Siding Wars: James Hardie® VS LP SmartSide® VS Mastic® Quest (Vinyl)

Siding Wars: James Hardie® VS LP SmartSide® VS Mastic® Quest (Vinyl)

Did you know there is a siding war going in on in America? There are few companies making claims that there are the best choice, attacking each other and throwing punches at competitors reputation.

We have decided to put top three Siding Brands head to head to see who will win overall comparison in ten different test: durability, fire resistance, termite resistance, paint finish, maintenance, overall warranty, cost, installation, and safety.

We rated each product and positioned each other per their performance accordingly. In each category each siding product could become number 1, 2, or 3. The less points overall gets you to better overall score.

The results? Looks like we have a tie. Both James Hardie and Mastic Quest earned 17 points, and LP got 24 overall.
All three products have weaknesses and strong points, but we wanted to rate them from consumer perspective and we think results are where they needs to be. No one scored "1" in each category, and no one got "3" in each. Results are results, and numbers don't lie. The best options on the market are Most popular, cheaper and maintenance free Vinyl Siding as well as more expensive, better looking James Hardie siding.

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Storm Group
Residential and Commercial Roofing & Siding Contractor

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About Storm Group Roofing:

[brianharrigan]

Owner Summit Remodeling, Co. , been in business 35 years, was involved with the LP removal and replace fiasco, most were done with James Hardie, Cedarmill planks, all still doing fine today ! Here in the NW, moisture is the big issue, fibre cement handles that problem and holds paint very well !
As you look around your area you will notice more multi family, single family and commercial buildings are finished with varying types of fibre cement siding products, people are learning !
Cheers

[pennylane]

We had the older version of LP on our house. The 4x8 sheets and it all started to rot from the ground up about a foot. We painted about every 4 to 5 years but it didn't matter., they sent an LP guy out and the cut us a check based on the depreciated value. The whole process took about 9 months. They sent us $250, yeah that's it.

We ripped it all off, re covered our house with plywood, wrapped it in tyvek then installed 4x8 sheets of James hardie and installed batten strips for the board and batten look. We installed the shingles in the peaks and did wide trim around Windows, the top to seperate the sheets from the shingles as well as along the bottom. Then we used a 30 year paint from Rodda paints. We did the project ourselves, me and my husband and it looks great!

[ace]

If you install James Hardie, buy a fiberboard shear tool for cutting, the dust from a circular saw is terrible (almost no dust from a shear). I've had Hardie Plank on my house for 15 years no problems whatsoever the neighbors have replaced their cheap vinyl several times due to hail damage.

[jdfarm]

Thanks. I am a carpenter as well and I have vinyl on my house and try to steer customers that direction as well. Another plus is that if a piece of vinyl gets damaged, it is much easier to replace than the other 2 options.

[JoeBrennan]

Excellent video. Thanks for the overview of the three products. Very helpful to the consumer to see the different aspects of each choice discussed and rated.

[pennylane]

Also if you decide to install James hardie invest in something called gecko gauge. It is a hands free tool that holds the board in place if you are doing the job yourself

[johnbielick]

Enjoyed your systematic breakdown of each product. I definitely feel better educated about each choice. To be fair, ?though, I would have liked to hear more about the hardie warranty.

[Darrenbrown]

Terminates are enough reason for me to choose fiber board! Great video really helped me decide!

[caseywingate]

Very Good Video but you forgot that LP Has partnered with Diamond Kote for paint finish and now has a 30 Year no fade guarantee.

[arleng]

This is a great Hardie commercial.
1. Durability- LP wins, look up the NASA Smartside video on youtube. Hands down, debris flying LP wins. No hail warranty because hail should not damage it at all.
2. Fire-Fires start most of the time inside the home, so either way your screwed. If it is a grass fire approaching you, it doesnt matter much either, even brick homes have been lost to wild fires.
3. Termites-No mention of the chemical built into the resin of the material to prevent termites. Termites tend to each the substructure, so you should treat for termites with any home.
4-5. 5 year 100% parts and labor warranty backed up with a 50 year limited. Standard home maintenance check for caulk lines every so often, look for possible swelling/fatigue keep the home washed of debris/dirt/mold.
6. Installation. Who cares how difficult or easy the install is, your paying someone to do it right. You have a contract with the installer to do it right, if it fails because of install, sue the installer, you have it in writing dont you?
7. Looks, personal preference. Should not be on this list, but since it is give Hardie and LP a 1, and vinyl a 4.
8. Cost- Vinyl is cheap it should get a 1, LP a 2 and Hardie a 10. Homedepot 1 panel of LP smart is $40. 1 panel of Hardie is $130. same size.
9. Safety- A non-issue if you follow approved OSHA guidelines. Do the job right or don't do it at all. Vinyl can be dangerous if you are using a dull box knife and slice your wrist. Seen it happen.

[BJHMedia]

Thank you for posting video, video is informative and help making decisions.

[caseywingate]

That and Diamond Kote added in a rigid spline to the back of their boards which allows a single person to install an entire board and as long as the start board is level every other piece will be as well

[infomercialguy]

Great video! This is very helpful. You guys seem awesome.

[JasonRauschelbach]

Excellent video, from a consumers perspective. I would like to know more about your reasoning behind ranking the mastic board number one for safety. Thanks again guys!

[jillschwartz]

Informative video. I was wondering if you could give your opinion on which product would be best only in regard to woodpeckers trying to make nesting holes. Which has been found to be least attractive to them, and which gives best resistance? We currently have areas of synthetic stucco and its been a nightmare. Its seems that the sound they get from the stucco is very attractive to them, and then they easily break through the outer layer (almost within minutes), dig out the styrofoam and then nest. No sooner to we get rid of one and fix the hole and another comes along and makes more big holes. (I would highly discourage anyone from synthetic stucco after what we have been through!)

[hausauerj]

Home come no one includes Seamless Steel in these comparisons?

[floydrturbo]

Which company has class action suits against its siding product...LP then went bankrupt and left homeowners holding the bag and paying 10's of thousands to replace their LP rotted siding. Will Never ever buy LP products again

[workonitm]

That "Smartside" looked like waferboard to me and that's all I need to see. NADA !
Hardee is nice but could be a problem to repair without damage to surrounding pieces.
Vinyl is affordable and can be replaced where needed (if the style you have is still available.)
Brick has it's problems too but would be my number one choice.

[bop]

Terrible video, should of called the video a LP Smart Side bashing. This goofball obviously sells Mastic vinyl and James Hardie and not the LP. No mention of the class action law suit against James Hardie

[bobbg]

I would not Give LP or Louisiana pacific a friken DIME. Because of the way they paid out on the failed crap still on my house today.
They were Rude and insulting t me on the phone. Why would I waste Paint on the garbage just to keep a worthless warranty for a product that did not meet up to standards.
te 4x9 sheets buckled and warped I doubt it has any sheer strength and the nails pulled out of the product. Its absolute crap.
The simple fact is they will not pay a warranty claim thy will alway find its somone elses fault.
I wished that shit would sucks up paint like it sucks up water. Then it might be worth somthing.

I don't like vinyl siding either and it does require maintenance, you have to spray it off or it get's moldy. It changes color shrinks cracks and loses it looks over time.No siding is perfect all of them have faults and no one wants to stand behind the warranty.