We installed LP 8” lap with 5/4 trim board on our house in the Chicagoland area (modest sized cape cod) in the fall of 2022. After TONS of research and comparing SmartSide/Hardy/Wood I went with LP. It has great durability, a killer warranty and low maintenance. It’s also readily available in my area. I was also very hesitant in regard to LP’s history of quality. I ultimately came to the conclusion that their products have been reengineered and they are now pushing a high end pre-finished siding. I decided against wood siding from a maintenance standpoint and also woodpeckers in my area are a nightmare. Hardy board is a great but it’s a bit more expensive compared to LP and is brittle to work with. I installed the LP myself and adhered to the manufacturer spec to a T. Great product to work with and phenomenal end result. Hope my ‘two cents’ is helpful. EDIT: For what it’s worth, I have also had a few scrap pieces lying around in direct ground contact as an experiment for the better part of a year and a half. So far they have held up great in respect to swelling and rot. More on reddit.com

That first picture is actually a metal material designed to look like wood and will last forever. It’s not cheap but it’s worth it in certain areas with harsh conditions. More on reddit.com

Never caulk the bottom edge of siding. You can caulk the vertical where siding meets trim. Reason: water will get in. You want it to drain out. So, try to stop it getting in, but don't stop it getting out. More on reddit.com

Yes and no. Best practices dictate that long vertical joints in siding lead to water penetration, and thus damage the the sheathing, etc, over time. On the other hand, modern building materials (high end house wraps like BlueSkin) have reduced the need for siding to be the 1st line of defense against water penetration (actually, your roof is the 1st line, but anywho). So honestly it comes down to a matter of "are you feeling lucky punk? Well, are you?" -Clint Eastwood More on reddit.com