Smart Side Plays Up Wind Resistance at IRE in New Orleans

Last year was the second year in a row that the National Hurricane Center exhaused their alphabetical list for named storms and the increased tropical activity, and few places have experienced the devastation that hurricanes have to offer like New Orleans. 

That fact was not lost on Smart Side, a siding product from LP, which hosted live demonstrations at the International Roofing Expo in New Orleans that highlighted the product's stegnth against high winds.

The company prides itself on meeting the tough building standards set in hurricane-prone areas, like the Texas Gulf Coast.

“The Texas Department of Insurance requires that siding installed on structures in the Gulf Coast Region meet the guidelines of its windstorm building standard for building or remodeling,” the company’s website stated. “When installed to manufacturer specifications, LP SmartSide siding exceeds these strict requirements.”

“In addition, our siding exceeds wind speed requirements of the International Code Council, the organization which develops building codes that are recognized by all 50 states and the District of Columbia.”

Smart Side features engineered wood-strain technology and the makers claim that it is one of the toughest products in the business and offers limited warranties that protect against various threats.

According to the Smart Side website, the product resists buckling, cracking, peeling and chipping. The limited warranties also cover damage from hail up to 1.75 inches in diameter and the product is treated with waxes, resins and zinc borate to help resist fungal decay and termite damage.

The company also claims Smart Side siding can withstand winds of up to 200 miles per hour.

“It is a hardwood strand held together with medium density resins treated with zinc borate and hydrophobic waxes,” said Randy Kruse, a representative of the company who demonstrated the installation of the product at the International Roofing Expo in New Orleans.

Steve Kruse, who assisted with the presentation, said the company offers a 5/50 warranty. He explained.

“The first five years labor material and then 45 years thereafter you’re looking at it as wood. And you’re going ‘how does it get there?’” he said. “Well, that manufacturing process, it actually creates a chemical bond when they make it so the strands are all stacked up and they’re actually all woven.”

He said the chemical bond created during the manufacturing process expels moisture.

“Almost flame rate is how dry this wood is when it is at the mill,” said Kruse.

Overall, the LP Smart Side portfolio includes soffit, lap siding, trim and fascia, shakes, along with panel and vertical siding. The siding also comes in 16 colors.

The company said while Smart Side is built for weather durability, it can be compared to other materials that do not fare as well in serious weather events such as fiber cement and aluminum.

“LP SmartSide is a great choice for homes in high wind zones, thanks to its proprietary SmartGuard manufacturing process,” the company’s website stated. “This process ensures that every strand of wood is treated with a carefully formulated mix of resins, waxes, and zinc borate and finished with an overlay to offer complete protection against tough weather elements.”