Lots of bias in this video sprinkled with some truth. (1) The hammer test is flawed, the VAST majority of the US uses OSB/sheathing during wall construction. Put JH against LP on a wall with OSB, and you’ll get different results, (2) Cost is relative to the local market; LABOR and dealer stocking position swing prices widely on the project. (3) durability; LP smart side is wood. Wood/WoodStrand board will rot, wood will become infested by carpenter bees, termites regardless of what treatment is put in the board. Fiber cement doesn’t burn, is heavily resistant to pests, doesn’t swell (as long as the brand uses actual cement and not fly ash),. I also don’t appreciate the fact that you put a brand new piece of LP against a damaged beaten piece of hardie… amd on top of your own clear biases it makes everything you say suspect. There are pros to both brands; LP is GREAT for installers it’s fast and light,, but has massive amounts of maintenance for the homeowner. Hardie requiems the installer to slow down and it’s heavier. BUT it’s literal concrete that is a longer lasting application with less maintenance vs LP. Who do you ultimately serve? Your customer or yourself?
I am a few mins in and I am already hearing BS.. takes less material because of less butt joints and 12' vs 16' runs? I mean its nice to have longer pieces but I doubt it will reduce your materials at all all. I'd never buy a house with a painted OSB
They are removing Hardie from most costal areas because the salt in the air is chewing it up. Your bias is now showing. Both are great products in different applications, and both come with their pros and cons. Agreed the hammer test is flawed though... should be against a wall/strapping... would never test an impact like that.
Lp is oriented strand board. “Cheap wood” OSB will swell when at the bottom of the wall Ask them about the complete failure of the former Lp osb Siding “innerseal”
Brook although it may look that way, it is very different manufacturing process. We have toured the plant and how they treat and strays lay each piece of wood and the coating infused is not comparable to standard OSB. If you grab a piece and pour water on the backside it rolls around like putting water on wax paper. That is not to say it can’t rot if installed in conditions that go against the installation instructions. We have seen it fail in situations like that. But, if used properly it is an amazing product that we have on our own homes here at Northface.
@@NorthfaceConstruction All USB has a wax impregnation to it - and it will ALL rot the same. The wax only lasts so long (typically the length of time it takes to dry in a build). Heat degrades it quickly and then it starts sucking up the water and rotting.
People look up the warranty on LP and you will see the big difference between Hardie and LP warranty differences. Its easy to warrant a product for 50 yrs, When you don't cover anything at all!
It's actually a treated OSB, not the same stuff you put on your subfloors or find on the shelf at Home Depot. Two minutes of research would have found that information.
Yes there was a class action lawsuit against LP smart siding look it up and they paid a lot of money out to homeowners and have change some things to help with mold and moisture getting behind it!
@@1heart7seas1moonthere was one of the biggest class action lawsuits in siding history over the LP smart siding! They paid nearly 1 billion out to over 120k homeowners, Look it up. Your thinking about the T-110 Masonite siding which also had a class action lawsuit!
I'll be honest here...the first house I owned was stucco, second house was vinyl siding, third house was hardie board. All I heard when I had my first two houses was how great hardie board was. Supposedly an upgrade, looks nicer, etc. etc. If I had to rank siding in terms of what I would prefer in order, it would be stucco, then vinyl siding then hardie board last. They all need to be cleaned. Vinyl siding will get more mildew than the others but doesn't need painting. Stucco requires cleaning and needs to be painted less frequently than hardie. Stucco is better from a maintenance standpoint because it needs two things, cleaning and painting. It does not have nail holes, is does not have butt joints that have to be flashed (which most builders fail to do) or caulked. Hardie board presents the most headaches, IMO and my experiences.
I have prefinished LP smartside. Finish is not very durable. A snow shovel, patio chair bump etc. will easily chip the finish off. And at 7 years at least half the house needs paint. I don't like Hardie plank either . What to use on next home??
Look into their warranty for LP siding. Any homeowner that gets this product installed on their home just got themselves another full time job. Warranty is also excluded for a lot of states. I would love to see your homes installed 5-10 years down the line after install. James Hardie Siding goes over LP OSB plywood, you don’t just install it over studs so the test of it it beating it with a hammer is very biased in my opinion. Put it on actual plywood and then test it with a hammer. I’m not being biased, just educating homeowner whenever they make their Well informed decision on which to use on their property.
Heber - I hate to break it to you, but I rarely see JH installed over plywood or OSB sheathing. In most markets I work in, the product goes directly over studs with house wrap or builder paper behind it. Also, I don’t think having sheathing behind it would give you much different results - the JH product is very brittle and you have to treat it with kid gloves when handling it on the jobsite or it will crack. Also, believe it or not, JH requires you to maintain their product after install as well for their warranty to remain in place. Unfortunately, there ain’t no shortcuts when it comes to this part of life…..😐
@@donabele1243 - You’ve obviously never built in the Kansas City market for one - homes there are routinely constructed with panel siding (Hardie or LP) installed directly over studs, acting as both the siding and sheathing material. Had to replace a few pieces of Hardie lap on my mother-in-law’s house this summer. Studs, asphalt felt, and Hardie lap was the wall construction - and this was in a high-end subdivision outside of Dallas. And don’t even get me started about all the production homes that are currently being “sheathed” (I’ll use the term loosely) with what amounts to little more than 1/4” wax-impregnated cardboard - insert whatever brand name you desire!
@@ddellwo No one in the Washington DC metro market builds without some sort OSB sheathing.. really nowhere in the whole mid Atlantic region aside from very low end homes and even then I rarely see it. Its idiotic to not use OSB sheathing given wall bracing requirements and needed blocking for anything you are nailing to the exterior (siding, trim, receptacles, lighting, etc). Is this some sort of track homes builder that doesn't use OSB?
i agree..LP Smart side is way superior...i purchased a property that had hardie on it and the first thing i did was replaced it with LP...so much cleaner and sharper looking ...more coverage and faster install..overall money saver..
Per the manufacturers literature the dust from LP is carcinogenic??? It's not just "wood dust" - they use a lot of chemicals to make it (binders) and to make it termite resistant ( per their literature, it is NOT termite proof!). They recommend a mask, just like Hardi. How are you using less material per piece? That makes absolutely no sense! Linear footage is linear footage, doesn't matter if it's 12 feet or 16 feet, it's still the same amount of material to cover a house. What is your "hammer test" supposed to prove? How about putting the siding up on SHEATHING and try repeating that! Thanks for continuing the market gimmick that LP loves to use. LP is sustainable...and you go on to praise it but don't mention that Hardi uses wood pulp - not forested trees and is much more sustainable. "Obviously this video is bias" - should have started with that! "But what do I know" - NOT MUCH!
LP Smart Siding is the siding contractors use because it's cheap, easy to work with, and won't start looking terrible until a few years later, when they are no longer liable for it. LP Smart siding was designed with contractors in mind, not the home owner. It's easy to cut, lighter, less delicate when working with it, cheaper, comes in longer lengths ( so less cuts ), and looks great on day 1. Unfortunately, it's basically particle board and is notorious for taking on water and rotting. It's meant to to be lighter on the contractor's pocket in both material and labor cost, and present well. The drawbacks are passed onto the client. Do yourself a favor and avoid any contractor that uses LP smart siding. It's glorified cardboard. Look up some videos here on UA-cam of homeowners and their 5-10 year issues with LP smart siding. Installed properly, but still taking on water and becoming like a sponge within 10 years. It's like masonite siding all over again.
I have 24 year old Hardie board on my house. It’s in perfect condition. I have 10 year LP smart siding on my workshop. Both have been well maintained and were thoroughly caulked. When exposed to water, the LP DETERIORATES. I’ll never buy LP Smart siding ever again.
Contractors will always choose Lp for ease of installation. Cement fibers have better insulation for summer and winter its also fire resistant. Use logic
Lots of bias in this video sprinkled with some truth. (1) The hammer test is flawed, the VAST majority of the US uses OSB/sheathing during wall construction. Put JH against LP on a wall with OSB, and you’ll get different results, (2) Cost is relative to the local market; LABOR and dealer stocking position swing prices widely on the project. (3) durability; LP smart side is wood. Wood/WoodStrand board will rot, wood will become infested by carpenter bees, termites regardless of what treatment is put in the board. Fiber cement doesn’t burn, is heavily resistant to pests, doesn’t swell (as long as the brand uses actual cement and not fly ash),. I also don’t appreciate the fact that you put a brand new piece of LP against a damaged beaten piece of hardie… amd on top of your own clear biases it makes everything you say suspect. There are pros to both brands; LP is GREAT for installers it’s fast and light,, but has massive amounts of maintenance for the homeowner. Hardie requiems the installer to slow down and it’s heavier. BUT it’s literal concrete that is a longer lasting application with less maintenance vs LP. Who do you ultimately serve? Your customer or yourself?
Bias doesn't even describe it.
@@RoofingInsights3.0 I was being polite…. But yeah
I am a few mins in and I am already hearing BS.. takes less material because of less butt joints and 12' vs 16' runs? I mean its nice to have longer pieces but I doubt it will reduce your materials at all all.
I'd never buy a house with a painted OSB
They are removing Hardie from most costal areas because the salt in the air is chewing it up. Your bias is now showing. Both are great products in different applications, and both come with their pros and cons. Agreed the hammer test is flawed though... should be against a wall/strapping... would never test an impact like that.
Fiber cement is NOT concrete lol
Lp is oriented strand board. “Cheap wood”
OSB will swell when at the bottom of the wall
Ask them about the complete failure of the former Lp osb Siding “innerseal”
Brook although it may look that way, it is very different manufacturing process. We have toured the plant and how they treat and strays lay each piece of wood and the coating infused is not comparable to standard OSB. If you grab a piece and pour water on the backside it rolls around like putting water on wax paper.
That is not to say it can’t rot if installed in conditions that go against the installation instructions. We have seen it fail in situations like that. But, if used properly it is an amazing product that we have on our own homes here at Northface.
@@NorthfaceConstruction All USB has a wax impregnation to it - and it will ALL rot the same. The wax only lasts so long (typically the length of time it takes to dry in a build). Heat degrades it quickly and then it starts sucking up the water and rotting.
People look up the warranty on LP and you will see the big difference between Hardie and LP warranty differences.
Its easy to warrant a product for 50 yrs, When you don't cover anything at all!
@@nunya937 warranties for both products suck…they get you in the fine print
It's actually a treated OSB, not the same stuff you put on your subfloors or find on the shelf at Home Depot. Two minutes of research would have found that information.
Wasn't there a class action lawsuit against lp?
You’re thinking about MASONITE that looks like the same thing , LP has a way different formula
Yes there was a class action lawsuit against LP smart siding look it up and they paid a lot of money out to homeowners and have change some things to help with mold and moisture getting behind it!
@@1heart7seas1moonthere was one of the biggest class action lawsuits in siding history over the LP smart siding! They paid nearly 1 billion out to over 120k homeowners, Look it up. Your thinking about the T-110 Masonite siding which also had a class action lawsuit!
I'll be honest here...the first house I owned was stucco, second house was vinyl siding, third house was hardie board. All I heard when I had my first two houses was how great hardie board was. Supposedly an upgrade, looks nicer, etc. etc. If I had to rank siding in terms of what I would prefer in order, it would be stucco, then vinyl siding then hardie board last. They all need to be cleaned. Vinyl siding will get more mildew than the others but doesn't need painting. Stucco requires cleaning and needs to be painted less frequently than hardie. Stucco is better from a maintenance standpoint because it needs two things, cleaning and painting. It does not have nail holes, is does not have butt joints that have to be flashed (which most builders fail to do) or caulked. Hardie board presents the most headaches, IMO and my experiences.
I have prefinished LP smartside. Finish is not very durable. A snow shovel, patio chair bump etc. will easily chip the finish off. And at 7 years at least half the house needs paint. I don't like Hardie plank either . What to use on next home??
Look into their warranty for LP siding. Any homeowner that gets this product installed on their home just got themselves another full time job.
Warranty is also excluded for a lot of states.
I would love to see your homes installed 5-10 years down the line after install.
James Hardie Siding goes over LP OSB plywood, you don’t just install it over studs so the test of it it beating it with a hammer is very biased in my opinion. Put it on actual plywood and then test it with a hammer.
I’m not being biased, just educating homeowner whenever they make their Well informed decision on which to use on their property.
Heber - I hate to break it to you, but I rarely see JH installed over plywood or OSB sheathing. In most markets I work in, the product goes directly over studs with house wrap or builder paper behind it. Also, I don’t think having sheathing behind it would give you much different results - the JH product is very brittle and you have to treat it with kid gloves when handling it on the jobsite or it will crack.
Also, believe it or not, JH requires you to maintain their product after install as well for their warranty to remain in place. Unfortunately, there ain’t no shortcuts when it comes to this part of life…..😐
@@ddellwo Please show me examples of where JH or ANY siding is installed without sheathing! That does not meet ANY modern code in the U.S.
@@donabele1243 - You’ve obviously never built in the Kansas City market for one - homes there are routinely constructed with panel siding (Hardie or LP) installed directly over studs, acting as both the siding and sheathing material. Had to replace a few pieces of Hardie lap on my mother-in-law’s house this summer. Studs, asphalt felt, and Hardie lap was the wall construction - and this was in a high-end subdivision outside of Dallas. And don’t even get me started about all the production homes that are currently being “sheathed” (I’ll use the term loosely) with what amounts to little more than 1/4” wax-impregnated cardboard - insert whatever brand name you desire!
@@ddellwo No one in the Washington DC metro market builds without some sort OSB sheathing.. really nowhere in the whole mid Atlantic region aside from very low end homes and even then I rarely see it.
Its idiotic to not use OSB sheathing given wall bracing requirements and needed blocking for anything you are nailing to the exterior (siding, trim, receptacles, lighting, etc). Is this some sort of track homes builder that doesn't use OSB?
i have used used LP trim for my house and it is two year old and the trim paint is already failing not happy with this product.
The hammer test is flawed. Place the substrates on a solid surface with backing as it would be installed on a home, then perform your hammer test.
Almost two minutes in and we learn the fiber cement has fibers and cement, and Lp is made of wood.
i agree..LP Smart side is way superior...i purchased a property that had hardie on it and the first thing i did was replaced it with LP...so much cleaner and sharper looking ...more coverage and faster install..overall money saver..
lol.. more material because of 12' vs 16' boards? really?
Per the manufacturers literature the dust from LP is carcinogenic??? It's not just "wood dust" - they use a lot of chemicals to make it (binders) and to make it termite resistant ( per their literature, it is NOT termite proof!). They recommend a mask, just like Hardi.
How are you using less material per piece? That makes absolutely no sense! Linear footage is linear footage, doesn't matter if it's 12 feet or 16 feet, it's still the same amount of material to cover a house.
What is your "hammer test" supposed to prove? How about putting the siding up on SHEATHING and try repeating that! Thanks for continuing the market gimmick that LP loves to use.
LP is sustainable...and you go on to praise it but don't mention that Hardi uses wood pulp - not forested trees and is much more sustainable.
"Obviously this video is bias" - should have started with that!
"But what do I know" - NOT MUCH!
Do they get paid to say nonsense like this? The material comment told me right off the bat this guy was an spinning some nonsense.
LP Smart Siding is the siding contractors use because it's cheap, easy to work with, and won't start looking terrible until a few years later, when they are no longer liable for it. LP Smart siding was designed with contractors in mind, not the home owner. It's easy to cut, lighter, less delicate when working with it, cheaper, comes in longer lengths ( so less cuts ), and looks great on day 1. Unfortunately, it's basically particle board and is notorious for taking on water and rotting. It's meant to to be lighter on the contractor's pocket in both material and labor cost, and present well. The drawbacks are passed onto the client. Do yourself a favor and avoid any contractor that uses LP smart siding. It's glorified cardboard. Look up some videos here on UA-cam of homeowners and their 5-10 year issues with LP smart siding. Installed properly, but still taking on water and becoming like a sponge within 10 years. It's like masonite siding all over again.
I have 24 year old Hardie board on my house. It’s in perfect condition. I have 10 year LP smart siding on my workshop. Both have been well maintained and were thoroughly caulked. When exposed to water, the LP DETERIORATES. I’ll never buy LP Smart siding ever again.
You swung that hammer about twice hard against the Hardie. But we all know that LP is more impact resistant... so, no need to embellish the results.
Contractors will always choose Lp for ease of installation. Cement fibers have better insulation for summer and winter its also fire resistant. Use logic
LOL! BIAS AF!
I can’t stand using Hardie Board. They might as well make it out of glass.
This is killer content! Great job everyone :)