Vinyl, SmartSide or Fiber Cement?
I Install All Three.

I install all three: vinyl, LP SmartSide and fiber cement. So I don't need you to pick one over the others. I need you to pick the one that fits your house.

None of them is best for everyone. It comes down to the look you want, how much upkeep you'll do, and how long you'll own the house. Here's how I lay it out at the kitchen table in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

Vinyl: The Least Upkeep.

Vinyl is PVC panels in lap, Dutch lap, shake and board-and-batten styles. I mostly install Westlake Royal, the Royal and Polaris lines.

• Maintenance: it never needs paint. Wash it now and then. It's the most affordable to buy and to keep up.
• Look: plenty of profiles and colors. Up close it reads as vinyl, and the better lines read better.
• Impact: it's the softest of the three. Vinyl also gets stiffer in the cold, so a hard hit in January is more likely to crack a panel than the same hit in July.

Worth knowing: quality varies a lot by thickness and line. Ask which line is on your quote, in writing.

LP SmartSide: The Look of Wood, Tougher Than Vinyl.

LP SmartSide is engineered wood: treated wood-strand boards.

• Maintenance: it needs paint over time. Plan on repainting down the road, and keep it clean.
• Look: it looks like painted wood, because it mostly is wood.
• Impact: better impact resistance than vinyl. Around here, between hail and the odd baseball, that counts.

Fiber Cement: Heavy and Hard to Hurt.

Fiber cement is boards made of cement, sand and wood fiber, such as James Hardie HardiePlank.

• Maintenance: it holds paint well, and it resists fire, rot and insects.
• Look: a solid, painted board look, in lap and other profiles.
• Impact: it's rigid and doesn't dent like vinyl. A very hard hit can still chip or crack a board.

Worth knowing: it's heavier and more expensive to install. It takes more labor and more care on the cuts.

What Matters More Than the Material.

Siding is the part you see. What keeps the wall dry is behind it: the housewrap, the tape and the flashing, every piece lapped so water runs out. That's true for all three.

Illustration · not a photo of an actual job

This drawing comes from my How a Roof Actually Works guide. A good siding quote should name the housewrap, the flashing at windows and doors, how rotted sheathing gets found and handled, and the exact product line, profile and color. My siding and gutter buyer's guide has the full list, plus the questions to ask any installer.

How I'd Choose.

• Want the least upkeep for the least money? Vinyl, in a good line.
• Want the look of wood and better impact resistance than vinyl, and don't mind painting later? LP SmartSide.
• Want fire, rot and insect resistance and a finish that holds paint, and the budget for a heavier install? Fiber cement.

Whatever you pick, our written labor warranty on siding follows your package: 5 years on Standard, 10 on Preferred and 20 on Elite. The manufacturer's warranty on the material is separate. You want both in writing.

Look at a real sample or a finished house before you decide. Screens and visualizers lie a little about color and texture.