Anacortes Two Different Approaches to Siding
Homeowners in Anacortes researching siding replacement often narrow their choices down to two well-known brand names: James Hardie fiber cement and LP SmartSide engineered wood. Both are legitimate step-ups from vinyl, and both are marketed heavily. But they are built from fundamentally different materials, and those material differences matter a lot in a place like Skagit County, where salt air off Guemes Channel and Rosario Strait, driving rain off the water, and a long, damp moss season put real stress on a home's exterior for most of the year.
This page lays out how the two products actually compare, without the marketing gloss, and explains why our crews install James Hardie exclusively.
What LP SmartSide Is
LP SmartSide is an engineered wood product. It starts as wood strands, similar to what's used in OSB sheathing, bonded with resin and wax under heat and pressure, then treated with a zinc borate additive for insect and fungal resistance and coated with a factory primer. It comes in lap boards, panels, and trim, and it installs a lot like traditional wood siding, which many carpenters find familiar.
To its credit, LP SmartSide is lighter than fiber cement, easier to cut and nail without special blades or dust precautions, and it holds paint well when properly maintained. For dry climates or homes with generous roof overhangs and infrequent driving rain, it can perform reasonably over its warranty period.
Where the Difference Shows Up
The core issue is that LP SmartSide is still a wood-based product. Wood, even engineered and treated wood, absorbs moisture. The zinc borate treatment resists rot and insects, but it doesn't make the material waterproof — it slows deterioration, it doesn't stop it. In a region where siding stays damp for days at a stretch through fall and winter, and where moss and algae growth is a near-constant maintenance issue on north-facing and shaded walls, that distinction matters over a 20- or 30-year ownership horizon.
James Hardie siding is fiber cement: sand, cement, and cellulose fibers, cured into a rigid board. It does not rot, it will not support insect damage, and it is non-combustible. It responds to moisture very differently than wood-based products — it doesn't swell, cup, or delaminate at cut edges and butt joints the way engineered wood can if caulking and flashing details aren't kept up over the years.
Side-by-Side Basics
| Factor | LP SmartSide | James Hardie |
|---|---|---|
| Core material | Engineered wood strand, resin-bonded | Fiber cement (sand, cement, cellulose) |
| Moisture behavior | Treated to resist, still wood-based | Does not rot or absorb like wood |
| Fire performance | Combustible (wood-based) | Non-combustible |
| Finish | Factory primed, field-painted | ColorPlus factory finish, baked-on |
| Insect resistance | Treated against insects | Not a food source for insects |
| Typical warranty | Manufacturer-specific, varies by product line | Long-term, transferable limited warranty |
The Finish Question
Finish is where the gap widens further. LP SmartSide ships primed, meaning the homeowner (or contractor) is responsible for field-applying a quality topcoat and then repainting on a regular cycle — typically every 5 to 10 years depending on exposure. On a wall that takes the brunt of Anacortes's westerly weather off the water, that cycle can run shorter. James Hardie's ColorPlus Technology finishes are baked on at the factory in multiple coats under controlled conditions, which is a more consistent and durable process than a field-applied paint job, and it comes backed by its own finish warranty separate from the substrate warranty.
Installation Sensitivity
Both products are installation-sensitive, and neither performs well if installed carelessly. But the failure modes differ. Poorly installed LP SmartSide — insufficient clearance from grade or roof lines, gaps in caulking, unsealed cut ends — tends to fail through moisture intrusion into the wood substrate itself, which can mean swelling, soft spots, or rot at the affected boards. Poorly installed fiber cement tends to fail at the finish or fastening level rather than the board material rotting away. That's a meaningful difference when the failure in question is happening on a house exposed to Pacific Northwest rain for months at a time.
Why We Standardized on James Hardie
We made a decision as a company to install James Hardie exclusively — not LP SmartSide, not vinyl, not cedar. It comes down to matching the product to the climate we actually work in. Skagit County homes deal with sustained wet seasons, salt-laden air near the water, and moss that thrives in shaded, damp conditions. Fiber cement's non-combustible, moisture-stable core and factory-cured finish are built for exactly that kind of exposure, and Hardie's HZ5 and HZ10 product lines are engineered specifically for regions like ours. That's a better long-term match than an engineered wood product asking a homeowner to stay on top of repainting and caulking for decades to keep moisture out.
If you're comparing options for your own home, we're happy to walk through what each product actually involves in practice, not just on a spec sheet. Reach out for a free, no-pressure estimate and we'll take a look at your home's specific exposure and give you a straight answer.