Engineered wood siding with SmartGuard treatment. 200-plus mph wind resistance. 16-foot board lengths that cut installation seams by 20 percent. Available with factory ExpertFinish in 22 colors.
LP SmartSide Pro Installer • 200+ mph Wind • Family-Owned Since 2005
The Cedar-Look Siding That Doesn’t Require Cedar Maintenance
Your vinyl has faded unevenly on the south face. The boards flex when you lean on them. And every time you pressure-wash, more of the original color comes off. You want the warmth of wood siding without the repaint-every-five-years reality of natural cedar. You’ve heard about LP SmartSide but you’re not sure what it actually is.
LP SmartSide is engineered wood — precisely-sized strands from sustainably-harvested Aspen, treated with LP’s 4-component SmartGuard process (zinc borate, marine-grade MDI resin, waterproof waxes, resin-saturated overlay), layered under heat and pressure. The lap profile ships in 16-foot lengths — four feet longer than fiber cement. Rated for 200-plus mph winds. Weighs about half of fiber cement per square foot, which means installs go faster with less crew fatigue.
Why LP SmartSide Lap Works in McHenry County
LP isn’t our default siding recommendation — we lead with James Hardie on most projects. But when a homeowner wants the feel of real wood, 200-plus mph wind performance, or impact resistance that fiber cement can’t match, LP SmartSide Lap is what I recommend.
Engineered Wood — Not OSB, Not Press Board
The #1 misconception we correct in the showroom: LP SmartSide is NOT OSB, NOT particleboard, NOT MDF. It’s engineered wood — precisely oriented Aspen strands bonded with marine-grade MDI resin, the same resin used in boat hulls. Every strand gets wax-coated before assembly, so moisture protection is built into the product at the strand level. The resin-saturated overlay on the face is the exterior moisture barrier plus the paint-adhesion surface.
LP had serious quality issues in the 1990s with an older OSB product called inner-seal. SmartSide was built from the ground up to fix those failures. I’ve installed this product across McHenry County for years, and when it’s installed to spec, it performs.
16-Foot Boards — Fewer Seams Than Fiber Cement
LP SmartSide Lap ships in 16-foot lengths. Fiber cement ships in 12-foot lengths. On a 60-foot elevation that’s 4 boards per course on LP versus 5 on fiber cement — about 20 percent fewer seams across the wall. Seams matter visually on long elevations and matter structurally (every seam is a potential water management weakness). Widths are 6 inches, 8 inches, and 12 inches nominal exposure, 7/16 inch thick.
I’ve watched homeowners walk 30 feet back from the house after install and realize the board runs read cleaner than they expected. That’s the 20 percent seam reduction doing its quiet job.
200+ MPH Wind. Flex Beats Rigid on Impact.
LP SmartSide is tested to 200-plus mph winds per ASTM D5206 — EF3 tornado territory. Fiber cement is rated 130 mph in HZ10. On impact, LP flexes where cement cracks. Drop a ladder against a cement board and you get a through-crack. Same accident on LP — small dent you can usually touch up. LP weighs 1.2 pounds per square foot versus fiber cement at 2.5 pounds, so our crews work faster with less fatigue.
For exposed McHenry County elevations — corner lots, lake homes, farmhouses on open land — the wind rating is a real advantage. After every hail event I’ll get one or two calls asking if the LP held up. It always does.
22 ExpertFinish Colors — Factory-Applied, 15-Year Paint Warranty
ExpertFinish is LP’s factory-applied coating — a 2-coat acrylic latex system applied in a climate-controlled facility with consistent coverage. It carries a 15-year paint warranty separate from the substrate warranty. 16 Core Colors (traditional whites, grays, blues, greens, tans) plus 6 Naturals Collection colors (warm earth tones). 2026 Color of the Year: Sand Dunes from the Naturals Collection. Custom color matching is available with extra lead time.
If ExpertFinish isn’t on the order, we field-paint with a quality 100 percent acrylic after install. But I recommend ExpertFinish on nearly every LP project we run now. Factory coating beats field painting on coverage, adhesion, and lifespan.
See LP SmartSide Installed by IHC
Real projects across McHenry County. No stock photos.
Finished LP Lap install — McHenry County, IL
IHC crew at work — McHenry, IL
Mid-install over weather barrier — McHenry County, IL
After shot — McHenry County, IL
Completed elevation — McHenry County, IL
Cedar grain texture detail
Widths, Textures, and ExpertFinish Colors
LP SmartSide Lap: three widths, two textures, 22 factory colors plus custom matching. Boards are 7/16 inch thick, 16 feet long.
Widths (Nominal Exposure)
6″
Narrow reveal
8″
Traditional
12″
Bold reveal
Textures (2)
Cedar Grain
Pressed cedar grain texture — looks like real wood siding. Most-requested on traditional and farmhouse homes.
Smooth
Clean modern face. For contemporary builds and minimal designs.
Most popular in McHenry County: 8-inch Cedar Grain in Sand Dunes (2026 Color of the Year) or Oyster Shell with contrasting trim. See ExpertFinish color decks in person at our Crystal Lake showroom.
LP SmartSide Lap vs. The Alternatives
We install LP SmartSide and James Hardie at the same price point. Both are premium siding. They differ on specific performance axes.
| Feature | LP SmartSide Lap This Page | James Hardie HardiePlank | Vinyl |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Engineered wood (Aspen + SmartGuard) | Fiber cement | PVC plastic |
| Board Length | 16 feet | 12 feet | 12.5 feet typical |
| Weight | ~1.2 lbs/sqft | ~2.5 lbs/sqft | ~0.4 lbs/sqft |
| Wind Resistance | 200+ mph (ASTM D5206) | 130+ mph (HZ10) | 120–180 mph |
| Impact Resistance | Flexes — dents on impact | Rigid — cracks on impact | Cracks in cold |
| Fire Rating | Combustible (engineered wood) | Class A non-combustible | Melts |
| Warranty | 5/50 PRORATED | 30-yr non-prorated + 15-yr ColorPlus (paint+labor) | Varies by brand |
| Lifespan | 20–30 years | 50+ years | 20–30 years |
| Factory Finish | ExpertFinish 22 colors + 15-yr warranty | ColorPlus 19 colors + 15-yr warranty | Color built into plastic |
| Grade Clearance | 6″ minimum — critical | Less sensitive | No issue |
| IHC Recommendation | When wood feel or wind matters | Default premium siding | Budget-tier only |
Why Buy LP SmartSide Through IHC
LP SmartSide Pro Installer, Trained to the Spec
LP warranty coverage depends entirely on installation following LP’s spec. Grade clearance must be 6 inches minimum, every cut edge has to be sealed with LP-approved sealant, fasteners can’t be overdriven, every butt joint has to land on a stud with proper caulk. These aren’t suggestions — they’re what the warranty requires. IHC is LP SmartSide Pro Installer and our crews run through the LP checklist on every project.
I’ll be direct about the product’s vulnerabilities. LP SmartSide has had reported failures in the field, and the vast majority trace back to installer errors — unsealed cuts, insufficient grade clearance, overdriven fasteners. That’s why WHO installs it matters as much as the product itself. When we install LP, we install it the way LP’s manual requires.
21+
Years in McHenry County
380+
Google Reviews at 4.6 Stars
A+
BBB Rating
Family
Women-Led, Locally Owned
Notes From the Field — What We Actually Install
I’ve been installing LP SmartSide in McHenry County for years. Our most common LP order is 8-inch cedar-grain lap in ExpertFinish Sand Dunes (the 2026 Color of the Year) or Oyster Shell, paired with white or natural trim. We’ve run LP projects in Crystal Lake, Woodstock, Cary, Algonquin, Huntley, and Lake in the Hills — the product holds up across exposures when it’s installed to spec.
We pay attention to three install details on every LP project. First: 6-inch minimum grade clearance. Soil and mulch migration is the #1 failure mode; I verify clearance during the site walk before crews arrive. Second: every cut edge gets sealed with LP-approved sealant. Factory edges are protected by the overlay, but field cuts expose raw wood strands. Third: fasteners flush, not countersunk. Overdriving breaks the surface overlay. I’ve watched crews learn that one the hard way, and we check fastener depth on day one of every job.
LP isn’t my default recommendation for most McHenry County homes — I lead with James Hardie for fire safety, non-prorated warranty, and 50-plus year lifespan. But LP’s the right answer when: the homeowner wants the feel of real wood, the elevation sees heavy wind, impact resistance matters (sports courts, high-traffic areas, hail-prone exposures), or budget can’t stretch to cedar. I’ve got no hesitation recommending LP for those cases. We install it to spec, the warranty holds, and the homeowner gets the wood aesthetic they wanted.
Other LP SmartSide Products We Install
LP SmartSide covers the full exterior — lap, shakes, panel and trim for board-and-batten. Most projects pair two or more together.
Ready to See LP SmartSide on Your House?
We come to your home, look at the elevations, discuss your goals — wood aesthetic, wind performance, impact resistance — and walk you through LP SmartSide widths, textures, and ExpertFinish colors with real samples in hand. No pressure, no obligation.
Visit Our Crystal Lake Showroom
4410 IL-176, Suite 1, Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Mon–Fri 9AM–4PM | Appointments available 24/7 via AI receptionist
395++ Google Reviews · 4.6 Stars · Family-Owned Since 2005
Frequently Asked Questions
Is LP SmartSide the same as OSB or particleboard?
No. LP SmartSide is engineered wood — precisely oriented Aspen strands treated with SmartGuard (zinc borate, marine-grade MDI resin, waterproof waxes, resin-saturated overlay), layered under heat and pressure. OSB is random wood chips bonded with cheaper adhesive. Particleboard is sawdust and glue. LP SmartSide is engineered to a tighter spec and treated with marine-grade materials built into the strand, not painted on top.
What’s the real story with LP’s prorated warranty?
LP’s 5/50 warranty is full materials and labor for Years 1 through 5, then prorated materials only from Year 6 through Year 50. By Year 20 you’re looking at roughly 67 percent of material cost and zero labor. Hardie’s 30-year warranty is non-prorated and transfers to the next homeowner at full value. On paper, 50 beats 30. In real-world protection, the non-prorated Hardie warranty holds more value at Year 20 than the prorated LP warranty does at Year 10.
Is LP SmartSide fire-rated?
No. LP SmartSide is combustible — it’s engineered wood, and wood burns. It meets building code for exterior wall covering, but it’s not Class A non-combustible the way James Hardie fiber cement is. For homes near wooded lots or in insurance categories that charge extra for combustible siding, fiber cement is the better fire-safety choice. We tell homeowners that up front.
What wind rating does LP SmartSide have?
200-plus mph per ASTM D5206 testing. Higher than fiber cement (130 mph HZ10). LP’s wood flexibility absorbs wind force that would crack rigid cement board. For exposed McHenry County elevations — corner lots, lake homes, open farmland — the wind advantage is real.
Why do some people say LP has had quality problems?
They’re remembering LP’s older inner-seal OSB siding from the 1990s, which had serious failures and class action settlements. LP SmartSide is a completely different product developed to fix those failures — different composition, different treatment, different manufacturing process. Current SmartSide failures do happen — and in almost every case they trace back to installer errors (unsealed cuts, insufficient grade clearance, overdriven fasteners). That’s why installer choice matters on this product.
What maintenance does LP SmartSide require?
Inspect caulk joints annually. Check grade clearance annually (soil and mulch migration can cover the critical 6-inch clearance). Address any paint chips or exposed wood immediately. Power-wash gently on low pressure only — high pressure damages the overlay. With ExpertFinish, repaint every 15-20 years. With field-painted LP, repaint every 10-15 years.
