Siding replacement

[cweidert03]

Well it looks like I’m going to need to have my LP smart side siding replaced. Lots of cracked and rotted pieces all around the house.

I was planning on having the Fiber cement siding installed until a contractor we called for an estimate recommended Alside composite siding.

Anyone have any experience with this type/brand?

Thanks

 

[Mandres]

LP smart side hasn't been around that long, why did it fail? Are there underlying issues that need to be addressed?

I've never heard of Alside but I'm getting ready to reside my house this year so I'm interested in hearing about your experience

 

[MushCreek]

From my research when I was building our place, many types of siding should have a drainage plane behind them. basically, a gap to allow air movement. There are commercial products, but I just cut strips of 1/2" PT plywood, run vertically. I used rolled up window screen at the top and bottom to keep bugs from nesting in the cavities. It's the build-up of moisture, usually from condensation that causes paint, and later product failures. As with many building products, proper installation is key.

 

[Old Moparz]

From my research when I was building our place, many types of siding should have a drainage plane behind them. basically, a gap to allow air movement. There are commercial products, but I just cut strips of 1/2" PT plywood, run vertically. I used rolled up window screen at the top and bottom to keep bugs from nesting in the cavities. It's the build-up of moisture, usually from condensation that causes paint, and later product failures. As with many building products, proper installation is key.

Did the same on my house with 1 x 8 rustic channel, cedar. It was installed directly against the Tyvek wrap initially & in some areas upside down. After removing it, repairing damage, replacing windows & doors, I installed rigid foam, furring strips & then the siding.

 

[ptabatcher]

Alside has been around for years. Based in NE Ohio, they have plants and distribution centers around the country. I don’t have any personal experience with their siding but I see no reason to suspect that it wouldn’t work for you. If I recall, they have a line that has insulation built into it that might be worth looking into.

Your contractor may have suggested Alside because they don’t want to work with Fiber Cement, not because the Alside is better. Around here, most people go with vinyl because of cost and time. It goes up super fast and doesn’t take as much skill/care as some other options. One my my co-workers recently sided their house. Nobody wanted to touch their stucco (Tudor style house) so they went with vinyl. It may have even been Alside. It’s not a look that I like in general but their house turned out great and they are happy with it.

Like Mandres, I’d question why the LP failed. Regardless of what you replace it with, you might have some underlying issues to resolve or, the LP wasn’t installed correctly.

 

[acer66]

I have LP siding, 4x8 sheets, no rain screen still not painted after 5 plus years fully exposed to the weathers in climate zone 7.

Recently had to pull some off for an addition and there was no water damage whatsoever.

So I wonder too why it failed the OP.

 

[cweidert03]

LP smart side hasn't been around that long, why did it fail? Are there underlying issues that need to be addressed?

I've never heard of Alside but I'm getting ready to reside my house this year so I'm interested in hearing about your experience

I think improper installation and poor upkeep from the previous owner.

 

[PoorUB]

There was some issues with some of the early LP Smartside holding up. My guess this is some of that siding.

Although proper instalation is important. You need to paint any cuts, and caulk where siding meets corner boards or windows.

 

[nadogail]

I have had excellent results with Harde Plank.

 

[WildBill]

I have had excellent results with Harde Plank.

Same, going on 20 years on mine and its perfect still. And we have some pretty extreme weather where I live, anywhere from 100+ to -25F. Just make you get the gaps between pieces wide enough or it will buckle at the edges, I screwed up a couple and had to cut the gap wider and caulk it 5-6 years after install because it started to raise up a little from too small of a gap. Besides that and needed the right tools to cut it the stuff is wonderful and lasts forever.

 

[Jackfre]

On the last property on the house, shop, large shed and well house I did Hardi mainly for fire resistance. The house got the Hardi Plank, a full 5/8” board. The ends are T&G. It was factory painted and 12 yrs later looks like new. Also have done the standard clapboard and the 4x8sheets of board and batten. All of it took paint well and looks great.If doing it yourself do the clapboard, get a set of Geeko gauges and a Bostictch coil nailer and you are able to do it alone. I don’t like cutting it but they make shears for that now to prevent the dust. I recently built a small shed and T111 was about $80 a sheet. hardi was $55 so I have a Hardi shed too.

 

[CraigStu]

Just so your look at all options, don't immediately skip vinyl. Certainteed and other upper end products come in a multitude of styles and colors. They are so far apart from the standard builder grade stuff on the rack at HD or L there should be a different category. No special skills needed to install either.

 

[reader2580]

Well it looks like I’m going to need to have my LP smart side siding replaced. Lots of cracked and rotted pieces all around the house.

Are you sure it is actually Smartside, or another LP product? There was another LP product before Smartside that had problems, and was a subject of a class action lawsuit.

Smartside has a very long warranty. I think it is 50 years. I would be contacting LP about it.

 

[Montauket]

I have the Allside double 6 insulated shiplap on 3 sides and the cedar shake look on the front. I’ve had it for 7 years now and it is holding up very well. I saved some pieces in case we had to do storm repairs when I installed. Just before winter I pulled one of the new pieces out to see if there was any sun fade on my southern exposed. Put the new piece against the old and couldn’t see any difference in color. The insulated backing helped reduce sun loading in the summer and has made the house quieter in the winter. I don’t recall that there was much r value in it but I’m sure there is a little. I’m satisfied with it and feel it is a quality product.

 

[frankd]

We have Alside vinyl (not composite) on our home and are very happy with it. The contractor we used only worked with Alside and obviously was a big fan. I've heard good things about their composite siding but don't have any first hand experience.
I would look into the maintenance though. We had gotten a quote for Hardie Board but then realized that it does need to be painted every 10 years so that turned us off to it. It was also way more expensive.

 

[reader2580]

I have factory painted Smartside on my house. It is going on ten years old and it still looks good with no need to paint. I suspect factory painted Hardie would perform similarly. There are sometimes two grades of paint for the factory painted siding. If you are worried about painting go with the better factory painted option.

I couldn't afford the factory painted Smartside for my detached garage so I pre-painted all of the siding with Sherwin-Williams Duration paint. That is going on eight years old and still looks as good as the day it was installed.

 

[CraigStu]

Siding that you have to paint? Dang, no way. Oh, only every 10 years? Still NO way.

 

[Bert_]

Siding that you have to paint? Dang, no way. Oh, only every 10 years? Still NO way.

Why bother to paint one or twice when there are other options that only need to be totally replaced in the same time.