Author: Bob Villa | Published 10:28 AM, July 9, 2013
Whether it is SmartSide, Catawba or TruWood, engineered wood siding products claim to have technical advantages over similar solid wood products. These products are designed to eliminate defects, prevent deterioration, and are cost-effective to install and maintain.
Generally speaking, engineered wood siding products are made of wood chips and glued together with resin. Take the SmartSide series of wall panels and trims from LP Building Products as an example. It consists of wooden threads coated with a resin adhesive and compressed to form a board. Each SmartSide component is also treated with LP's SmartGuard zinc borate treatment system to prevent termites and rot.
Then apply a layer of moisture-proof covering on the board, embossed with cedar wood grain pattern on it to get a real appearance. “The process of treating each piece of wood with zinc borate, using heavy external glue and pressing the product under heat and pressure produces a solid piece of wood,” said Ben Skoog, LP’s SmartSide business marketing manager. Both LP's SmartSide and Collins Products' TruWood siding are sold with longer 16-foot boards to reduce seams and waste.
Affordable construction products are defined by purchase price, installation cost and maintenance. The cost of engineered wood siding is about half of the price of solid wood, and installation is easier and cheaper. This is because it is lighter than wood and has advanced technology that makes installation easier, such as LP's SmartLock self-aligning edge design. Engineered wood siding can be purchased with pre-primed, ready-to-paint or pre-painted any number of finish options, thereby reducing site and labor time after installation.
In addition, please note that engineered wood siding products often have generous warranty support. Both Collins and LP products provide a 30-year transferable warranty for their engineered siding systems. LP's SmartSide also adds a 7-year 100% labor and replacement warranty.
Engineering siding does have its flaws. Moisture is still a common enemy, and the engineered wood siding industry has suffered many class-action lawsuits due to moisture-related problems caused by product defects and installation errors. "Our early engineering wood siding attempt, called Inner-Seal, was not manufactured or processed like SmartSide, and the result was a failure of the product," Skoog explained. Since revamping their siding line, SmartSide products have been installed in more than 150 Ten thousand families.
These engineered products are considered environmentally friendly because they help prevent large-scale felling of trees for construction purposes. Both fiber cement and engineered wood use wood wisely and have almost no negative impact on our forests. In fact, Collins product TruWood engineered wood siding has been certified by the Forest Management Committee, an independent organization that recognizes wood products collected from the forest in a way that can manage and be socially responsible.
Fiber cement has existed for nearly a century. Like engineered wood siding, it has certain advantages over natural wood. Although it used to be made with added asbestos, today's fiber cement siding is made from a mixture of Portland cement, cellulose or wood fiber materials, sand, and other ingredients. It can form a variety of siding patterns, with a smooth or embossed surface, or a texture with the appearance of cedar wood. The special curing process keeps the moisture content of the final product low, making it difficult to warp and conducive to paint application.
The installation method is very similar to the solid wood siding. The fiber cement siding has the same length and width as the wood siding, and the installation method is the same. Cutting is more difficult than solid wood or engineered wood, and manufacturers insist that installers wear masks and goggles to prevent harmful dust from cutting.
The cost of fiber cement siding is about half that of solid wood, almost no maintenance, the time to keep the paint is three times that of solid wood, and it is easy to clean. With a strong guarantee of durability, homeowners can rest assured that there is little extra money to maintain the siding.
The main selling point of this product is its durability: it can withstand bad weather, insects and rot. CertainTeed and Cemplank provide their products with a warranty equivalent to that provided by the engineered wood siding company-CertainTeed’s WeatherBoards fiber cement siding has a 50-year limited transferable warranty. Fiber cement is also sold in fire-resistant form, making it an ideal siding choice for houses in wildfire areas.
Fiber cement siding is susceptible to moisture intrusion, especially if installed incorrectly. Failure to properly install fiber cement siding can cause mold and rot in the sheath or structural support. Installation is also a problem for fiber cement siding-it weighs about 1.5 times that of wood and requires special cutting tools.
Disclosure: BobVila.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide publishers with a way to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliate sites.
You agree that BobVila.com can process your data in the manner described in our privacy policy.
Copyright © 2021 Acton Media Inc. all rights reserved.