The New Hope for Wood Lovers: Engineered Wood Siding
It really seems that we’re returning to innocence. More than ever, people are now pursuing rural and rustic designs even when faced with fantastic over-the-edge modern designs. Vinyl, for all its economical worth just won’t do. Anyone can spot the fake wood even on distance and at night. Vinyl, for all its mimicry, is better employed without mimicking. The only problem is that, wood, as beautiful as it is, is riddled with problems. Needs a hard cash up front, and a sizable one too, since wood isn’t cheap and harder to come by. Elements seem to whither these wood materials faster than what was originally shown on television. And further, insects seem to think that your home is also their home.
It’s a good thing technology afforded us engineered wood. Whether it is called Truwood®, Smartside®, Catawba®, these products affords genuine wood properties with the durability of vinyl. If you say that Cedar is the most resistant wood material, you should take a close look at engineered wood. These products are engineered to eliminate material flaws, a concept once known only to exist in science fiction. Resist deterioration? Check! Boosted tensile strength against warping, peeling, and twisting? Check! And does it resemble wood? Check!
It is still wood; the only difference is its being processed. These are wood wafers, compressed together with a resin binder that is one, more or all of the following: moisture resistant overlay, insect repellant particularly for termite and other wood-boring insects, and a heavy duty glue to bind it together under enormous pressure. Some makes are pressed with cedar grain markings, and its light texture will allow an “authentic” cedar look.
LP® Smartside®
www.lpcorp.com/lpsidingproducts/lpsmartside/lpsmartside.aspx
Whether it is UltraPlank, Lap Siding, or Trim Fascia, LP® Smartside® offers the best of engineered wood siding. They offer products that have pre primed surfaces for exceptional paint adhesion. The products of LP® Smartside® also has extraordinary shearing strength that makes construction installation less physical (allowing faster nail penetration) yet without compromising material structural integrity. The strength to weight ratio of the material is incredible and it is very lightweight, perfect for any DIY.
Truwood® Siding
www.collinswood.com/M1_WoodProducts/M1H6_Showcase.html
So what do you want for your wood? Cedar Shake® Lap Siding, Designer Shake® Lap Siding, Sure Lock Six Cottage Lap® Siding, or the conventional Sure Lock siding? All share the same unique and practical properties of engineered wood siding: no knots means no cracks, no checks, and overall impressive structural integrity. Of course there are other designs for engineered wood siding, just log on their site.
There’s no real reason to live expensively, and no reason to live with fakes. Wood is costly and fussy but engineered wood is not. So is vinyl by the way, but vinyl isn’t really wood.