What Exactly is LP Siding, and What's Wrong With It?

For those of you who are unfamiliar with LP siding, consider yourself lucky! LP siding, or Louisiana Pacific Inner Seal Siding is a composite wood material that was put together using pressure to create a pressed particle board. Unlike non-OSB wood siding, the boards of this lap siding were composed of stacked pressed sheets held together by glue. Due to manufacturer issues, the siding failed to hold up long-term. Over time, the glue began to break down and the lower lap edge of the siding would crack, absorb water, and expand.

The resulting delamination left the siding vulnerable to the elements. In an area with rain, the excessive moisture resulted in the build-up of mold and fungi. Homeowners were discovering packs of mushrooms blooming from beneath the panels. As a result, they found themselves watching their exterior siding disintegrate off their homes. This siding was produced from 1985-1995, then in 1996, a class-action lawsuit was filed against LP citing manufacturing issues with the composite siding. When the lawsuit closed in 2002, Louisiana Pacific payed out 130,000 different warranty claims. Unfortunately Humboldt County was not immune to this issue and I am still seeing a handful of houses that still have LP siding on them. Unfortunately we experience a similar issue in Humboldt with flake board (or particle board), the most common instance is when flake board or particle board is used for roof decking and eaves. With the amount of moisture in our area these variances in materials can have a huge impact on the condition of the home.

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