LP SmartSide Colors: ExpertFinish Prefinished Palette
LP SmartSide Installer · 18 Factory Colors · Abyss, Steeple Gray, Gulf Blue & More
Siding & Exteriors · LP SmartSide Colors
18 factory-finished colors — or prime and paint any color you choose
LP SmartSide ExpertFinish is LP's factory-prefinished engineered wood siding line — a product that delivers the warmth and texture of real wood with the durability of LP's SmartGuard process: zinc borate treatment throughout the strand composite for fungal decay resistance, and a factory-applied acrylic finish in 18 colors that carries LP's 5-year finish warranty. For St. Louis homeowners who want natural wood character without the maintenance of actual wood siding, LP SmartSide ExpertFinish sits at a price point below James Hardie ColorPlus while delivering a finish that outperforms field-applied paint on standard primed LP panels by a meaningful margin. The standard primed LP SmartSide line — available in the same profiles as ExpertFinish — is an excellent option for homeowners who want to paint any color, including custom, HOA-specified, or historically specific shades that fall outside the 18-color factory palette. The primed line accepts any exterior latex or alkyd paint and maintains LP's 5/50 substrate warranty regardless of field color choice. Revolve Construction is an LP SmartSide installer serving the St. Louis metro and Southern Illinois.
Why homeowners and businesses trust Revolve
ExpertFinish factory coating: better than field-applied paint from day one
LP ExpertFinish is applied in a factory environment with controlled temperature, humidity, and film thickness — producing a more consistent, better-adhering finish than any field-applied coating. The 5-year finish warranty reflects LP's confidence in factory conditions that cannot be replicated on a job site.
SmartGuard wood strand construction: not vulnerable where wood fails
LP SmartSide is manufactured from oriented strand composite, not solid wood — with zinc borate treatment throughout the panel. The result is engineered resistance to fungal decay, impact, and moisture cycling at the strand level, not just at the surface coating.
Standard primed line: 5/50 warranty and paint any color
For homeowners with a specific color in mind that falls outside the ExpertFinish palette, the standard primed LP SmartSide line accepts any exterior finish and carries LP's 5-year limited and 50-year limited substrate warranty. The substrate protection is color-independent.
What we offer
Abyss & Storm
Abyss is LP's deepest color — a near-black with slight cool undertone. Storm is a dark blue-gray — a bold choice for contemporary and modern home exteriors.
Cobble Stone & Slate Gray
Cobble Stone is a warm medium gray-tan — one of the most versatile neutrals in the ExpertFinish palette. Slate Gray is a cool medium gray that coordinates with virtually any trim color.
Gulf Blue & Maritime
Gulf Blue is a light coastal blue — fresh and distinctive for craftsman and cottage-style homes. Maritime is a deeper medium blue that reads boldly and distinctively from the street.
Steeple Gray, Mountain Slate & Granite
Three grays at different positions on the warm-cool spectrum. Steeple Gray is the most popular neutral in the line. Mountain Slate is a cool deep gray. Granite is a warm charcoal-brown.
Cypress, Olive Branch & Timber Brown
Three nature-inspired earth tones. Cypress is a warm green-gray. Olive Branch is a deeper muted olive. Timber Brown is a warm medium brown that pairs naturally with stone and brick.
Snowscape White, Solar White, Tundra, Indulgence, Sable, Spiced Earth
Two whites, a warm off-white, a light warm gray, a warm dark brown, and a spiced earth tone complete the 18-color ExpertFinish palette. Standard primed LP SmartSide available for any custom color.
Related Services
LP SmartSide Siding
LP SmartSide certified installer — engineered wood siding with 5/50 limited warranty.
James Hardie Siding Colors
All 16 Statement Collection colors reviewed — ColorPlus factory finish technology.
Siding & Exteriors
Full siding replacement including vinyl, engineered wood, and fiber cement in St. Louis.
LP SmartSide ExpertFinish: 18 Factory Colors and What Sets the Finish Apart
LP SmartSide ExpertFinish is a factory-prefinished engineered wood siding product — meaning color is applied at the manufacturing facility, not at the job site. The distinction matters for performance: factory application allows controlled film thickness, consistent surface preparation, and coating adhesion under conditions that job-site application cannot replicate. The result is a finish that LP warrants for 5 years against peeling, chipping, and cracking — a modest but meaningful coverage term compared to no warranty on field-applied paint.
The 18-color ExpertFinish palette covers the range of applications from deep near-blacks to near-whites, with a full spectrum of grays, blues, greens, browns, and warm earth tones. The palette is designed to work with LP SmartSide's cedar-textured surface, which carries the finish differently than smooth fiber cement — the wood texture catches light and creates micro-shadow that enriches the color's visual depth on the wall.
For homeowners who want factory-applied color with the visual warmth of engineered wood rather than the harder surface of fiber cement, ExpertFinish is the relevant product to evaluate. The decision between ExpertFinish and James Hardie ColorPlus is ultimately a material preference question — LP SmartSide offers a warmer, woodier aesthetic at a lower price point; Hardie ColorPlus offers a longer factory-finish warranty (15 years versus 5) and a broader color palette.
ExpertFinish Color Guide: All 18 Colors for St. Louis Applications
Abyss is LP's deepest color — a near-black with slight cool undertone that reads as strongly contemporary on any home style. Storm is a dark blue-gray positioned just above Abyss in value — it reads boldly and works well on craftsman and modern farmhouse profiles. Both are the correct choices when a strong, high-contrast exterior is the intent.
Cobble Stone and Slate Gray occupy the medium neutral-gray range. Cobble Stone is warm in undertone — a gray-tan that reads as a natural complement to brick and stone. Slate Gray is a cool neutral gray that coordinates broadly without competing with other exterior elements. Steeple Gray is the most widely installed color in the ExpertFinish palette — a medium neutral gray that works on virtually any home style and exterior combination. Mountain Slate is a deeper cool gray, and Granite is a warm charcoal-brown.
Gulf Blue and Maritime are the two blue options in the ExpertFinish palette. Gulf Blue is a light coastal blue — fresh and distinctive for craftsman, cottage, and transitional home styles. Maritime is a deeper medium blue that makes a stronger color statement. Both are appropriate for homes where a distinctive color is the intent rather than a conservative neutral.
Cypress, Olive Branch, and Timber Brown are the earth-tone greens and browns. Cypress is a warm green-gray with natural character. Olive Branch is a deeper, more saturated muted olive. Timber Brown is a warm medium brown that pairs naturally with stone, brick, and natural landscape settings. Spiced Earth is a rich reddish-brown earth tone.
Snowscape White is LP's pure white — clean and bright for contemporary and traditional homes. Solar White is a slightly warmer off-white with very subtle cream undertone. Tundra is a light warm gray positioned between the whites and the medium grays. Indulgence is a light warm gray with slight purple undertone. Sable is a warm dark brown that reads as near-black in lower light.
How to Choose: ExpertFinish vs Primed LP, and How Color Affects Durability
The choice between ExpertFinish prefinished panels and standard primed LP SmartSide is primarily about who applies the finish and what warranty coverage applies. ExpertFinish panels arrive on-site with factory-applied color — the installation proceeds immediately without a post-installation paint cycle. Standard primed panels arrive ready for field-applied paint, which adds a post-installation step but allows any color selection — including HOA-specified colors that fall outside the 18-color ExpertFinish palette.
Standard primed LP SmartSide carries LP's 5-year limited and 50-year limited substrate warranty regardless of field color choice. The substrate warranty — which covers the engineered wood panel itself — is independent of the finish warranty. This is an important point: choosing to field-paint a primed LP panel rather than specifying ExpertFinish does not reduce the substrate protection for the wood composite itself.
Darker ExpertFinish colors retain heat more than lighter colors, which can contribute to slightly higher thermal movement across panel joints over time. LP's installation requirements include appropriate joint and caulk specifications that accommodate this movement at all colors. The practical takeaway: correct installation per LP's guidelines handles thermal movement appropriately for all 18 ExpertFinish colors; it is not a reason to avoid darker shades.
LP SmartSide vs Alternatives: When to Choose Engineered Wood
LP SmartSide is the engineered wood siding product most homeowners are comparing against James Hardie fiber cement in the St. Louis market. The two products share a similar installed price range — LP SmartSide runs approximately $8 to $14 per installed square foot; Hardie runs $10 to $16 — and both deliver substantial performance improvements over vinyl siding in impact resistance, fire resistance, and dimensional stability.
The key differentiator is aesthetic: LP SmartSide has a genuine wood-texture surface that reads as wood from close range in a way that Hardie's fiber cement texture does not. For homeowners who prioritize natural wood character and are not concerned about the modest finish-warranty difference between LP's 5-year ExpertFinish coverage and Hardie's 15-year ColorPlus coverage, LP SmartSide is a strong specification.
LP's SmartGuard zinc borate treatment is applied throughout the strand composite during manufacturing — it is not a surface coating. This means fungal decay resistance is structural, not surface-dependent. For St. Louis's humid climate, where moisture management is a real concern, this construction characteristic matters for long-term substrate performance. Revolve Construction installs LP SmartSide across the St. Louis metro and Southern Illinois as an authorized installer under LP's 5/50 warranty.