heck did that happen.. There may or may not have been a few magical sodas involved with that bonfire lol...
Hello, was wondering about your experience with brick houses and/or metal framing have you ever worked with these products and what are the pros and cons? With the price of lumber so high it seems brick is a better alternative. Would love to see a video on this if you could.
Any thought of including steel siding in a comparison? It obviously has a warehouse / commercial building vibe, but I've seen it look slick and it seems to offer a lot of the same benefits of these at a lower pricepoint. At the very least it might be interesting to use as a comparison plus it's more content ;) Love the videos PBB!
Being a commercial painter for over 40 years in an area where we get 8” of Rain year, one thing I know of all the sidings. Cedar does not seem to rot. Cedar siding seems to last the longest in wet environment. Areas where a lot of rain comes, southeast side of house with big wall, I see the water running down the wall as if a hose was running. In my experience the siding that is pressed together, areas that are cut tend to swell. The concrete seems to break down. Like I said this is a very wet environment. Cedar is king
What is the lawsuit for LP siding? Why Is LP Siding Bad? Louisiana Pacific ended up paying out nearly one billion dollars to over 129,000 different claims. There was a massive recall and the LP itself has referred to the event as “one of the largest class-action lawsuits in the history of the siding industry.
What are your thoughts on steel siding? You can now find steel board and batten that installs with all fasteners hidden. Kind of like standing seam roofing but made for walls.
Hey PBB. I am way late today..I made it though!! I was busy today in Malibu... My view from the house was not very good.. Your view from your new project is terrific!! Keep up the good work!!
I remember in a video Jamie said he builds subwoofers.. Is that for home theaters or cars? I built my own home theater a few years ago and I built all my own speakers and it was really rewarding.
@@jaimeperkins9606 That is awesome! I got started in 'wood working' as a teen building bandpass boxes.. My last sub build was two 18" Ultimax drivers and 4,000 watts of power to shake my house lol..
Have you ever considered "CertainTeed Cedar Impressions Double 7" staggered shingles" ? It is polymer and is significantly stronger than standard vinyl. It looks like wood and resists fading. I covered my home with it eight years ago and it still looks new and has required only annual pressure washer cleaning.
So I am just curious if when a sponsor like LP provides the material for your project, do they give them to you at a discount or do they actually give them to you for the project in exchange for showcasing their product? Since you are building this for a client, does this discount help your client at all, just curious? Thank you guys, love the channel!
Other building shows have commented that LP siding warps and you have to run a chalk line on every row to work the "snake" out of the boards or the finished job will look like poop.
Currently remodeling a house I own in Indiana, 30x30 house with 30x14 addition which wasn't finished over ten years ago. Main house is around 100 years old with wood siding, addition had some vinyl siding on Southern side, but East and west sides were left with house wrap. Sure you can guess how it looks now. Problem is, wood siding isn't level in appearance looking at house, everyone is telling me to paint house and add siding to addition. I want to pull everything down and install new sheathing and siding. I'm thinking blue vinyl siding because finished house value will be around $90,000 to $100,000 and will likely be sold.
Why are your wooden siding boards so thin and fragile? Are these a good representation of what you have to work with? Here in NZ a vast majority of our housing (50-90 years old) is clad in wooden siding boards that are very durable - orders of magnitude more than what you featured here. Even the 'newer' pine, WR cedar and accoya siding (as opposed to the now exhausted native slow growth timber supply) is *considerably* more durable than the board you showed.
I would guess that it is because (from what I've seen here in the US) we use plywood behind the wooden siding boards. I might be wrong but I thought in NZ most places are constructed where the boards are installed right on top of the framing.
Here i Norway we mostly use thicker wood aswell. 19-23mm mostly and 148-198mm wide. And always mounted on 23-48mm strips to enable air behind the siding so it can dry out from the back aswell.
That smart siding looks nice because you can cut it without needed a diamond blade or dealing with soo much concrete dust and wutever else is in your hardi
So we had some cement boards leftover that sat outside for at least 4-5 years, exposed and we have zero water saturation into the board. They come preprimed so I don't see the issue. Also, some were broken and still did not soak up water like a sponge in few seconds as you presented, that makes me wonder what cement board was that? We have cement siding on our house for over 15 years now and it is great so far. Paint stays on it super long and it doesn't peel off like on other siding. 15 years now and still there was no need for repainting, and that is huge saving right there. Also, I have never ever met anyone saying concrete siding LOL.
In the Netherlands, all houses are made of brick. It amazes me that the houses in the US are mainly made of wood. I was wondering why this is. Btw, I like this channel ❤.
There was a siding product made by Masonite some years ago used throughout my subdivision. It turned out to be a complete failure. I’m supposing that the sponsors siding is a vast improvement?
I live in Ohio. And by the way that is not vinyl siding is vinyl soffit Eric. And here vinyl siding is the most common reason why, unlike central and southern states it is not as hot so it doesn’t melt easily. And lasts longer then any wood siding because the extreme cold weather beats the wood and paint real quick. So yeah and if you do a good installation with a cheap vinyl you can get like 20-25 years easily. Here where I live and I’m pretty sure everywhere else is a new vinyl siding that looks exactly like that lp smart side and it’s got like a 50 warranty looks really good and is very easy to install since it doesn’t expand and contract like regular vinyl siding.
Good video. I think I been finally convinced this is a better product than Hardie board. Do you know, is the LP Smart siding resistant to carpenter bees as well?
I love watching your channel, but any of these videos where the channel is sponsored by the "favourite", is always going to be an infomercial. Appreciate this was product was used prior to partnering, but nonetheless. As others have said, one MAJOR drawback to fibre cement would have to be the dust generated when cutting and its links to silicosis. Even with the recommended safety PPE, not using would have to be better for you
Does the style of house also should consider when choosing the siding ?? My house was built in 1988 , colonial style house down north Florida. Got vinyl siding..
Here in Norway we use pressure treated pine siding. It’s milled on all four sides, so it overlaps nicely. We also install them on vertical 1x2 battens, to provide ventilation behind the siding so it dries out properly.
Rain screens are not as common here, but they should be..
And in Norway we also use 18-24mm siding. So it is much stronger👌🏻
The LP Smart Siding doesn’t get the greatest reviews on some sites. I’m starting to believe you guys hype anything you get for free even if it’s good or not. I really think it hurts your credibility a great deal. I think it’s absolutely mandatory that you mention the fact that you don’t pay for the products you promote so highly. LP Siding gets terrible reviews for water damage and the warranty doesn’t cover the damage in the states where it rains the most. Imagine that.
We just finished siding a tiny house with fiber cement board. The non-profit we helped with this project gets a break on their insurance due to fiber cement being fireproof. You'd think that would be a MAJOR plus in your area due to the abundant vegetation. I can't stand installing fiber cement due to the dust in cutting, brittleness, weight, etc., but it does have it's place.
It’s place is right in a dumpster.
In my neck of the woods, you can't use any of the wood-based products due to wildfire requirements, so fiber cement is the way to go.
Western nc gets a ton of rain so major fire is not a real issue.
It's not fireproof, it's non-combustible. I don't know about the specific fire properties of fiber cement board, but if it's anything like regular concrete it will degrade during fire conditions, as well as in the cooling phase, becoming more brittle, having reduced strength and potentially undergoing explosive spalling from the release of chemically bound water. Probably still better than regular wood siding, but I can think of wood products that i think would be better such as Shou Sugi Ban siding.
They are being paid by lp from the sounds of it
Back in the 80's was a siding installer. The business owner called vinyl a once in a lifetime siding. Once you had it you'd never want it again
You used the broken end of the hardiplank to show it absorb moisture, cut a piece of the LP siding, put the cut end in water and see if it wicks to be a fair comparison.
This was not meant to be a fair comparison. This was an infomercial. Love PBB, anyway.
my exact thoughts too!
You seal the end of the LP siding before installation. Is the touch-up paint not waterproof?
@@stewiesaidthat You are also supposed to seal the cut ends of Hardiplank, which they did not do. This gave the appearance that fiber cement siding just readily absorbs moisture. I just do not believe an OSB product can have the longevity of a fiber concrete product. Another drawback of LP is the 3/16 gaps they spec. for expansion at joints and trim, that much caulking has got to be a failure point over time.
I agree JT Electric!
Excellent piece boys. I installed Hardie siding on my house.
Pro's: Insect, fire & hail resistant.
Easy to paint
Dead straight on all dimensions
Comes in various widths & textures: smooth or woodgrain
Can be ordered pre-painted & or primed on the back as well.
Doesn't require a forest of trees to make.
>>
Cons: Like you mentioned: Heavy, dusty, brittle & requires special tools & equipment to cut install & protect your lungs.
>>
One of the best things about this product is that you can easily paint it again & again & it never peels. Vinyl siding fades like crazy, so when it does, you have to either leave it or paint it, which doesn't work well.
Not a fun material to install, but I'm glad I did.
You have to leave 3/16” gap with the smart side and hope it expands enough to close the gap. If you don’t leave a gap, it will expand and pop loose.
Of the choices shown I have to go with solid cedar claps, pre-primed, then oil primed on cut ends. Two coats of really good paint. To prevent short, under window pieces a story board angled. But my favorite is cedar shakes and even better from a fun to install siding-- cedar hand splits. They aren't the cheapest but the most satisfying from a carpenter's perspective. All done with the production end of building. I'm in it for the art of the trade.
I started out in carpentry working for a siding installer on new housing. At the time aluminum siding was pretty much the standard (yes, I'm THAT old)! Eventually having my own crew I was given the task of being the first in my area to install fiber cement siding. Being a brand new product at the time the supplier had me use standard carbide tooth framing blades to cut the siding and "Maze" nails to attach it to the walls. (double dipped galvanized nails) the type used for installing cedar siding. I would get 1 or 2 days use out of a blade before they were ruined and hand nailing would generally take 2 or 3 nails just to get through the boards. I asked about pre-drilling and was told it would void the warranty. Needless to say the job took forever and I never wanted to see the stuff again!
Another great, informative video. I've always felt that you never stop learning and I think you guys do a great job of explaining to everyone how things work and how to do things well. Keep up the good work!
I am installing the cement siding on my house. I found that the blades last a very long time when you use a cordless saw. The cordless saw runs at a much lower rpm than a corded saw which also creating less dust. I have had zero issues installing with a nail gun. Every nail goes right in and I have had almost zero cracks in the boards or blowouts from over penetration (1 each in 43 pieces).
@@briangc1972 they make a blade just for it and sheers so no harmful dust using the sheers. But lp is far superior product and even in looks
@@chet174able yes, those make it much faster, cleaner and easier to work with fiber cement. I wish they were an option back then, I would have a much different opinion of it for sure.
I like these type of vids. As someone who is buying their first house within the next 6 months and needing to renovate parts of it myself, I like having this type of expert knowledge.
Just a friendly observation and a question. Matt Risinger (a high quality builder in Austin TX who also has a RUclips channel) has done some comparisons of siding options. He comes down on the exact opposite side of the debate between fiber cement and LP SmartSide.
Here are two issues that I think PBB is not fully considering (I say this with respect and not to nitpick...I love your channel). First, SmartSide is relatively new, and it is a wood-based product. The track record for this product is fairly short at the moment. It is not obvious that the performance of a wood-based product will be as good as a fiber cement product (or even close to it). Building science comes down firmly on the side of fiber cement lasting much longer than a wood-based product (and there is literally no disagreement about it). Second, any homeowner I know will opt for slightly higher installation cost to get (1) greater durability, (2) a longer track record of proven performance, and (3) better life-cycle performance. What I mean by life-cycle performance is that fiber cement runs almost no risk of needing replacement for the life of a home, while SmartSide almost definitely runs the risk of needing replacement during the life of a home.
Although it will be tempting to agree with this post by saying "all true" but the cost is greater for fiber cement than SmartSide, the question is "how much greater?" So, maybe a "concrete" answer to this question is possible. On the Nantahala Retreat, what did you price out for siding using SmartSide (labor and materials) and what would you have priced out for using fiber cement (labor and materials) (setting aside the sponsoring arrangement from LP)?
Thanks for considering this question!
fire resistant
I’ve had spruce clapboard on my dads house for nearly 30 years. We do paint every 8 -10 years or so but the siding is still in good condition except where it was touching a poorly installed deck. Fibre board , when it starts to flake, has to be replaced.
There does seem to be an awful lot of class action lawsuits against fiber cement product manufacturers though...
SmartSide has been around for 20+ years, without major issues.
I've used both products, and prefer SmartSide for the ease of install. The key though for either is to install it according to the manufacturers guidlines. Do that and both products will last a long time
@@johnnydekalb I know that the corporate media and the company's literature say 20+ years, but that leaves a false impression. It started to become used somewhat widely in different climates in more recent years (within the past 5-7 years, maybe less). This is an important point because a product's performance profile is only truly discovered after it is used on a large scale in different climates over a significant number of years.
I think everyone agrees that installation is easier. If ease of installation is the primary factor, LP SmartSide is the hands down winner. Homeowners probably care more about product performance than what makes a builder happy, which is one of the points of my post.
Up here in the Pacific Northwest we're using fiber-cement a lot. We've been having a lot of fires during the summers, as we build into the hills more and more fiber cement siding is being installed
In Australia wooden siding & vinyl of any sort would not meet local codes for what's known as Bushfire Attack Level (BAL). Might get approval for residential but I suspect the insurance premiums & extra building costs would be cost prohibitive. In one of their videos they can see a fire on a nearby mountain so they obviously occur in the area they work in & I imagine fire resistance systems, especially for remote homes will eventually be part of their local building code
The tide of this comments section illustrates the classic problem of sponsored videos. Build a channel on good content, build rapport with audience, try to figure out how to take $ without alienating the audience. Suggestions: play long game, don't take money, keep your dignity, it will pay off eventually (Andrew Camarata). Only sponsor a really good product you don't have to make excuses for (that water "test" was rigged). Only sponsor stuff outside the building realm (Keeps, Athletic Greens, etc...)
That being said, love the channel.
Well I agree with you on everything except the « sponsors outside building » part. A lot of companies sponsoring RUclips are selling shitty stuff that is useless (Keeps is a good example). The point is to accept sponsporing from companies selling good, useful products ; not necessarely to get a sponsorship from companies outside construction.
They didn't want it to sound like an infomercial, but it was. They know damn well that you have to coat the cut end of the cement board before installing.
Here in the Faroe Islands, the most popular choice is 22mm pressure treated fir for our siding. I have seen OSB siding, like the smart siding kind, but that gets soaking wet with all the rain we have here. So the pressure treated fir is probably the safest and cheapest siding you can have here, it also withstands the many hurricanes and heavy storms we have.
Don’t think I’ve ever seen someone from the Faroe Islands comment on anything! Would love to visit there someday.
Found you guy’s on You Tube looking at LP siding for a small house project since then can’t stop watching your videos!! I was laid up with Covid over the holidays and binged watched the farm house build . Jealous of you guy !!! Keep up the good work !!!!
Used LP Smart Siding on my cabin here in Alaska. I'm 60 and NOT planning on ANY painting during retirement! Looks beautiful and maintenance free. Nice siding, looks great and I've received many compliments on it.
Sure do love you guys. Only just found your channel about 2-3 weeks ago and have made my way through a BUNCH! I shutter to tell you exactly how many, but I am up to speed on Jamie's injury as well. You guys are so fun to watch, I love the vibe. Thanks for being here and doing what you do.
Fiber cement for longest life, never warps or rots, CAN NOT BURN!!!! Holds paint well, easy to install when using the Gecko hangers. Cuts like butter with a cordless saw and an air nail gun gets the job done quickly with no issues. I'm about halfway through doing it on my house.
I used it on my home as well. I highly recommend it.
If the paint starts to fade, I just slap a fresh coat on and the house looks like new again.
Guys I normally love your stuff, but that was straight up an LP SmartSide commercial. Forgot to mention the fire resistance of Fiber cement siding.
Cedar shingles, laid over an air gap mesh. Expensive, labor intensive, lasts a long time, and is absolutely glorious! Friends don’t let friends install vinyl. Nice video.
Do you have a video link that showcases your method
Jason is so down to earth. Amazing human being...
I went with Diamond Kote. Going to be an exciting winter. New widows and siding soon to start.
Any idea roughly what the $/sq foot is like? I’d love to do Diamond Kote too.
We did as well what colors did you choose?
@@JFAM077 Clay with a Bronze facia and soffit. White window trim.
@@timgleason2527 Not 100% on that I do know parts and labor about 74K. 😱 House, garage, windows, etc. etc.
@@Z-Bart nice 👍🏽
This is interesting because where I am, people pretty much use vinyl exclusively unless they're upgrading to something like brick or stone. I've never seen lap siding of any type used here. The options presented to me by my builder are pretty much summed up by, "what kind of vinyl do you want?".
Where you from? Usually vinyl siding is a cheap fix for junky existing siding cover up (from mid mo)
@@noahvogt Canada.
The shop vids are also some of my favs these are super special … great excuse for another vid and the future is looking good in 2022 for PBB
to prevent that blowout on the vinyl siding when it is cold out...turn the blade around in the saw. Works a treat and no more blowouts. Works well with aluminum soffit as well
Use a grinder with a wafer wheel. It will never fail you.
Everyone who installs vinyl knows the blade goes in the saw is reverse but in real cold weather a plywood blade in reverse works better
I used a plywood blade installed in reverse for all vinyl siding. I wish now that I had used hearing protection as I definitely harmed my hearing. There are certain high pitched sounds that I can't hear at all as a result.
Yeah , most know that but maybe not their audience. Hence, vinyl not so good, but Smart siding very good. Did they mention installation cost..????
Vinyl siding cuts well with a regular carbide blade if you flip the blade around backwards. Smart siding is by far my favorite option for the price and durability. Just used their t1-11 style 4x8 panels on our off-grid cabin here in Hawai'i. We get tons of rain here so the Smart Side water and mildew resistance is a huge advantage!
I don't care what Jason says, Eric's beard is looking great! You guys are my go to for videos and I look forward to your content. Jason, love ya brother.
You are correct in saying you can pressure wash vinyl siding. However it is not recommended by manufacturers as you will destroy the UV protection sprayed on the exterior side. Also vinyl siding is not waterproof and pressure washers will blast water behind the siding.
Unless you’re really, really tight with money, you should avoid vinyl at all cost. It’s cheap, ugly, breaks easily, cannot be repaired, etc.
40 years ago my brother and I replaced About 60 sq ft of wood siding with OSB on our parents house. We just bought a few 4x8 sheets, ripped them, installed and painted them. Well I ended up inheriting the house and just replaced it last summer. Now that was OSB from 40 yrs ago.
I am considering residing the entire house and am liking the LP best so far. Good video and nice to hear it is different than OSB.
I work for a builder here in Ontario, mostly we use vinyl for the cost. It's what I prefer to use and the only thing I'd use if I was to build my own house. I'll admit that I've never used smartside lap siding, but I've used the smartside sheets, if you don't treat the edge and it finds moisture it turns to mush. Likewise with fiber cement siding, in fact the brand we used voids your warranty if you don't paint every edge, so one person comes and cuts one hole without painting the edge, and it can void your warranty. And talk about fragile. To me vinyl is just cheap, simple, easily fixed and maintenance free, it also isn't whatsoever affected by water. All things that I care about
Around here .. Eastern Canada. Vinyl is still fairly common on older houses but generally larger cities have limited it's use because it looks so cheap - it takes away from the urban quality of a lot of neighborhoods. For the most part it's reserved for the sides and rear of the house. Our 'affordable' wood siding products like Maibec/Cape cod style siding are already profiled from the mill and painted. Very rarely do I see houses being painted on site. Like the LP smart side, manufacturers give you a bit of touch up paint for ends/cuts. It was funny to me when I started watching your video that you have to calculate the lap of the siding because here, even on a traditional looking profile lap, there is a lip and the siding just butts up to the next piece with no need to figure out the exact spacing. Cool to see the regional differences! Love the videos, very informative. Thanks!
That all makes a surprising amount of sense. As a usa dweller that uses lasers, story poles, and gecko gauges to space siding im very jealous.
yeeeeeah! already starting the year strong. can't wait to see where you guys go with the channel in 2022.
I priced out LP smartside vs Hardiboard (fiber cement) and the hardy panels were significantly cheaper per sqft (Denver foothills, different region than you guys).
I agree the fiber cement board is much harder to nail, which is why we went with sheets+battons vs traditional boards.
How is the fire resistance of the LP smartside vs cement board? That was another deciding factor for us, wildfire risk is crazy here.
hardiboard will not expand more than fraction of a % when wet. LP w if not installed and sealed correctly will expand just like OSB
Hardy is fire resistant and that's a big win
Matt Risinger (youtuber) did a fire test on siding. He's a fiber cement guy.
“A little bit different but kind of the same.” Been watching too much Berm Peak! 😂
My last house has insulated vinyl siding that I had installed.
It cut noise and made the home more efficient, and it was a lot more durable and sturdy (thicker) than the thin vinyl siding on my current home.
There was no fading in the 10 years I had it on the house.
Smart side says to avoid lawn sprinklers in the instructions and also is not sold in damp humid areas. Also hardie board at least has a flame retardant factor as a posed to lip.
you introduced me to LP smartside. I use it all the time. Excellent material. Combined with Big Stretch, bulletproof exterior for zone 5
here in Australia the siding of choice is Brick.
Great points. Cons of the LP. Not fire rated and not termite proof. Now you know why they are sponsored by LP. Wasn’t talked about in the video, A good product but definitely wasn’t mentioned.
Smart side for the win that stuff is awesome
Where I'm from vinyl is king! Only rich people can afford LP or Hardie. Even the premium vinyl is half the cost.
What happens to the LP if you install it on the ground like the Hardie you showed? You would think you were sponsored by LP.
Did he not say that they both will do that if not installed properly. Turn on your listening ears before running your mouth.
I think the Hardy board is fire resistant and would cut back on double sheet rock for common areas. Just that alone is why it became so popular in multifamily builds.
Fireproof (resistant?).
Exactly.
Here we are a couple days after 1000 houses burn down due to wildfire on Front Range and only passing reference regarding fire protection. Smh
@@willbass2869 I had 89 acres burn in Cali.... My cabin was the only thing standing.
Thank you roofing insights channel tried to bash smartside to the ground claiming hardie is far superior... after I stalling both countless times they both have pros and cons but I much prefer working with smartside however most homes here in n.y are viynl siding
this was very informative. Thank you. We are about to embark on building our forever home and we have used Hardi siding on our previous two homes. Now we have another option.
I miss siding. I live in Las Vegas so absolutely EVERYTHING is stucco. Great video though. 👍
"Decades" is one of Erik's favorites.
Loving the video and input from you guys. My only question is - your opinions are coming from a builder’s perspective (obviously). What about the durability and longevity that the homeowner will eventually deal with? For example, if you just started using the newer LP smart side, how do you know how it performs 15 years down the road?
They seem to promote and use anything they get for free. Too much if you ask me.
Hey Perkins. Love the videos. If you ever are doing vinyl siding in cold weather use a grinder with a zipdisc or thin curf diamond blade.
In northern europe almoust all smal houses have different wood siding. Thickness about 7/8 inch.
No vinyl siding.
Some modern public school have fibercement siding, thickness 5/16 inch. These are in different rektangular sizes for a pattern. Not as brittle as shown.
I was definitely wondering about that siding. All I could think of was OSB and it just seemed like that stuff would suck up water, expand and disintegrate! Thanks for going in to greater depth as to why it does NOT do that. Then again, it is wood and it is glued together. What's the longest time frame you've seen this siding on a house and how is it holding up? Thanks.
Ive installed this many times. it definetly DOES suck up water. If you pick up a piece of your scrap pile after a rainstorm, you will see a variance of up to 3/16 of an inch from it retaining water (on your exposed cuts, not on the finish edges)
Love the clamp collection!
Love the informational video, thanks guys!
Great deal of information in one video thank you for sharing in Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean do not use all of that material thank GOD
We’re building a new house and my priorities are historical accuracy, longevity (quarter sawn/ rift sawn), price. Our last house was 100 years old and still had the original siding and windows. Imagine if we still built quality & beautiful houses like that.
Haha that picture of the siding near the grill reminded me of the huge bonfire that I had and it destroyed a 15' by 20' section of my siding.. I just remembered looking at it a few weeks later and going... How in the heck did that happen.. There may or may not have been a few magical sodas involved with that bonfire lol...
Hello, was wondering about your experience with brick houses and/or metal framing have you ever worked with these products and what are the pros and cons? With the price of lumber so high it seems brick is a better alternative. Would love to see a video on this if you could.
Any thought of including steel siding in a comparison? It obviously has a warehouse / commercial building vibe, but I've seen it look slick and it seems to offer a lot of the same benefits of these at a lower pricepoint. At the very least it might be interesting to use as a comparison plus it's more content ;) Love the videos PBB!
Besides brick, Smartside is the only way to go!!!
Being a commercial painter for over 40 years in an area where we get 8” of Rain year, one thing I know of all the sidings. Cedar does not seem to rot. Cedar siding seems to last the longest in wet environment. Areas where a lot of rain comes, southeast side of house with big wall, I see the water running down the wall as if a hose was running. In my experience the siding that is pressed together, areas that are cut tend to swell. The concrete seems to break down. Like I said this is a very wet environment. Cedar is king
Cedar is great kindling also. In areas where forest fires are common, it's not the best idea to wrap your house in kindling.
Pro tip Irwin makes a vinyl blade to cut siding. It works great and doesn't chip the siding.
What is the lawsuit for LP siding?
Why Is LP Siding Bad?
Louisiana Pacific ended up paying out nearly one billion dollars to over 129,000 different claims. There was a massive recall and the LP itself has referred to the event as “one of the largest class-action lawsuits in the history of the siding industry.
Cut vinyl with an uninterrupted diamond blade for tile, a “fine” blade. Works like a charm.
Our house is sided with hardy plank and i love it
What are your thoughts on steel siding? You can now find steel board and batten that installs with all fasteners hidden. Kind of like standing seam roofing but made for walls.
My contractor turned us onto diamond kote which looks to be similar to LP siding hopefully it’s as good
Here in Alaska we use a lot of LP smart side
Nothing against smart siding but everything else being equal, fiber cement siding is better in my opinion
Hey PBB. I am way late today..I made it though!! I was busy today in Malibu... My view from the house was not very good.. Your view from your new project is terrific!! Keep up the good work!!
Loved the presentation, but the background music (first 2 mins or so) was so loud 🤣. Keep up the awesome videos.
In winter we use cutting discs on a grinder for vinyl. Stinks but it works well
Useful information Eric.
I remember in a video Jamie said he builds subwoofers.. Is that for home theaters or cars? I built my own home theater a few years ago and I built all my own speakers and it was really rewarding.
I build subs for cars/trucks and live sound applications
@@jaimeperkins9606 That is awesome! I got started in 'wood working' as a teen building bandpass boxes.. My last sub build was two 18" Ultimax drivers and 4,000 watts of power to shake my house lol..
I’m surprised this vid didn’t get placed on your building knowledge channel. Either way, good info.
Have you ever considered "CertainTeed Cedar Impressions Double 7" staggered shingles" ? It is polymer and is significantly stronger than standard vinyl. It looks like wood and resists fading. I covered my home with it eight years ago and it still looks new and has required only annual pressure washer cleaning.
Do you nail that in?
I prefer fiber cement . Lp smartside just seems like the old Masonite. And you can vynl with a carbide blade flipped backwards
So I am just curious if when a sponsor like LP provides the material for your project, do they give them to you at a discount or do they actually give them to you for the project in exchange for showcasing their product? Since you are building this for a client, does this discount help your client at all, just curious? Thank you guys, love the channel!
None of your business, son!
I was curious about this too!
Thank you for the tips.
Other building shows have commented that LP siding warps and you have to run a chalk line on every row to work the "snake" out of the boards or the finished job will look like poop.
Currently remodeling a house I own in Indiana, 30x30 house with 30x14 addition which wasn't finished over ten years ago. Main house is around 100 years old with wood siding, addition had some vinyl siding on Southern side, but East and west sides were left with house wrap. Sure you can guess how it looks now. Problem is, wood siding isn't level in appearance looking at house, everyone is telling me to paint house and add siding to addition. I want to pull everything down and install new sheathing and siding.
I'm thinking blue vinyl siding because finished house value will be around $90,000 to $100,000 and will likely be sold.
LP needs to stop sponsoring these videos and put that money away for the next round of lawsuits for rotten siding.
Why are your wooden siding boards so thin and fragile? Are these a good representation of what you have to work with? Here in NZ a vast majority of our housing (50-90 years old) is clad in wooden siding boards that are very durable - orders of magnitude more than what you featured here.
Even the 'newer' pine, WR cedar and accoya siding (as opposed to the now exhausted native slow growth timber supply) is *considerably* more durable than the board you showed.
I would guess that it is because (from what I've seen here in the US) we use plywood behind the wooden siding boards. I might be wrong but I thought in NZ most places are constructed where the boards are installed right on top of the framing.
@@shawnanwo isn't NZ an earthquake zone? Don't they have to use plywood in earthquake zones? Or maybe if they use 22mm cladding it isn't needed.
I honestly do not know for sure. Was just speculating based off of what I have seen. I thought that may be the reason for the thickness difference.
Here i Norway we mostly use thicker wood aswell. 19-23mm mostly and 148-198mm wide. And always mounted on 23-48mm strips to enable air behind the siding so it can dry out from the back aswell.
just remember the cost of housing between most countries and US is astronomical.
so no content today just an 11 minute ad for LP. is this what you tube is coming to?
If you turn the saw blade backwards you can make a smooth cut on the vinyl siding.
Plus the need for respiratory protection when cutting fiber cement. However, it is also the most fire resistant.
That smart siding looks nice because you can cut it without needed a diamond blade or dealing with soo much concrete dust and wutever else is in your hardi
EP talking siding. Has Christmas circled back and come again?
So we had some cement boards leftover that sat outside for at least 4-5 years, exposed and we have zero water saturation into the board. They come preprimed so I don't see the issue. Also, some were broken and still did not soak up water like a sponge in few seconds as you presented, that makes me wonder what cement board was that? We have cement siding on our house for over 15 years now and it is great so far. Paint stays on it super long and it doesn't peel off like on other siding. 15 years now and still there was no need for repainting, and that is huge saving right there. Also, I have never ever met anyone saying concrete siding LOL.
Nice summary
Flip the carbide blade so it turns backwards. Smooth cut every time. Pro-tip for vinyl.
Try pulling the saw backwards or turn the blade around to cut the vinyl
In the Netherlands, all houses are made of brick. It amazes me that the houses in the US are mainly made of wood. I was wondering why this is. Btw, I like this channel ❤.
It's what we have an abundance of. Keep an eye on the background of these vids.
Forests....we (& neighboring Canada) have forests
@@willbass2869 & fires that burn osb & vinyl but not fibre cement
There was a siding product made by Masonite some years ago used throughout my subdivision. It turned out to be a complete failure. I’m supposing that the sponsors siding is a vast improvement?
good video Man enjoyed it
How does OSB smart side do on a fire test do you think?
Great infomercial!
I live in Ohio. And by the way that is not vinyl siding is vinyl soffit Eric. And here vinyl siding is the most common reason why, unlike central and southern states it is not as hot so it doesn’t melt easily. And lasts longer then any wood siding because the extreme cold weather beats the wood and paint real quick. So yeah and if you do a good installation with a cheap vinyl you can get like 20-25 years easily. Here where I live and I’m pretty sure everywhere else is a new vinyl siding that looks exactly like that lp smart side and it’s got like a 50 warranty looks really good and is very easy to install since it doesn’t expand and contract like regular vinyl siding.
LP still has the stigma of the 90's LP siding that was a disaster with lawsuits. It swole up and rotted.
Good video. I think I been finally convinced this is a better product than Hardie board. Do you know, is the LP Smart siding resistant to carpenter bees as well?
I love watching your channel, but any of these videos where the channel is sponsored by the "favourite", is always going to be an infomercial. Appreciate this was product was used prior to partnering, but nonetheless.
As others have said, one MAJOR drawback to fibre cement would have to be the dust generated when cutting and its links to silicosis. Even with the recommended safety PPE, not using would have to be better for you
Steel siding ftw. Aka a post frame house
I was 100% expecting to see steel as part of this comparison. We're putting up a small building at the lakehouse and putting steel on it.
@@JoeMcFarlanesgoogle it's expensive rn. I built a 32x56x14 shell and had a guy come put steel on it. Labor and materials 15k but that's the roof also
Does the style of house also should consider when choosing the siding ?? My house was built in 1988 , colonial style house down north Florida. Got vinyl siding..