Durable House Siding 
Every Spring and Summer my remodeling company gets phone calls from folks looking to replace their house siding with something “low maintenance.”
Often times these folks inquire about cement board siding and engineered siding and ask which is the best siding and most durable.
After discussing this topic with my contractor and structural engineer friend Todd Fratzel, editor at HomeConstructionImprovement.com I learned something interesting. Todd told me that his construction company has been using and engineered siding called LP SmartSide successfully for years and even did a water test with impressive results.
Todd told met hat LP SmartSide siding is backed by and impressive 5 year limited warranty which includes a 100% labor and replacement feature as well as a 50 year pro-rated warranty on the substrate. No one does that – that I’m aware of.
Who’s siding Is Tougher?
I’ve used cement siding a few times before and was not impressed. While it resists rot and is impervious to insects, it is incredibly heavy and the dust cutting it is terrible to ingest.
I have never used LP SmartSide but have seen it on job sites. My opinion of engineered siding is that it is an affordable siding option that I needed to learn more about. It resists insects and rot, is lightweight, and is flawless when compared to real wood siding. 
Todd’s water testing comment got me thinking so I decided to conduct my own durability test to see just how tough LP SmartSide is.
I decided to forgo the water test and to use the tool that I reach for and am most comfortable with – my hammer!
Durability Testing:
For my durability test I chose to look at three low maintenance siding options; Cement board, LP SmartSide and Vinyl siding.
I secured a piece of cement board siding, vinyl siding and LP SmartSide siding to a half sheet of 1/2 plywood with two roofing nails.
I hit these siding samples hard with my hammer, counting hammer blows until the siding was damaged or started to show damage and slight indentations. I was shocked at the results.
The vinyl siding cracked at the second hammer blow and broke into pieces after the third strike.
The cement board broke in half after 5 hammer strikes but was damaged after the first. [first strike left a “hammer head” tool mark]
The LP SmartSide siding never broke. After 15 hammer strikes I started to really wail on the board. By the time I reached 2o hammer strikes the finish started to show slight damage. These marks left behind by the hammer were minor blemishes and could definitely be hidden by a fresh coat of paint!
One thing is for sure, you don’t need to worry about missed hammer strikes when installing this product!
About LP SmartSiding:
LP SmartSide siding is a treated fiber substrate designed for lap siding applications. It has a cedar siding rough-grain appearance and comes in 16-foot lengths which we carpenters like for the fewer seams and faster install.
LP Smartside siding can be purchased pre-primed or pre-painted in a number of colors which I always adviser customers to consider as a painting labor cost savings.
LP Siding is made up of wood strands that are coated with a resin binder and then compressed to make a very strong solid board. The manufacturer then treads each siding board with a zinc-borate treatment to resist termites and carpenter ants. [My exterminator friend swears by borate for insect prevention and treatment]
Product reviews on this site contain our opinion of a product or service. I will always strive for objectivity and transparency in my reviews. My goal is to provide readers with honest, objective information based on my training and experience. I never have and never will accept payment in exchange for a positive review. Many of the products that I review are provided free by a manufacturer. In some cases, we also have advertising or affiliate relationships with manufacturers and retailers of products and services we review. This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of LP SmartSide siding and HFA.