LP SmartSide vs Cedar Lap Siding: A Twin Cities Comparison

Real cedar lap siding has been the premium siding standard on Twin Cities homes for nearly a century. It’s beautiful when freshly stained, it carries an unmatched architectural pedigree, and it ages with character. It also requires sealing every 3 to 5 years, replacement of individual boards as they cup or split, and ongoing maintenance that adds up to thousands of dollars across a 30-year ownership horizon. LP SmartSide, an engineered wood product from Louisiana-Pacific, offers a similar visual profile with dramatically reduced maintenance, lower upfront cost, and longer service life. The lp smartside vs cedar siding decision is one of the most common siding questions we field at Owl Roofing.

The honest comparison: LP SmartSide isn’t quite cedar, but it’s close enough that 85% of Twin Cities homeowners considering cedar end up choosing SmartSide once they walk through the cost and maintenance math. The remaining 15% — typically high-end historic restorations or homeowners committed to the patina of real cedar — choose cedar with eyes open about what they’re signing up for.

At Owl Roofing in Shoreview we install both products. Noah Bergland walks the homeowner through the trade-offs personally on premium siding bids. This guide reflects what we’ve actually seen on Twin Cities homes — what holds up, what doesn’t, and what each product feels like to live with for 20+ years.

TL;DR

Why homeowners compare these two products

Real cedar lap siding is the visual benchmark for premium Twin Cities homes. Homeowners replacing aged siding on a 1980s or 1990s home often start the conversation wanting “what we have, but new.” That usually means a lap profile, a wood texture, and the warm color palette cedar delivers naturally.

The conversation shifts once we walk through what cedar actually requires. Twin Cities cedar lap typically needs:

• Restaining every 3–5 years ($3,000–$8,000 per cycle for a 2,500 sq ft home)
• Individual board replacement as cupping, splitting, or rot occurs (every 2–3 years on south slopes)
• Caulk replacement every 4–6 years
• Pressure washing or hand cleaning every 2–3 years

Across a 25-year ownership window, cedar maintenance can total $15,000–$35,000 above the install cost. SmartSide maintenance over the same window: occasional caulk replacement, minor touch-up paint on damaged boards. Probably $1,500–$3,500 in total maintenance.

What LP SmartSide actually is

LP SmartSide is an engineered wood product made from wood strands or fibers compressed under heat and pressure with phenolic resin and zinc borate (a fire and pest retardant). The result is a wood-based siding board with the warmth and texture of real wood, plus the dimensional stability and durability of an engineered product.

SmartSide products in our market include:

• SmartSide Lap (LP6 or LP12): the standard horizontal lap profile
• SmartSide ExpertFinish: factory-finished SmartSide with a 15-year color warranty
• SmartSide Vertical Panel: board-and-batten or vertical groove profiles
• SmartSide Trim & Fascia: matching trim and fascia boards

LP Corporation publishes detailed product specs on their site. Our SmartSide ExpertFinish vs Diamond Kote comparison covers the head-to-head with the leading prefinished competitor.

What real cedar lap actually is

Real cedar lap is solid wood — typically Western Red Cedar, sometimes Alaskan Yellow Cedar — milled into horizontal lap profiles. Cedar is naturally rot-resistant due to its natural oils and tannins, dimensionally stable across temperature changes, and easily milled to almost any architectural profile.

The downsides in Minnesota:

• UV degradation: untreated cedar grays out within 6–12 months in our sun
• Cupping and splitting: south- and west-facing boards typically cup within 5–8 years
• Rot in moisture-prone areas: bottom courses, around ground splash zones, behind landscaping
• Insect damage: mostly carpenter bees on horizontal grain
• Maintenance cycle: stain or seal every 3–5 years to maintain color and waterproofing

Top-grade cedar (clear vertical grain, knot-free) holds up better than common-grade lap. Most modern Twin Cities cedar installs use mid-grade material because top-grade has become prohibitively expensive — often $4–$8 per linear foot for premium boards.

Cost comparison

For a typical 2,500-square-foot Twin Cities siding job, the install cost difference is $12,500–$20,000 (cedar costs more upfront), and the 25-year total cost of ownership difference is roughly $30,000–$50,000 (cedar costs significantly more over time). That math is what drives most homeowners toward SmartSide.

Aesthetic comparison

From the street at typical viewing distance (30+ feet), modern SmartSide is visually indistinguishable from cedar lap to most observers. The wood-grain texture is cast from real cedar boards, the lap profile matches standard cedar, and color options include cedar-warm tones that read identically. ExpertFinish factory finish is more uniform than job-stained cedar, which some homeowners prefer and others don’t.

Up close (within 5 feet), the differences become more visible. Cedar has actual wood grain you can run your fingernail across; SmartSide has texture but it’s slightly flatter and more uniform. Cedar boards age with individual character — some weather faster than others, some develop slight color variation as they take stain unevenly. SmartSide ages uniformly across the entire installation.

For most Twin Cities homes, the close-up differences don’t matter. The street-view comparison is what neighbors and buyers see.

Where cedar still wins

Three scenarios where real cedar is the right choice:

1. Historic homes (pre-1940) where original siding profile is documented. Restoration committees and architectural review boards often require period-appropriate materials.
2. Custom architectural homes where the architect has specified cedar as part of the overall design. The full envelope coordination matters more than maintenance economics.
3. Homeowners who genuinely value the patina cycle. Some owners want their siding to weather and develop character. Cedar does that authentically; SmartSide doesn’t.

For nearly every other scenario — typical 1980s–2000s Twin Cities home, premium new build, lakefront retreat — SmartSide is the more economical and longer-lasting option.

Installation considerations specific to Minnesota

Both products install similarly: standard 6d or 8d hot-dipped galvanized nails, blind-nailed at the top of each course, with manufacturer-spec spacing and overhangs. Three Minnesota-specific install details:

• Cold-weather caulking: caulk fails to bond properly below 40°F. Most premium caulk manufacturers spec 50°F minimum. Cold-weather installs need warm storage of caulk and fast application before bond loss.
• Ground clearance: bottom course should sit at least 6 inches above grade and 2 inches above hard surfaces. This matters more for cedar (which absorbs ground splash and rots) than for SmartSide (which has zinc borate protection).
• Water table flashing: the transition from foundation to siding needs proper kickout flashing on every Minnesota home — both products require this and most contractors get it wrong.

For broader siding decisions, see our best siding for Minnesota winters guide.

Color and finish options

Cedar can be stained any color, restained as preferences change, or left natural to weather to a silver-gray. The flexibility is real but the maintenance cost of restaining is what we discussed above.

SmartSide ExpertFinish offers a curated palette of factory-applied colors with a 15-year color warranty. Job-painted SmartSide can be any color but the paint warranty is shorter than the factory finish. For most modern Twin Cities homes, the ExpertFinish palette covers all the practical color choices a homeowner will want.

What real homeowners say

“We agonized over cedar vs SmartSide for months. Walked the same neighborhood with both, asked our painter what he’d recommend. SmartSide ExpertFinish in ‘Cypress’ has held up perfectly through two Minnesota winters and we haven’t had to do anything to it. Our neighbors with cedar are restaining this summer.” — Brian Edge

Frequently asked questions

Is LP SmartSide as good as real cedar?

For 85% of Twin Cities homeowners, yes — and arguably better when you factor in lifespan and maintenance. Real cedar still has an edge in architectural authenticity for historic restoration projects.

How long does LP SmartSide last in Minnesota?

35–50 years with normal maintenance. The product carries a 50-year limited warranty against substrate failure. Color warranty is shorter (15 years for ExpertFinish, paint-system dependent for job-painted).

Does SmartSide look like cedar from the street?

Yes, especially with ExpertFinish. The wood-grain texture is cast from real cedar boards, the lap profile is the same, and color options include cedar-warm tones. From 30+ feet, most observers can’t tell the difference.

Is cedar still worth installing in 2026?

For specific cases — historic homes, architecturally-controlled streets where cedar is required, owners who specifically want the patina cycle. For typical Twin Cities homes, the cost-per-decade math favors SmartSide.

Can I mix SmartSide and cedar on the same home?

Technically yes, and we sometimes see partial restorations. The aesthetic match isn’t quite there at close range, so this works best for hidden walls or back-of-home areas where the comparison isn’t side-by-side.

Where to start

If you’re planning a Twin Cities siding project and weighing cedar against SmartSide, request a sample walk. We can stage actual SmartSide and cedar samples at your home so you can see the colors and texture against your trim, roof, and landscaping in natural light.

Request a free Owl Roofing quote and we’ll bring samples to your home. You can also explore our SmartSide ExpertFinish vs Diamond Kote, our best siding for MN winters, our Hardie vs LP comparison, our siding services, and our brand library.