Thread: CarraraFinishes™ built on LP SmartSide

Does anyone here have experience with this type of cladding installation?

LP Building Products | CarraraFinishesâ„¢ Built On LP SmartSide

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Aaron
I am presently involved in consulting on a home in our local home-show that has the LP Carrara as part of its cladding. There are a lot of finer details that typical installations miss and will prove to be problematic over time. There needs to be some type of drainage detailing behind the panels otherwise this is just another barrier type of cladding.
Barriers have a history of failures.

What are your questions?

Originally Posted by Mark Parlee

What are your questions?

Mark: Thanks for the response. I was hoping it wasn't just me that saw this installation as just another (doomed to fail) barrier cladding. Nothing in their literature suggests that a drainage plane is required, or even recommended, behind the system. Hubris, plain and simple, just like the original EIFS manufacturers.

The warranty is a bit light on these 2 products as well - and not, it seems, transferable. Hmmmm . . .

Additionally, the supposed guru for this product at LP does not return my calls or respond to my emails. Hmmmm . . .

And, weren't these the same folks with the Innerseal i$$ue$ in the 90s? Hmmmm . . .

What is your take on the durability of the system?

Aaron
This is another barrier system that has the potential of failure. History has proven time and again the barrier claddings will fail. When you install over a rainscreen you bring a lot of forgiveness to the assembly. The rainscreen brings with it a lot of headaches in the design , I am on one right now and it is a pain.
This is the same company that had Innerseal in the 90s but this is a lot better product. I would use SmartSide on my own home if I were building today and I was in the class involving Innerseal.

The durability of the Carrara system depends on the details in which it is installed.