LP SmartSide is the answer for a Morgan Hill homeowner who wants a genuine wood look and feel but has no interest in the rot, the woodpeckers, or the fussiness of solid cedar. It is engineered wood — real wood strands bound and treated through LP's SmartGuard process, then formed into lap, panel, and trim products with a deep, natural grain. It splits the difference between fiber cement and true wood in a way that suits a lot of the housing out here, from the ranch-style stock on the valley floor to the semi-rural parcels toward Paradise Valley. Bay Area Siding Company, a Larkspur-based siding and window contractor, installs LP SmartSide across South County.

Want a wood look without the wood upkeep? Request a bid or call (415) 619-5167.

What sets engineered wood apart

The reason SmartSide keeps coming up in siding conversations is that it solves several problems at once:

• A warm, real-wood texture. The grain is convincing in a way vinyl and even some fiber cement are not, which matters on a home whose whole character is meant to read as wood.
• Lighter and easier to work than fiber cement. That makes for cleaner detailing around the varied rooflines and additions common on older Morgan Hill homes, and it handles impact — hail, a stray ball, a ladder knock — better than a brittle board.
• Long boards and fewer seams. SmartSide comes in longer lengths than fiber cement plank, which means fewer butt joints to seal and a cleaner run on a long elevation.
• A well-regarded warranty. LP backs SmartSide with a long limited warranty; the exact terms and any prorating are best read off LP's current documentation for your product, and we install to spec so the coverage holds.

The trade-off to weigh: paint and fire

SmartSide is treated engineered wood, and two honest points come with that. First, it needs to stay painted — the factory or field finish is what protects it, so it is not a repaint-never material the way vinyl is; plan on maintaining the finish over the years, which under Morgan Hill's long, high-UV summers is a real consideration for color longevity. Second, it is a wood-based product and therefore combustible.

On the flatland interior lots that make up most of the city, combustibility is not a code issue. But on parcels along the eastern foothills above East Dunne Avenue, below El Toro, or on the semi-rural edge, a fire-hazard designation can require a noncombustible or ignition-resistant exterior under Chapter 7A — in which case fiber cement is the material to look at instead. Morgan Hill's 2025 Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps moved several boundaries, so we confirm a hillside or rural parcel's current designation with the City before recommending SmartSide there.

How it compares

Against fiber cement, SmartSide is lighter, warmer-looking, and more impact-tolerant, but it is combustible and needs its finish maintained; fiber cement is noncombustible and holds a factory finish longer but is heavier and more brittle. Against vinyl, SmartSide reads far more premium but costs more and asks for paint upkeep. Against solid wood, it gives you most of the look with much less of the maintenance and none of the knots-and-checking lottery. For the full field, start at the siding replacement hub.

Install and cost

A SmartSide re-side follows the same disciplined tear-off as any other: old cladding off to the sheathing and substrate, then the water-resistive barrier and flashing inspected and renewed before the new boards go on. Framing is only opened if the sheathing has failed. Cost depends on the profile (lap versus panel), the amount of trim and the elevation complexity, whether you take a pre-finished or field-painted product, what the tear-off reveals, and lot access. Because a re-side is an alteration, the City of Morgan Hill's Building & Fire Prevention Division issues the permit, which we handle.

FAQ

Is LP SmartSide the same as regular wood siding? No — it is engineered wood, made from treated wood strands rather than sawn boards. That gives you the wood look with far better resistance to the rot, splitting, and pest issues that plague solid wood, though it still needs its finish maintained.

Will SmartSide hold up in Morgan Hill's heat? The product is dimensionally stable, but because it relies on paint for protection, the finish is the part the sun works on. A quality finish and periodic maintenance keep it looking right; we can talk through color families that hold up under strong inland UV.

Can I use SmartSide on a parcel near the hills? Only if the parcel's fire-hazard designation allows a combustible exterior. On a High or Very High zone lot, Chapter 7A may require noncombustible cladding, which points to fiber cement instead. We confirm your address's current designation with the City first, since the 2025 maps changed lines.

How does the cost compare to fiber cement? The two are often in a similar range, with the balance shifting based on profile, finish, and labor. SmartSide's lighter weight and easier detailing can help on complex elevations; fiber cement wins where noncombustibility or the longest-lived factory finish is the priority.

Start your Morgan Hill LP SmartSide project

Call (415) 619-5167 or request a bid. We serve Morgan Hill and the wider South Bay — see finished exteriors in our project gallery. Comparing materials? See fiber cement, wood, and vinyl.