Louisiana PacificâÂÂs SmartSide Lap and Panel siding consists of a primer-coated resin-saturated paper overlay (MDO) on zinc-borate treated aspen wood OSB with Rubinate MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate) adhesive. Its exposed edges are treated with 3 coats of sealer.

Thanks - but what does any of that actually mean

someone can google ;)

I have used it on projects, and the trim on my own home. It is cheaper than fiber cement slightly for the pre primed option and was cheaper than a quality vinyl, but then you need to add the paint to it. If you get the pre finished it does run more than vinyl, and about the same as Hardi. I like it due to the fact that I personally think the wood grains are better than most other products I have seen (included Hardi) and its easier/safer to work with. Warranty wise is similar, but time will tell how it holds up. I can not honestly comment on it. But from using both products, I am specing the LP product nearly exclusively due to the features it has. Contactors prefer to work with it over cement board...the ones that I have talked with.

What it means is that the product relies heavily on a wood preservative and can be susceptible to water at any field cut edges. The triple seal on the exposed edges is there for a reason.

To find that information I searched my old files. I first posted that description on the GardenWeb in 2005 less than 10 years after LP stopped making an OSB siding product called Inner Seal that failed and almost put LP out of business. LP paid off their customers and added a preservative to the OSB and called it Smartside. It was a scary time to be specifying simulated siding products so I felt is was wise to give this product time to prove itself and so far it seems to have done that.

In New England, on residences, lap siding is far more common than any kind of panel siding but the embossed surface grain pattern of Smartside Lap siding is inconsistent with the traditional smooth surface of good quality cedar clapboards so I have yet to see it used on a house.

Clapboard siding ready for paint:

This post was edited by Renovator8 on Thu, Aug 22, 13 at 14:17

From a response I made to a post on the Garden Web in 2011: The Smartside 50 year limited warranty excludes damages that result from "swelling and/or edge checking." LP considers this to be normal for all wood siding products.

Whatever you think of the siding, you must admit that LP has learned to hire good lawyers.