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LP SmartSide engineered wood siding, installed to LP's own numbers

State Restoration Services installs LP SmartSide engineered wood siding with its own crews across the north and northwest Chicago suburbs, from our office in Lincolnshire. Our siding page names it, with insulated vinyl, as one of the two best all-round choices for freeze-thaw winters here.

Engineered wood is forgiving to look at and strict to install. LP publishes exact clearances, gaps and a paint deadline, and its warranty depends on them. This page shows where each of those numbers lands on your wall.

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From LP's lap siding instructionsLPZB0515, the document every board on your wall is judged by

6 in.: bottom course above the finished ground
1 in.: above any roof, porch or patio surface
3/16 in.: gap at every butt joint and trim edge, then sealed
180 days: latest date for the finish paint after the boards go up

Six measurements that decide whether engineered wood lasts

Every number below comes from LP's application instructions for SmartSide lap siding. Most failures of engineered wood start at one of these six spots, where a board sits too close to something wet or an edge is left bare.

A
6 inches above the groundThe bottom course stops at least 6 inches above finished grade, mulch included. Raised beds piled against an old wall are the usual reason this gets missed.
B
Drip cap over every window and doorMetal drip cap goes above each opening and horizontal trim, with a 3/8 inch gap above it that is left open, not caulked, so water can get out.
C
3/16 inch at butt joints and trimWhere two boards meet, and where a board meets window or door trim, a 3/16 inch gap is left and sealed. The boards move with humidity and need that room.
D
1 inch above any roofSiding and trim stop 1 inch above the shingles wherever a roof meets a wall, over step flashing with a 4 inch upper leg. Porches, patios and decks get the same 1 inch.
E
Kick-out flashing at the eaveWhere a roof edge ends against a wall, a kick-out sends the water into the gutter. The siding is never run down inside it or into the gutter. Our kick-out flashing guide shows why this corner rots first.
F
1 inch overlap, nails placed exactlyEach course laps the one below by at least 1 inch. Nails go 3/8 inch from the ends and at least 3/4 inch below the top edge, snug, not driven into the face.

Source: LP SmartSide lap siding application instructions (LPZB0515, dated 12/08/2023). Code and the instructions both apply; where they differ, the stricter one wins.

LP's warranty follows the installation, not the brand name

The boards are covered by LP's own prorated 50-year limited warranty. That is the manufacturer's warranty, and LP writes its conditions into the first page of the instructions.

What LP's instructions say

The siding has to be stored, handled, installed, finished and maintained the way LP's published instructions describe at the time of installation. Where that was not done, LP states the limited warranty does not apply to the boards affected. A gap skipped at one window can cost the coverage for that wall.

What you can check at the end of the job

Bottom courses clear of soil and mulch by 6 inches all the way round.
No caulk in the gap above drip caps.
Every cut end painted or sealed, including the ones you cannot see from the yard.
Siding 1 inch off every roof surface and porch floor.

How soon does new LP SmartSide have to be painted?

Within 180 days, and LP asks for it as soon as possible. Primed boards are a base for paint, not a finish. The clock starts the day the boards go up.

Install day

Every exposed cut is sealed as the boards go up. LP does not accept spray-applied coatings on cuts.

Before the crew leaves

Butt joints and trim gaps are caulked with a paintable sealant meeting ASTM C920, Class 25 or better.

By day 180

Finish coat on all exposed surfaces, drip edges included. 100% acrylic exterior paint gives the best result; oil paint is accepted. No stain and no vinyl-based paint.

The years after

Upkeep follows LP's care and maintenance instructions, which are part of the same warranty conditions.

Ask for the paint date to be written into your estimate, so the 180 days are on paper from the start.

Can LP SmartSide go over my old siding?

Only over wood or wood-composite siding that is flat, sound and correctly installed, with a weather barrier between old and new. Most houses in our area have vinyl or aluminum, and those come off first.

Going over existing wood siding

A water-resistive barrier is added between the old boards and the new.
Any part of the old siding that is soft, decayed or loose is repaired first.
Nails are longer, because they still have to reach 1-1/2 inches into the studs.
If the old wall is wavy, the new boards will follow it, so wavy walls come off.

Taking the wall down to the sheathing

Old vinyl or aluminum is removed and hauled away.
Sheathing that is rain-soaked or buckled is replaced; LP does not allow siding over it.
New housewrap goes on, lapped and taped into the window and door flashing.
Starter strip, then the first course, then up the wall course by course.

If only a few boards on a wall are damaged, re-siding the whole house is rarely the right buy. Our siding repair page shows how a single length of engineered wood is cut out and replaced on the same nailing line.

Engineered wood, vinyl or fiber cement for your house

We install all three, so the choice is about your house and budget. The ratings below are the ones on our siding page.

Vinyl or insulated vinyl

Durability good to very good, low upkeep, lowest cost tier

Runs about $4 to $9 a square foot installed in our area. The best value for most homes, and color goes all the way through the panel.

Engineered wood (LP SmartSide)

Durability very good, low to medium upkeep, middle cost tier

For owners who want a real wood-grain board with impact resistance, painted any color they choose. It asks for paint and for the six measurements above.

Fiber cement

Durability excellent, medium upkeep, highest cost tier

Runs about $8 to $14 a square foot installed. The most impact- and fire-resistant of the three. Our vinyl against fiber cement comparison goes deeper on that pair.

Corner of a two-story house with dark blue horizontal siding, white trim, white corner posts and a sided chimney chase, with a white downspout and a picket gate — Lap siding with white trim and a sided chimney chase, from our project gallery.

Single-story house with light blue horizontal siding, white trim and white downspouts, a dark shingle roof and a large tree in the front lawn — Horizontal lap siding with white corner trim on a ranch house, from the same gallery.

Two-story house with white horizontal siding over white painted brick, black window trim and a yellow front door under a new dark roof — White lap siding above painted brick, where siding and masonry need a 3/8 inch caulked gap between them.

Hail and wind on engineered wood siding

Hail and straight-line wind crack, dent and tear siding, and when that comes from a covered storm it is often part of the same claim as the roof. On painted engineered wood, a hit that breaks the paint leaves bare substrate, which LP's instructions say must be sealed.

Illinois law does not let a roofer negotiate a claim. Our partner, the licensed Illinois public adjuster State Adjusting Services, can represent you; our siding storm damage guide explains how that claim works.

We photograph every wall, with the damaged boards marked, on the same visit as the roof.
We measure the walls and write a code-compliant estimate that names the siding, trim, flashing and paint.
The insurer decides what it pays. The estimate gives the adjuster the measured scope to work from.
When the walls are re-sided, the roof-to-wall joints are flashed once, by the same company that does the roof. Our page on roof and siding in one project covers that order of work.

Questions owners ask before choosing LP SmartSide

Can LP SmartSide go over my old siding?

Only over existing wood or wood-composite siding that is flat and sound, with a weather barrier added between the two layers and longer nails that still reach 1-1/2 inches into the studs. Vinyl and aluminum come off first.

How soon does new LP SmartSide have to be painted?

LP asks for paint as soon as possible and within 180 days of installation, on every exposed surface including drip edges, using 100% acrylic or oil exterior paint and never stain or vinyl-based paint.

Does a bad installation void the LP SmartSide warranty?

LP's prorated 50-year limited warranty states that it does not apply to boards that were not installed, finished and maintained per LP's published instructions in effect at the time, which is why the clearances and gaps on this page matter.

How long does an engineered wood re-side take?

A typical single-family house is re-sided in about three to five working days, depending on its size and on any sheathing or trim repairs found once the old siding is off. We confirm the timeline after the free inspection.

Want this looked at?

We inspect for free, document what we find and prepare a code-compliant estimate you can hand to your insurer. Our partner, a licensed public adjuster, State Adjusting Services, can represent you on the claim.

Call (866) 992-2982. Free Inspection