Homeowner’s Questions For A Siding Renovation Project in Edmonton
By Bjorn Delblanc
When you’re Edmonton’s leading siding renovation contractor, a huge part of the job is answering questions from clients during the planning stages of a project. And since so many of the resources available online are biased (or just wildly inaccurate), even homeowners that are doing their best to educate themselves on their siding options, we often have to address some misconceptions along the way.
Here’s an example where we tried to clear things up for a potential client:
The Setup: A Homeowner Asks Us To Compare LP Smart Side to James Hardie Siding
Lisa (one of our project consultants) sent me a note after an intro meeting with a homeowner in Edmonton. The client wanted to see a pricing option for both James Hardie fiber cement siding, as well as Smart Side engineered wood siding (manufactured by Louisiana Pacific, also known as “LP”).
Lisa let me know that during their online research, the client had seen some videos out of the U.S. showing that Smart Side outperformed Hardie for moisture resistance, as well as hail damage. The client also let Lisa know that the home would eventually be converted to a rental, so the price point of the material would be very important in their final selection.
At Blue Jay, we understand that at the end of the day, we work for the client, not the other way around. So if a homeowner wants us to install Smart Side instead of Hardie Board, we won’t complain. And we actually think that LP makes a pretty good product: we use Smart Trim all the time!
But in this case, the client was completely misinformed about the features and performance of Hardie Board versus LP Smart Side. So I started to write an email to Lisa that she could share with the client.
After spending about 45 minutes writing the email (including time spent combing through Hardie and Smart Side’s warranties, install instructions, and technical bulletins) it seemed to make sense to put this information onto our blog, so that other homeowners with the same questions might find it.
We hope it’s helpful: send us an email at info@bluejayrenos.ca to let us know your comments!
THE EMAIL: The Truth About LP Smart Side in Edmonton
Hey Lisa!
I'd be happy to price out both options for the client! BUT I have some clarifying questions:
First point: The idea that Hardie takes on water but LP Smart Side doesn't is 100% incorrect. Both products will absorb water, but LP absorbs much more. We have a demonstration tank in the office that you can share with the client if you like, it's on David's desk. When either product is installed correctly both will perform well against water, but Hardie will perform better.
Some amount of water will be absorbed by the LP along the square edge of the bottom of the board. This leads to small cracks on the underside of the board, which allows more water to be absorbed, which leads to slightly more cracking, and the cycle continues. This process is called edge-checking and is an issue that is known to LP siding and most siding installers. In fact edge checking is excluded from LPs warranty. They know it will happen, they know it will cause issues, and it's not covered under warranty. This noted in section 3.d) in their warranty document.
Second Point: Regarding hail, I do agree that LP Smart Side seems to be a bit more hail resistant than Hardie siding. However, hailstones big enough to damage Hardie are extremely rare in the Edmonton area. Even in "hail alley" in southern Alberta, the massive hail storms they get don't usually damage Hardie siding. Here's a case study you can share that will help to show Hardie's hail resistance.
Also, LP Smart Side's hail warranty is pretty much worthless for most people. Much weaker than Hardie's warranty coverage. Here’s why I say that:
LP limits hail damage to stones under 1.75", while Hardie has no limitation. To me that's not a huge concern, because again we don't often get hail that big up here, but it's a consideration.
But according to section 2.(ii)b) of the LP Smart Side warranty, if the storm produces ANY stones that large they exclude the entire storm from the warranty. And it's up to the client to prove that the storm didn't produce any stones larger than 1.75" with a 3RD PARTY WEATHER REPORT. (Where do they think a person is going to go get this report, anyway? Are we supposed to just mosey on over to Environment Canada and ask nicely?)
Since James Hardie doesn't limit their coverage to a certain size of hailstone, they don't have that loophole!
I'd also recommend that the client review section 2.(ii)c) of the warranty. If the client can prove to LP's satisfaction that the ENTIRE storm (not just the part that hit their house) didn't produce a SINGLE hailstone larger than 1.75" in diameter, 2.(ii)c) outlines the actual payout.
Spoiler alert: it's not good. First, the homeowner must go through insurance to file a claim. If the insurance payout isn't enough to cover the cost of replacing the siding with hail damage (note: NOT a full replacement) then LP will give the client a payout using the following formula: Retail cost of the damaged siding panels (material only) MINUS the insurance payout for the damaged siding panels MINUS the deductible amount of the insurance policy.
If by some miracle this calculation produces a positive payout number, it's then pro-rated (aka reduced), as per section 2.(i)b), by 2.22% per year from years 6 through 50. For example if there's a warranty claim in year 15, the entire warranty liability for LP is reduced to 77.8% of the original. In year 25, it's down to 55.6%. (To compare, James Hardie's warranty is not pro-rated, and carries its full value for 30 years.)
LP talks a big game about their hail warranty, but when you read the coverage in detail it’s clear that they’ve got pretty much no exposure at all on hail claims. I wonder how confident they really are?
Third Point: If price is a priority... in Edmonton, Hardie is actually much cheaper than Smart Side! I just checked our current pricing from our top supplier: we pay 65% more per board for Smart Side with the Expert finish than we do for ColorPlus HardiePlank. On top of that, Smart Side comes in bundles of 6 pieces and is not returnable. I'd expect this front façade project to cost the client anywhere from $600 to $800 more in Smart Side.
Fourth Point: Another big advantage for HardiePlank over Smart Side is that fiber cement siding does a really good job of resisting damage from fire: and if the home will eventually be used as a rental, this is actually a pretty big deal.
Blue Jay has done dozens of siding repairs over the years for heat or fire damage, most of them caused by renters! In one case, the tenants had been deliberately damaging the siding with cigarette lighters and things like that. On the other cases, it was bar-b-ques too close to the house. If a BBQ ever flares up beside vinyl or wood siding, the "grillmaster" needs to be attentive or else a house fire is a very real possibility. There have been many cases where renters have accidentally started fires with discarded cigarettes. This is an older article from the CBC, but the information just as valid today.
Please feel free to send this email to the client in full, and let them know that they are free to give me a call directly if they want to discuss anything.
Let me know if you have any follow up questions,
Bjorn Delblanc
Blue Jay Exterior Renovations
CONCLUSION: Every Siding Renovation Client Can Make Their Own informed Choice
At this point, I have no idea what the client will do. I’ll prepare quotes for him this weekend: one will be for James Hardie fiber cement siding, and the other will be for LP Smart Side engineered wood. Ultimately the choice is his to make, but we’ll be here to support him if he needs any help.
If you’ve got any questions about siding renovations, Blue Jay Exterior Renovations is happy to share our experience and expertise. We believe that keeping our clients informed and educated leads to better results at the end of the job!