Let us assume that whatever you choose will be installed properly, to be weathertight. However, installation cost can be a factor whether it's for a topnotch mason or a crew that actually knows how to install Hardiboard. Do you want something that combines insulation with the exterior? Do you live in a wildfire-prone area, or want the benefits of good fire resistance? Is cost an over-riding factor? That means, does the wallet insist on the least expensive initial outlay, or can it afford a higher upfront cost in order to save down the road such as lower insurance rates for brick or fibre-cement or stucco; or lower heat/AC expenses due to insulative qualities. IMO, the cost of insulation should be included when comparing various exterior materials costs. This is the only way to fairly compare various types of SIPs to more conventional masonry or wood. While opinions and preferences vary as to which insulation is best, folks who live in highly insulated houses seem nearly unanimous in touting both the comfort and savings for heat and A/C. But I think one of the most important things is which 'look' appeals to you. What style is the house? Some styles call for clapboard (or planks of some material), and some look best in brick or stone or stucco, and others use a combination of materials. What appeals to me may not suit you. But if you question is, what did I choose and why did I choose what I chose, then I can tell you that the new house will have a stucco exterior. It's cottage style, which imo looks best in stucco. The location is quite rural and heavily wooded so fire is a definite concern ~~ the nearest fire dept is 12 miles away and has an average response time of 25 minutes to my locale. To me it seems better to build with highly-resistant material, not to mention savings on the cost of insurance. Notice I don't say fire-proof -- true fire-proof is way beyond my budget. But concrete walls and roof (with shutters for doors and windows) will go a long way to lessening the potential for catastrophic damage.

Patrice -- there are tons of pics of our siding on my website, along with the whole story of why we were residing (and re-roofing) a 6 year old house in the first place. We went with the smooth lap siding and used a 4" lap to simulate the siding on old clapboard houses. The siding was hung pre-primed and we painted it on-site with SW Duration Exterior. I believe I included some closeup shots of the installation details (metal flashing behind joints, how the hardie needs to be cut short at any roof-wall intersections, etc.) These are all things your installers should already know, but you might want to make sure they are doing them right, because if not, JH won't honor your warranty (they'll blame any problems on the installer and rightfully so, but that won't help you). If you don't want to sift through the whole saga, click the Show All link and go to the very end -- the last set of pictures (#382 and on) was posted after the siding had been up 4 years so you can see how it held up. Here's one: Good luck with your decision. Here is a link that might be useful: Our house...

Tib...we had Certainteed. Many boards cracked. The co replaced the boards. We paid for the labor to replace them. They didn't match due to fading. House had to be repainted. They provided a few buckets of paint, lol. just a headache with all of the warranty issues. Then there was a class action suit that we chose not to participate in....yada, yada, yada. I haven't seen the issues online with the Nichiha and have considered this brand as well. lots of good stuff online about the LP Smart Siding but who really knows about that stuff in a few years. Gotta choose something sooner or later.

I know this is a old post but I am so glad that I finally can across information regarding this. We have a 90s rambler with 7 feet walls and standard size windows. We have a walkout so it is bigger in the back than it is in the front. We are thinking of putting on LP siding but the sizes of the boards are 8 inches with a 6 7/8 reveal or a 6 inch with a 4 7/8 reveal. Our contractor is telling us that the only size he has ever done is 8 inches. I wanted to get some others opinions regarding this. I don’t want to spend all that money and be disappointed.