LP SmartSide Siding in Manhattan, KS
We are a certified LP SmartSide installer serving the Manhattan area. LP SmartSide is engineered wood siding, finished with the SmartGuard treatment.
- Licensed and insured
- Family and locally owned
- Established 2015
- Free estimates
The installer matters as much as the product
Maybe you've settled on LP SmartSide, or you're still weighing it against vinyl or fiber cement. Either way, the installer matters as much as the material. Engineered wood is a wood-based product, and how the cuts, edges, and joints are handled is often the difference between siding that performs and siding that fails early.
Manufacturer badges show up on almost every contractor's website, and most of them go unexplained. That's exactly why they've stopped meaning much to anyone doing real research. We're a certified LP SmartSide installer, and rather than leave that as a logo in a corner, the next section spells out exactly what it is, and what it isn't.
If you're still choosing between materials rather than evaluating this one, our residential siding page walks through vinyl, fiber cement, and engineered wood side by side.
What LP SmartSide is, and what certified actually means
What LP SmartSide is
LP SmartSide is engineered wood siding: wood strands bonded together, treated, and finished with the SmartGuard treatment, then milled to look and handle like traditional wood on the wall. If your home is from the 1990s and still carries the older LP siding, that's the product this replaced. Louisiana-Pacific's original Inner-Seal siding from that era was a documented failure product and was discontinued. SmartGuard is a different treatment on a different product line.
What certified LP SmartSide installer means
Certified LP SmartSide installer is a manufacturer credential, issued by Louisiana-Pacific, tied to this specific product line. It isn't a state license, and it's separate from, and additional to, being licensed and insured, which we also are. It's checkable: you can ask any contractor which manufacturer credentials they hold, and on which product lines, and confirm it yourself. It's specific rather than general. Being certified on LP SmartSide says something about this product and nothing about any other material we install. It's worth being just as clear about what it isn't. It isn't a guarantee. It isn't a warranty. And it isn't a substitute for looking at the finished work.
How it compares to the alternatives
Against vinyl, engineered wood sits at a higher cost tier, reads as an actual wood surface rather than a plastic one, and takes and holds paint, which vinyl doesn't need and can't do. Against fiber cement, both are a step up from vinyl and both hold paint well. The difference is in the handling: engineered wood is lighter and cuts more like lumber, while fiber cement is heavier and more prone to chipping at cut edges. Neither one is a clear winner across the board; the right call depends on what you're weighing.
Where engineered wood falls short
Engineered wood is still a wood-based product, so keeping water out of the cuts, edges, and joints matters more here than it does on vinyl. The finish has to be maintained over time rather than left alone to fend for itself, and it costs more than vinyl up front. Those are real tradeoffs, not fine print, and they're the price of getting a wood product's look and impact resistance instead of a plastic one.
How it works
Free estimate
We walk the exterior with you and talk through whether LP SmartSide is the right call for your home, or whether vinyl or fiber cement fits better.
Profile, color, and trim
We work out which profile and finish suit your house, and how trim, corners, and transitions are handled. We handle the full permitting process where a permit is required, and requirements vary by jurisdiction.
Tear-off
The old siding comes off, the sheathing and moisture barrier underneath become visible, and you hear about any damage before anything goes back over it.
Install and walkthrough
Siding, trim, and finish go on, and we walk the finished exterior with you before we call the job done.
Why Tallgrass for this material
Certified on this line
We hold the certified LP SmartSide installer credential, and it's checkable: ask us, or ask any contractor, which manufacturer credentials they carry and on which product lines.
We also install vinyl and fiber cement
LP SmartSide isn't the only material we work with. Vinyl and fiber cement are also things we do, so when we talk through your project, the recommendation is a real conversation rather than the only line we carry.
Licensed, insured, and local since 2015
We're licensed and insured, family and locally owned, and established 2015, with over two decades of combined trade experience among our crews. LP SmartSide siding also carries a 15 to 30 year limited lifetime warranty on siding paint.
LP SmartSide projects
A closer look at finished LP SmartSide installations around the Manhattan area, from full house elevations down to the trim and corner details that show the finish up close.
Common questions about LP SmartSide
Louisiana-Pacific certifies us on this specific product line. It's a manufacturer credential, not a state license, and it stands apart from being licensed and insured, which we also are. Ask any contractor which manufacturer credentials they hold, on which lines, and confirm it for yourself.
LP SmartSide is engineered wood, and people sometimes group it under "composite" siding. The distinction worth knowing: it's a wood-based product, built from treated wood strands, rather than a vinyl or cement product like the other two main siding categories.
Both are a step up from vinyl and both take paint well. The main difference shows up in handling: engineered wood cuts and behaves more like solid lumber, while fiber cement is heavier and tends to chip at cut edges. Neither one comes out ahead overall.
The short answer: it's wood, so water at the seams and cut edges needs managing, the finish has to be kept up over time instead of left alone, and it runs more than vinyl up front. Those are real tradeoffs for a wood-based product.
It comes down to what determines longevity rather than a fixed number: how well water is kept out of the cuts and edges, whether the finish is maintained over time, and how well the house sheds water at the roofline and grade.
No. The 1990s product, LP's original Inner-Seal siding, was a documented failure that got pulled from the market. LP SmartSide is the different, SmartGuard-treated line that replaced it. If your home dates to that era and still has the old LP product, this is what's different now.
Request a free estimate on LP SmartSide siding
Giving us a budget range up front lets us bring the right options to your first visit instead of quoting three materials blind. Tell us where you land, and we'll build the estimate around it.