L-P "Smart Side" OSB Siding (2003-vintage)

[Rob Amaral]

Anybody picking up any delamination issues with this product out there? The few times I've seen it, it looks "OK', but I found a house with issues that are like the problems with hardboard (delamination at the lower edges, some swelling, some moisture-retention).. House was 2003, it was defintely the L-P OSB product.

[randynavarro]

I haven't seen issues as obvious as what you describe, but even yesterday, saw some LP groove panel siding that didn't make me comfortable. The edges were slightly swollen but not delaminating...enough swelling to show the nails as sunken too far.

I can not find any corroboration or hard facts from other sources that are recording consistent failures.

[Tom Raymond]

Isn't the fact that it's LP enough to cause concern? Every product ever produced by LP has been the subject of a significant recall or has had sufficiently high failure rates for LP to abandon it, either way leaving consumers in the lurch. I honestly have no idea how they stay in business.

[Chad Fabry]

My friend sided his home with the first generation stuff-- all back primed and meticulously detailed. He's a freak. Anyway, it failed at everything except growing mushrooms. LP replaced it and generously allowed my buddy to re-install ~30 square sans compensation. That was back around 2003-2004.

Here's what I have to say about the new stuff: amanita muscaria

[hausdok]

Isn't the fact that it's LP enough to cause concern?

No,

When it's properly installed there aren't any issues; even in our wet climate here. The concern is that finding it properly installed is a problem. Siders throw this stuff on and recreate all of the same mistakes that they make with regular wood siding. Where regular wood siding is more forgiving of those errors and it doesn't always create an issue, with this product those errors can turn into serious issues.

What's amazing to my mind is the number of contractors out there that still don't know the basics of siding installation who are putting everything on wrong. One expects that, with the internet and with the ease of finding information about how to properly install stuff, today we'd have siders doing a better job. We don't, they just seem to get dumber and dumber.

Don't blame a product that performs well when properly installed but is failing because it's been installed by a moron. Blame the moron. I do; all the time. I often start that comment with, "The person(s) that installed this siding should be nominated for the Darwin award,".....

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Tom Raymond]

Jeesh, I had to go look that up. For the rest of us amanita muscaria would be a fungus.

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There is no question that the majority of siding installers out there are morons, but that is an entirely different problem. Ignorance can be cured, but there ain't no fixin' stupid.

Forget all the marketing propaganda, LP stands for Lousy Products. Their market is mediocre and below.

[Jim Katen]

. . .Forget all the marketing propaganda, LP stands for Lousy Products. Their market is mediocre and below.

Not even close to true. Yes, they manufactured some crummy siding. So did every other wood products manufacturer out there. But when the OSB hit the fan, LP stuck it out, made multiple revisions to their formulation & methods, and finally came up with a decent siding product. They are also the only one of the many siding manufacturers sued who not only adhered to the terms of the class action but went beyond it by continuing to fund claims even after the original settlement funds were exhausted -- they exceeded their court-required responsibilities by many millions of dollars.

As for LP standing for Lousy Products, that's just a silly claim. They've manufactured billions of board feet of plywood, OSB, radiant barrier panels, I-joist framing materials, LVLs, & LSLs. Each of these products is at least as good as those of its competitors.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Tom Raymond]

Well maybe; but they have obsoleted not one but two wood window product lines, destroyed the machining both times, and met their warranty obligations by shipping home owners new IG units for non-reglazable products. Their vinyl window line met a similar fate. Their wood siding products are junk, and if they're not just wait a few months. Then there are the recalls, most recently the composite decking. Funny that only the products they manufactured themselves were recalled, their licensees work to tighter tolerances with better QC.

Oh, the primary outlets for LP stuff is Home Depot and 84 Lumber, not exactly purveyors of quality materials.

[Jim Katen]

Well maybe; but they have obsoleted not one but two wood window product lines, destroyed the machining both times, and met their warranty obligations by shipping home owners new IG units for non-reglazable products. Their vinyl window line met a similar fate.

Well, you've got me there. I've never seen or heard of an LP window of any kind. They must not have made it out here. (I've also never heard of a non-reglazable window.)

Their wood siding products are junk, and if they're not just wait a few months.

Not true out here. Since the product revision in 1998, their siding has performed very well out here, even when poorly installed. But maybe if I wait a few more months. . .

Then there are the recalls, most recently the composite decking. Funny that only the products they manufactured themselves were recalled, their licensees work to tighter tolerances with better QC.

Of course, their competitors have also had recalls of the same class of products. Whenever a new class of product is introduced, there will be failures. All of the manufacturers use the public for beta testing. I've seen failures of fake decking made by everyone, not just LP.

Oh, the primary outlets for LP stuff is Home Depot and 84 Lumber, not exactly purveyors of quality materials.

I guess that's bad news for James Hardie, Masonite, Velux, and everyone else that sells to HD. Maybe I ought to return that Fluke tester that I bought there. It must be crap.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Rob Amaral]

Like I said, I've seen the product before, and no problems.. this house had evidences (as far as lower-edge delamination) just like hardboard. The actual spots of 'swelling-deformation' were also new to this 15+ yr inspector.

Thanks for the responses people!!

Rob Amaral

[ghinmiss]

Hi

New to this forum, and my knowledge of building is pretty low. So here goes:

We're looking to build a small shed using this product. We're in Canada, near Toronto. So it will be exposed to rain and snow. What should we be careful of when having it installed? Won't be doing it myself, but would like to know the right questions to ask. Or should we stick with plywood walls covered with vinyl siding?

That's what one contractor suggested. Wife likes the look of of the Smart Panel siding, though. Have a company up here called Duro-Shed that uses the stuff for their sheds.

Thanks,

Greg

[Marc]

It's a masonite (steam cooked wood fiber) product that's treated with a zinc borate compound.

I wouldn't recommend it for a house, regardless of climate. For a shed, heck, some people use anything.

Marc

[Nolan Kienitz]

If you do us the LP product ... just be sure to keep it well sealed ... IE: primed and painted thoroughly.

Over time the bottom course (near grade/ground level) will still likely absorb moisture and crumble. Maybe not so much as the older product in the similar lineage.

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[hausdok]

Uh, no it's not, Marc.

Smart Side panels are made by Louisiana-Pacific. Not sure if "steam cooked wood fiber" is a proper description of oriented stand board (OSB) but it is infused throughout with zinc borate.

He'll want the "Precision" collection of the product. The "Foundations" and "Architectural" series are not rated for structural use. He can find out more at the L-P Smart Side Storage Shed Solutions Site.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[hausdok]

If you do us the LP product ... just be sure to keep it well sealed ... IE: primed and painted thoroughly.

Over time the bottom course (near grade/ground level) will still likely absorb moisture and crumble. Maybe not so much as the older product in the similar lineage.

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No wonder, it's way too close to grade.

Agree 100% with the part about keeping it primed and painted. Don't know a thing about Texas; but even regular wood siding installed that close to grade deteriorates around here.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Erby]

The number one failure cause of the bottom of the siding I see around here is the failure to properly paint and seal the bottom of the wood panel and several inches of the backside.

I've seen some done right, with the bottom and several inches up the back side properly sealed and painted, that are real old and still doing fine.

I've seen some not done right, no paint or sealer on the bottom and several inches up the backside, that rot in just a couple of years.

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