[MRM]

No, LP Smartside is the better and more durable product. It does not absorb water like Hardi Board does and does not have to be installed precisely per the manufacturer's instructions to perform well. Hardi can and will deteriorate like tissue paper if it's not installed perfectly. Hardi is basically cement-based stucco that gets its rigidity from being spread over layers of tissue paper and being allowed to dry in the form of a wood plank. It will absorb water and deteriorate if any joint is left open or any surface is left unpainted. This includes the ends that are cut to size the plank.

LP Smartside looks the same but is a cometely different and better product. It is wood chips held together by glue. Basically it's a wood composite. It does not absorb water, will not deteriorate if it gets wet, and gets cut and installed just like real wood.

Hardi has a marketing machine that can't be beat. But LP Smartside is the better product. Everyone up here switched from stucco siding to Hardi because of water infiltration issues. Now they're having problems with their Hardi siding. I'm sure it's a great product when installed correctly, I just don't trust a product that won't perform unless it was installed perfectly. LP doesn't have any of those issues and doesn't need all the tools you need to cut the cement-based Hardi product.