Engineered Wood Siding in Naperville, IL

What Is LP SmartSide Engineered Wood Siding?

LP SmartSide is manufactured by Louisiana-Pacific Corporation and uses a proprietary engineered strand technology — wood strands oriented and bonded under heat and pressure with a zinc borate treatment to resist fungal decay and wood-boring insects. The resulting panel or lap board is then treated with a resin-saturated overlay and primer, providing a surface that accepts paint similarly to real wood while resisting the moisture penetration that causes real wood to deteriorate.

The product has been on the market since 1997 and has been through Chicago's winters for nearly three decades. Its track record in freeze-thaw climates is excellent. The strand-based construction doesn't have grain, so it doesn't split along grain lines the way solid wood does. The zinc borate treatment prevents the fungal decay that renders untreated wood siding unusable after moisture infiltration. And the 50-year pro-rated manufacturer's warranty — the longest in the siding industry — backs the product's longevity claims with financial commitment.

LP SmartSide is available in lap siding profiles from 3.5" to 9.5" exposures, panel siding for board-and-batten applications, shingle panels, and trim boards. The product comes primed but unpainted, requiring field painting after installation. This is actually an advantage for many homeowners — it means you can choose any exterior paint color without being limited to a manufacturer's predefined color library, and you can repaint as styles change without the material considerations that apply to vinyl or fiber cement.

The textured surface of LP SmartSide closely replicates the look of real wood at normal viewing distances. At close range, the strand-based texture is visible and somewhat distinct from true wood grain, but from the street — which is the perspective that matters for curb appeal — the product reads as natural wood convincingly. Many architects and homeowners specify it specifically for projects where a warm, organic exterior character is the design goal.

LP SmartSide vs. Real Wood

Real wood siding — cedar, redwood, pine — requires annual inspection, periodic repainting every 5–7 years, and active management of any areas where moisture infiltration has begun. In Chicago's climate, where freeze-thaw cycling drives moisture deep into any cracks that develop in the paint film, wood siding maintenance is a substantial ongoing investment. LP SmartSide eliminates most of that burden: the treated strand construction resists moisture infiltration, the zinc borate treatment prevents decay, and the product's stability means paint films last significantly longer than they would on real wood. Repainting cycles extend to 8–12 years on properly primed and painted LP SmartSide versus 5–7 years on cedar.

Our Installation Process

Is LP SmartSide Right for Your Home?

• You want the look and warmth of natural wood without real wood's maintenance demands
• You want design freedom to choose any exterior paint color
• You're building a craftsman, farmhouse, or cottage-style home where wood texture matters
• You want the longest manufacturer's warranty in the siding industry — 50 years
• You prefer a lighter-weight material than fiber cement that's still premium quality

Engineered Wood FAQ