The Burden of Proof: Why Claims Matter in the Building Industry

For savvy builders and installers, it’s not easy to take a company’s word for it when it comes to their products, especially when your choice to use them affects your bottom line. The need for proof in the building industry has never been more important—not only to prove a product’s safety and legitimacy but also to prove that it performs as promised and that marketing claims can be verified.

Let’s take a look at why proof matters in the industry, how having proven claims at your fingertips can help you on the job, how to leverage partners to find the proof you need, and much more.

Why Proof Matters in the Building Industry

Without proof of claims regarding building products, the structures you build—and your reputation—are at risk. In an article from Architect, Rick Schwolsky states, “Not enough manufacturers are seeking third-party certifications; too many are still making broad, sweeping, and, frankly, meaningless statements.”

Schwolsky also points out that without proven claims, builders are caught between the drive to innovate and the risk that comes along with trying a new product. “Nobody, builders often say, wants to be the first to try out a new product,” he says. “This dilemma puts pressure on every decision you make.”

In a world where brands spend millions making their products stand out above the rest, claims about product performance can often become muddy and hard to understand with some companies even falsifying claims. This is another reason verified third-party proof of a product’s performance is critically important. As a builder, you have the power to find the products that work and companies that keep their promises in order to build with outstanding quality that gets you noticed.

How Proof Benefits Your Work

When you take the time to seek out proof for the claims of the products you’re considering, what’s the upside? How does proof affect your work, from planning and specifying products to your time on the jobsite? Let’s look at a few boosts you’ll experience when you choose products with proven performance.

Real-world impact insights

You can know a product’s features, but it’s something entirely different when you know how those features translate to benefits for your company. For example, a product may be made with a type of glue that resists moisture, but when a manufacturer is able to show the proof of the product surviving a heavy downpour your opinion of the product would likely change for the better. This shows the impact proof has on your ability to picture the product in use in your own context as well. Proof helps builders like you translate product features into real-world impact, an increasingly important step in the selection process.

Deeper product familiarity

When you explore proven product claims, you’re able to dive much deeper into a product’s benefits than you could simply by reading its installation instructions or an advertisement about the product. Instead, you’ll learn the inner workings of the product, how the manufacturing process impacts its performance, and how to use it so that it performs at its best. When you get to the jobsite you’ll be ready to use the product as it was intended, which will lead to the best performance possible.

Confidence and peace of mind

Nothing compares to feeling confident in your product choices, both in terms of how they’ll perform during installation and long after. Proven product claims simply mean you know the products you choose work. If they’re supposed to resist water, they will. If they’re intended to reduce radiant heat transfer, you can count on it—and you can rest assured the same will be true on your jobsites because you’ve seen it happen on countless others.

Digging into proven product claims made by building companies ultimately offers you a foundation to stand on when you’re making decisions for your builds. You don’t have to choose based solely on a few basic features—instead, you can take a deep dive, see the product in action, and get the proof you need to feel confident in your decisions.

Finding Proof Within a Building Community

A builder can simply ask other builders and installers in their community about their experiences with a product. If someone feels strongly about a product, they’ll be eager to share. This shows us that firsthand comments and opinions go a long way when it comes to making a choice to use or try out a new product. Albeit informal, it’s on-the-job, real-world experience that gives builders a good idea of how the product will actually perform, regardless of features or company claims.

For that reason, many companies have begun to partner with influencers so that a large audience of builders can learn from firsthand jobsite testing that translates into proven claims. According to Seeding Up, influencers typically conduct product tests because these are a common type of content someone looking to make a product decision will search out. They seek to be “fair, transparent and plausible,” pairing relevant product information with their own personalities, which helps buyers make a personal connection. After the content is posted to an influencer’s social media channels, it’s common to see them interacting with other builders in the comments, fielding questions, and offering their experiences along the way.

For example, LP’s partnership with Kyle Stumpenhorst has helped builders get an inside look at various LP products on the jobsite. As an influencer, he sees participating with companies as a positive approach to exploring their offerings, conducting tests to prove the efficacy of several products. “It’s been a way to connect with brands, learn more about products, and help influence future products,” he says. Among many others, he’s conducted his own tests on LP Legacy® Premium Sub-Flooring and a new product, LP WeatherLogic® Water Screen.

His work with LP’s proven product portfolio can also lead to a boost in business. “It is very easy for a potential client to watch and learn before they ever engage personally,” he says. “By the time we start to have personal conversations it’s almost as if they have known me for a long time, making it easy to build a great working relationship.”

Jordan Smith is another influencer LP has built a positive relationship with. His work with LP includes product testing as well as installation videos and other content that he boosts with insights from his personal experience. For example, you can learn installation techniques straight from Smith and his professional perspective as well as watch him test LP® TechShield® Radiant Barrier.

Both of these valuable partners represent a new way for companies to explore proven product testing and relating with their audiences.

LP Structural Solutions: Proven to Defend Your Build

The LP Structural Solutions portfolio of high-performance building solutions makes it easy for builders and installers to get the proof they need in order to make an informed, confident product decision. First and foremost, LP’s legal and technical department reviews and confirms every product claim that reaches the market, so builders can rest assured LP only makes claims they can confidently substantiate.

Additionally, LP Structural Solutions has built their perspective on proof when it comes to selling their product. The product line doesn’t simply Defend Your Build; it’s proven to do so. And LP doesn’t ask builders to take their word for it—through testing and partnerships, they work to back up the claims they make.

In addition to influencers LP has partnered with Construction Instruction, a building science training and informational organization. This group includes various LP products in their testing, giving builders a chance to see products compared to competitors as well as the products working in real time. For example, the Construction Instruction team recently tested the moisture resistance of LP WeatherLogic® Air & Water Barrier against the performance of a traditional WRB, and the results were easy to see.

Building Backed by Proven Performance

With many building products to choose from—and many companies touting theirs as the best—finding the proof you need to make an informed decision is critical. To keep getting the best products on your jobsites, look for proof of every company’s claims and see how each will truly affect your bottom line. Look for transparency, legitimacy and real impact. And when you find products that check all the boxes, you can be sure your build is in good hands.