The Heavyweight Bout: LP SmartSide vs. James Hardie
Quick Answer
Which siding option actually delivers the best ROI for your Iowa home?
If you are researching premium siding options for your Des Moines home, you have undoubtedly narrowed it down to two titans of the industry: James Hardie (Fiber Cement) and LP SmartSide (Engineered Wood).
Both offer massive curb appeal and significant ROI upgrades over standard vinyl. Both cost roughly the same to install. However, they are made from fundamentally different materials, and they react very differently to Iowa's extreme climate. Here is the unvarnished, contractor's truth on how they compare.
Material Composition: What Are They?
James Hardie (Fiber Cement)
Made from Portland cement, sand, water, and cellulose (wood) fibers. It is essentially flexible concrete molded into planks and baked in an autoclave. It is extremely heavy and rigid.
LP SmartSide (Engineered Wood)
Made from actual wood strands coated in zinc borate and bonded together under immense pressure with marine-grade exterior resins. It looks and cuts like real wood, but the chemical treatment makes it impervious to rot and termites.
Round 1: Impact & Weather Resistance (The Iowa Test)
Iowa weather is arguably the most demanding testing ground in America, featuring extreme freeze-thaw cycles and severe summer hail.
- Hail Performance: LP SmartSide wins definitively. In independent testing (like firing golf balls from a cannon), LP wood strands flex and absorb the kinetic energy. Because Hardie is concrete, a heavy, direct strike from rugged hail can crack or chip the brittle board.
- Moisture Exposure: Hardie wins. Because Hardie is mostly cement, it can sit submerged in a puddle without swelling. If LP SmartSide is improperly installed (e.g., an unpainted cut edge touches a wet roofline), the wood strands will wick moisture and swell. LP requires meticulous installation clearance guidelines.
- Wind Resistance: Both easily withstand 150+ mph derecho winds when nailed to the studs properly.
Round 2: Aesthetics & Siding Seams
Both products create a massive aesthetic upgrade, mimicking the look of natural cedar without the maintenance. However, there is a structural difference that affects the final look.
- The "Seam" Issue: Hardie boards come in a maximum length of 12 feet. LP SmartSide comes in lengths of 16 feet. This means an LP installation will physically have 33% fewer visible vertical seams across the side of your house, resulting in a cleaner, less interrupted aesthetic.
- Color Options: Both offer stunning factory-baked finishes (Hardie's ColorPlus vs. LP's ExpertFinish) that carry 15-year warranties against fading and chipping. They both blow traditional site-painting out of the water.
Round 3: Installation & Labor
You might assume that what the contractor goes through doesn't affect you, but installation difficulty directly impacts pricing and site cleanliness.
- Weight: Hardie is incredibly heavy. It requires specialized diamond blades to cut, producing hazardous silica dust (meaning installers must wear respirators and use special vac vacuums).
- Speed: LP SmartSide cuts exactly like normal wood using standard saw blades. It is lightweight and easy to carry up scaffolding. A contractor will generally install LP much faster and with a cleaner job site than a Hardie crew.
| Feature | James Hardie | LP SmartSide |
|---|---|---|
| Fire Rating | Class A (Non-combustible) | Standard Wood rating |
| Hail / Impact Resistance | Good (Can chip/crack when hit hard) | Exceptional (Virtually unbreakable) |
| Water Resistance | Excellent (Cement doesn't swell) | Vulnerable to swelling if cut ends aren't painted |
| Board Length | 12 foot panels | 16 foot panels (Fewer seams) |
The Final Verdict for Iowa
There is no wrong choice here; both are elite siding products. If you live in a high-density area where fire risk is your primary concern, James Hardie is the winner. However, because Central Iowa is plagued by severe hail and wide temperature swings, our experts generally lean slightly toward LP SmartSide. Its extreme impact resistance and fewer vertical seams make it the ultimate Midwest exterior cladding.