Considering the siding choices for our porch project, which will be sided with 1×8 V rustic (aka V shiplap). Among the affordable choices is clear-lam siding, a laminated board (essentially, I guess, plywood) with an MDO face. We’ll be cutting in crawlspace vents, and the stairs for the porch are closed stairs (meaning siding running from the porch out to the risers on the stairs), so we’ll have various horizontal rip cuts in the siding. Our area gets 40+ inches of rain per winter.
The most respected local lumberyard (meaning used by contractors) says that they’ve had reports of this stock delaminating when cuts are made into the field (not just endcuts), and that the detailing of cuts is very, very finicky, with oil-based primer being a minimum (they didn’t indicate what’s up from the minimum). Anyone had experience with this stock? Should I spend the extra for real wood?
Bill Houghton