Aurora sits at roughly 5,400 feet above sea level on Colorado’s Front Range — high enough that UV radiation hits harder, temperature swings run wider, and hailstorms carry more energy than many homeowners expect when they move here. If you’re planning a siding replacement and want a material that handles every season without demanding constant maintenance, LP SmartSide is worth a close look. We install it throughout Aurora and the surrounding metro, and its performance record in Colorado’s climate is one reason we keep recommending it.
Aurora’s Climate Puts Siding to the Test
Colorado ranks among the top hail-producing states in the country. The Denver metro sees hailstones of two inches or larger more frequently than most homeowners realize, and Aurora — positioned east of the mountains — sits directly in Hail Alley, where storms track off the Front Range and gain momentum across the plains. That alone would be enough to disqualify many siding materials, but Aurora’s climate compounds the challenge with additional stressors.
Freeze-thaw cycling is relentless here. Temperatures can drop below zero in January and climb into the sixties by February, then drop again — sometimes within a single week. Any siding product with microcracks or inadequate moisture management will absorb water, freeze, and expand. Over several winters, that cycle causes warping, cracking, and paint adhesion failures. Add intense UV exposure at altitude, and you have a combination that bleaches, chalks, and deteriorates exterior finishes faster than at lower elevations.
How Lp Smartside Is Engineered for These Conditions
LP SmartSide is not traditional wood siding. It’s an engineered wood product built on a strand substrate treated through LP’s SmartGuard manufacturing process, which bonds resin, zinc borate, and a durable overlay into the wood fiber structure before the product ever reaches a job site. That treatment addresses the two biggest vulnerabilities of organic materials: moisture infiltration and biological degradation.
The result is a siding product with a 50-year limited warranty covering the structural integrity of the panel — longer than most fiber cement warranties on the market. It earns a Class 4 impact rating under the UL 2218 standard, meaning it has been tested to withstand 1.5-inch steel ball impacts simulating large hailstones without splitting, cracking, or exposing the substrate. For Aurora homeowners, that Class 4 rating can also translate to insurance premium discounts — worth asking your carrier about before we begin installation.
LP SmartSide’s engineered construction also gives it an advantage in freeze-thaw climates. Unlike rigid fiber cement, which can develop hairline cracks under repeated freeze-thaw stress, engineered wood has more dimensional flexibility. It moves with temperature changes rather than against them, which helps the paint finish bond longer and reduces the risk of moisture infiltration over time.
Key Performance Specs at a Glance
Before diving into aesthetics and profiles, it helps to have the core numbers in front of you. When we walk Aurora homeowners through LP SmartSide, these are the specs that consistently come up in the conversation:
- 50-year limited warranty on the panel substrate
- Class 4 impact resistance (UL 2218), tested to 1.5-inch hail simulation
- SmartGuard process: resin and zinc borate treatment throughout the strand substrate for moisture and pest resistance
- Wind resistance: tested to 200 mph in third-party evaluations
- Primed for paint: accepts most exterior latex paints and holds finish longer than untreated wood products
These numbers matter more in Aurora’s climate than they would in a mild coastal market. The gap between an adequate siding product and a purpose-engineered one shows up quickly here — usually within the first few harsh winters. You can learn more about LP SmartSide’s engineering and warranty details directly from LP Building Solutions.
Profiles and Colors That Work in Aurora’s Neighborhoods
Aurora’s neighborhoods range from the established subdivisions near Saddle Rock Golf Course and Tallyn’s Reach — where custom and semi-custom homes tend toward natural cedar and craftsman profiles — to the newer build-out around the Southlands area, where HOAs often maintain approved palettes and specific trim requirements. LP SmartSide accommodates both contexts well.
Lap siding in 6-inch, 8-inch, and 16-inch widths gives us the flexibility to match existing architectural lines or update a ranch-style home for a more contemporary look. LP SmartSide panels and trim boards let us add board-and-batten accents or vertical siding sections as visual breaks — a detail Aurora HOAs often approve because it follows traditional Colorado architectural patterns without standing out from the streetscape.
Because LP SmartSide ships pre-primed, color is applied on-site and matched to any standard exterior palette. Homeowners aren’t locked into a manufacturer’s color selection. If your HOA approves a specific shade, we can apply it during installation, and it will hold at altitude as long as a quality exterior latex is used. We typically lean toward mid-range tones for Aurora homes — they balance UV reflectance with resistance to the chalking that high-altitude sun accelerates on lighter finishes.
A Lighter Material, Faster to Install
One practical advantage LP SmartSide has over fiber cement is weight. LP SmartSide panels and lap boards are significantly lighter, which means faster installation, lower labor cost, and less stress on a home’s framing during the job. In Aurora’s busy renovation season — spring and early summer, right after the worst hail risk passes — that installation efficiency matters. Jobs that run longer carry more weather exposure risk for the underlying sheathing and housewrap, and getting the building envelope closed quickly is always the right priority.
Get Your Lp Smartside Estimate in Aurora
If you’re replacing siding after hail damage, prepping a home for resale in Tallyn’s Reach or Saddle Rock, or simply tired of a wood or vinyl exterior that doesn’t hold up through Colorado’s seasons, LP SmartSide is a product we stand behind. Colorado Siding installs LP SmartSide across Aurora and the Denver metro, and we’re happy to walk through profile options, color selections, and what the 50-year warranty covers before you commit to anything.
Contact us to schedule a free estimate. We’ll assess your current siding, talk through profiles that work for your neighborhood and HOA requirements, and give you a clear picture of what LP SmartSide installation looks like from start to finish — no pressure, just straight answers about the best fit for your home.
Martin Faith
Martin Faith is a proud Scotsman, business owner, and home improvement expert. In 2002, after an unfortunate experience with a local contractor and a siding project gone wrong, Martin decided to start his own home improvements company. His goal was to help other homeowners avoid having to suffer through the same experience. He founded Scottish Home Improvements, a customer-focused siding company based in Denver. Martin's small business grew rapidly and today is the largest siding company in the state. With an A+ Rating from the BBB, recognition as a Preferred James Hardie Elite Contractor, and over fifteen years of experience, Scottish Home Improvements is the number one trusted source for residential and commercial siding in Colorado.