What’s the problem with composite siding? Many types of composite siding will become defective or deteriorate prematurely due to lack of or poor maintenance just like real wood. Composite siding is also known to develop problems due to manufacture defects, which have resulted in many class action lawsuits, some of which are ongoing or coming soon.
Composite siding is man-made boards manufactured for use as exterior siding, made from various combinations of wood fibers, fillers, binders and glue. These mixtures are heated and compressed into composite wood products. There are many types of composite siding which can be divided into a few main groups. Some are large panels similar to sheets of plywood and some are similar to individual clapboards.
Types of composite siding
- Cement board is a product with Portland Cement added to the wood mixture
- Hardboard is made from a wood pulp mixture
- Fiber board is product made with sawdust
- Oriented Strand board (OSB) is common name for product made from shredded wood mixture
- When used as siding an embossed over-lament is often added to simulate the look of wood
Composite Siding Recall Information
The following Recall Information is provided for informational purposes only. Some of it is outdated, several or more years old, but the recommendations for taking action remains mostly relevant. This is not intended to be a complete or comprehensive list of recalls or recommendations for action, but to make you aware of some of the problems associated with some of the hardboard, cement board and composite siding materials you may have on your house.
Help Prevent Problems With Good Maintenance
Most composite siding issues can be avoided or greatly reduced with regular maintenance practices as in keep the siding well sealed with some type of weather or moisture resistant coating, most of which will also protect against the harmful UV rays from the sun. The extent of the known problems and warranty issues with composite siding, should help make you aware of the importance of proper maintenance which can greatly help to prevent expensive repairs and or needed replacement. There are some common issues with composite siding most of which deal with deterioration when exposed to moisture and some dealing with shrinkage of material leaving unsightly and destructive gaps at butt joints. There are some excellent, long lasting composite siding materials that have many advantages over other siding types “if” they are properly maintained.
If Your Siding Is Bad, What Can You Do?
1. File a Warranty Claim
To file a warranty claim you must first know a few things, most importantly what the product is and then contact the manufacturer for how to file a warranty claim. Then filing a claim depends greatly upon how old the siding is and what additional information you have about the siding. I’ve listed some important information that may be needed to file a claim.
- What is the siding product(s) name and manufacturer company name? Without this information, if it can not be verified, you have no way forward. Many of the siding products are almost identical.
- Age of siding, date of purchase / date of installation.
- Proof of sale / Receipt for sale or installation of siding product.
- Who sold the product? If you had a problem most likely others also had the same problem and the distributer of the siding product may be able to help with the recall or warranty process.
- Who installed the product? Likewise the installation contractor may have already been down the warranty claim process with other clients and could be of great help in this process.
- When was the product installed?
- Was the product properly installed? The siding may need to be inspected to determine if it was a manufacturer’s defect or damage issue related to improper installation.
- Has the product been maintained as per product requirements? Improper maintenance is one of the most likely causes of damage to to composite siding. In most cases it is imperative that a weather proof, i.e. waterproof protective coating be maintained to prevent water penetration into the siding material which causes swelling and deterioration. Not only paint or stain or sealer on the siding face but every butt joint and end joint need to be sealed watertight with proper caulking.
2. Repair where needed and maintain to prevent further damage.
As mentioned above improper maintenance and improper installation are often the primary cause of problems with composite siding. Improper installation issues are primarily due to the siding not being properly sealed at time of installation – such as improper caulking, not sealing the cut ends of siding, in some cases not sealing the back of the siding. Depending on the age of siding in most cases by time a problem is discovered there may not be much you can do.
What type of siding do you have?
If at all possible try to find out what the name brand of your siding material and any warranty information. This can help with valuable information for repair, maintenance and replacement information on your specific siding material. Material warranty, or recall may still be in effect if a claim is needed. The following information is an overview of the issues currently associated with various composite siding and exterior cladding manufacturers.
Composite Siding Recall Information
UPDATE – Please Note: This post is several years old and some of the information below may be out of date at the time you are reading this now, the information is from other sources I’ve gathered from online, so I have not verified all the information.
Louisiana-Pacific:
The Class Action Settlement ended on December 31, 2002. Claims should be directed to L-P’s product warranty department. Call 1-877-677-6722 for LP Siding installed before January 1996
Call 1-800-450-6106 for LP installed after January 1996, Includes Smart System Products
ALso: L-P Customer Support: 1-800-648-6893 Warranty and Technical Information
for Warranty Info press 1 / Tech Info press 2
Weyerhaeuser Hardboard Siding:
Claims information can be found at www.weyerclaims.com
Masonite Hardboard Siding
Claims information can be found at www.masoniteclaims.com
Masonite Omniwood Siding:
Claims information can be found at www.masoniteclaims.com
Boise-Cascade Hardboard Siding:
Need to submit a claim to Boise Cascade? Mail your claim to: Boise Cascade Corporation, Timber & Wood Products Division, P.O. Box 62, Boise, ID 83707, Attn: Tana Rasmussen; phone: 208/384-6162; Include six photographs, one of each side of your house from a distance and two close-ups that will clearly show the problems you are experiencing. c/o Tana Rasmussen.
Georgia-Pacific Company: Hardboard Siding:
This case settled a national class action, but the time period for participating has expired. The last date for filing claims under the settlement was August 18, 1998.
Stimson Brand Hardboard Siding (Forestex):
This company no longer manufactures or markets lap siding. They continue to produce a hardboard panel surfaced with tempered hardboard marketed as Duratemp. Need to submit a claim to Stimson? Mail your claim to 520 S.W. Yamhill, Suite 325, Portland, Oregon, 97204-1319; Remember to send a few photos of your siding with your claim letter.
ABTCO Hardboard Siding
Claims information can be found at www.abtcoclaims.com.
Smurfit Paper Company a subsidiary of The Jefferson Smurfit Corporation: Cladwood hardboard siding
This product has been out of production for a few years but damaged products continue to surface. A proposed settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit concerning a siding product known as Cladwood. The settlement would provide compensation to persons who have incurred property damage resulting from failure of Cladwood siding installed on their homes or buildings. For claims call 1-888-572-3897, or visit their website at http://www.cladwoodclaims.com/
Shakertown panel
Panels manufactured before 1992 have been reported have problems with the way that they were processed.. There have been some complaints of the cedar shingles separating from their plywood backing. Poor installation techniques appear to be a major contributor to this problem. This product has been improved and seems to be exhibiting fewer problems.
Fiber-cement Products:
Fiber-cement siding manufactured by James-Hardie Company (Hardi-Plank, Hardi-Panel, and Hardi-Home) have gained product recognition and an increasing market share.
Wolverine Dura-Press
This product has been renamed Weatherboard and is being marketed under the Certainteed family of products.
Additional Fiber-Cement Products
Maxi-Plank, and Maxi-Panel, Cemplank, and FortaFiber are some of the other participants in this market. Maxi Plank and Panels have been failing in an ever-growing number of homes and is likely to be the subject of a class action lawsuit.
Hope this info helps, if you have had any experience with siding recall I would appreciate your comments below.
We purchased a seven year old home that was built in 1979. We have been having [problems with the siding being wet and crumbling on the north side of the house. Every Three years or so a dark splotching would be coming to the surface of the siding. We have had to paint the house every three to five years to keep it looking decent. We now have our house up for sale and we are replacing the damp siding on the lower part of the north side of the house. We took a sample of the siding to Home Depot to get some siding to replace it and the man there told us that the siding company that made that type of siding was sued about 10 years ago for a faulty product. Are we still able to put in a complaint about our siding. It is a composite siding. Please return our email immediately. Ronald and Barbara Pollard
If siding manufacturer is still in business you can certainly put in a complaint. As far as putting in a claim for some type of reimbursement it depends on who the manufacturer is and if they are still taking claims. You should be able to contact the manufacturer for warranty claim information, maybe Home Depot could help you get a customer service phone number. Even if they are not taking claims you should be able to do an internet search to see if there are any class action law suits currently open. If you feel you want to pursue that route, you may join in, but don’t get your hopes up.
How do I find out if my siding was under recall? Also the house was built before 1996. How do I find out the manufacturer and what steps do I need to take to have the siding replaced or receive reimbursement for siding I have had to replace?
How do you determine which siding is on a house. Looking at one built in 1985 that is for resale.
Sandra Rodriguez, I have a 1997 Palm Harbor .The fist thing we noticed the nails started to bleed. Now the exterior walls are warping. The one thing is that no one advised us on the action law suit. On the Hardboard’s? I did file a warranty claim.
Most good contractors who have been in business for 10 to 20 years should be able to tell you what you have. There are so many types of siding, without the experience of having dealt with many different types of siding issues it will take a little research to figure it out.
You will need to do some research, speak to contractor or home owner who did the work, find out where it was purchased from, etc. IT can be quite difficult if not impossible sometimes, but can also be worth the effort in some cases.
i have the Weyerhaeuser sure-lock lap siding on my home, water got behind the siding from my dishwasher drain hose. My home was originally built in 1949 by my dads grandpa i bought it in 1993 and remodeled it 1998-1999. I took the roof off and went up, leaving only the four outside walls. The floor and walls behind my cabinets and dishwasher are not your typical new home, 2×4 construction, sub-flooring where cabinets went was not a priority, nor was fixing ugly looking walls it was all going to be hidden. the water was able to get to the out side siding with out lot of trouble and it turned a patch of my siding into something you could put your finger through from the outside. When I noticed it I turned it into my insurance and they are trying to deny the claim because they say that it had to be leaking for months to do that to my siding. I countered with why did my kitchen not start to stink, dishwasher discharge water is not that nice of a smell, the claims adjuster used a moister meter in front of my dish washer and sink and it was dry so I again said water leaking/spraying for months would have made it to the front just as much as to the back, maybe not as much but it would have been there. So with that back ground info if water gets to the back of the siding i have how long would it take to soften like it did? I called the local lumber yard and talked to him a little and he said that basically from the back it is just like cardboard and it will soak it up and spread down, up and sideways and he said it would not take months but he was not really sure how long and leaning towards maybe two weeks tops depending on the time of year it is and what side of the house it was on. So if you have any info that can help with this i am all ears and eyes since i will have to read your response…thanks
It is tricky to make a calculation like that without seeing and knowing all the details. It may have been a very small leak at first that gradually got worse over time in which case it may have taken a very long time. I would reckon that it would take more than a couple of weeks however big the leak was, just a guess but I would say it would need to have been leaking for at least a few to several months before you could stick your finger through it. It also depends on how often you run your dishwasher. I have seen many water leaks and do know that water seeks the path of least resistance, it very well could only cause damage at the rear, depending on how level the flooring or framing is or depending on if something blocks the flow. Slow leaks generally move in the direction of what absorbs it or the direction of easiest flow. Sorry I can’t be of too much help on this.
Our house is in Portland, Oregon and was built in 1995/1996. The siding on the West side is buckling and cracking badly, at some points, creating 8″ long cracks that are about 1/4 ” wide. We have come to know that they may be a settlement on this siding.
We know the name of the builder but do not know what siding type he used, or the siding manufacturer. Where can we access this information? We need this info in order to file a claim successfully.
Thanks in advance.
Hi! Are you familiar with Boisie Cascade composite lap siding? I used the info on your page about claim information. After much calling and getting referred to other phone numbers I finally got a response from a gentleman named Ross. He told me that BC never manufactured this lap siding, that they only manufactured a small test market of siding in the northwest and it didn’t go anywhere. Do you know anything about this or BC and how you got the above information? Thank you in advance.
I have this siding all around my home please help with replacement asap before the cold come in this year.My home built in 1988.
Hello Sharon, the siding does not have to be replaced unless it is failing, and that is normally due to lack of proper maintenance, when it becomes exposed to water then the moisture damage begins. I have no idea what is going on with your home, but most good painters, or general contractors should be able to advise you a good course of action.
No I am not personally familiar with Boisie Cascade siding. Do you have that siding on your house, if so, how is it holding up? Thanks for the updated information.
The builder would be the best source of info. There may or may not be information or stamp or sticker on the back side of the siding, it would have to be removed to find out. Otherwise the local building suppliers may be able to help but being built over 20 years ago, that could be difficult as business change often these days. You could also check with other established local contractors who may have seen this problem before and already done the homework, your home is probably not the only home. Good Luck.
My garage is sided with some kind of composite. We’ve been here 14 years and a lot of the siding is deteriorating along the bottom of the boards. Can I side over the existing siding or do I go with a take off and replace?
I have DuraPress on my home and it has only been about 10 years. last year I had a leak and when they took the siding off there was a hole in the house. I had that section fixed and now I am having the whole south side one. Are there any class action suits against this product. It was painted about 4 years ago and the rest of the house needs to be painted but I do not want to paint if I need to put up new siding each year. It seems siding should last a bit longer than it does these days.
Does anybody know if there has been a class action lawsuits started against maxi plank? My house is only seven years old with numerous siding issues. I have been sent down mini rabbit trails to get help. It’s almost like a big cover-up. The company I bought it from blames it all on the installer. Any help would be appreciated .
I purchased my mobile home in 2004. It has been painted once. It is deteriorating bad on the bottom. I was told recently that the siding was recalled a long time ago. I had no idea. I was wondering if it is too late to file a claim for this. Not sure what type of siding it is. It was built in 1989. Would appreciate any info. Thank you.
Hi Mary, it is over 25 years old. I suppose it will be too late at this point and it would probably be difficult to research to find out the brand of siding and who installed it. However I can’t say for sure, just an educated guess. Most new composite siding products have warranties of 25 or less years.
House in North Carolina built in 1997. Omniwood was used and it is rotting. How can I determine who the manufacturer was?
Your best bet is to do some research on the web and or with local building suppliers or the contractor who did the installation.
My home has the same damage is there any recourse I have for help with replacement
Unfortunately usually not, but it is possible if you are still within in the warranty period or if there is a current recall, you usually need to have all the warranty information, sales receipts, date of installation, you also usually need to get the installation contractor information and the company who sold the siding product in on the process to help move things along. I’m not sure how much of the above information you have. In most cases the problem are due to improper installation and or improper or lack of maintenance; in which case the fault lies with the installation contractor or previous homeowners or yourself. These are good places to start for figuring out any recourse.
Not sure what brand of siding I have, but the measurements are 15.5″ X 16′ with 3 laps on each panel. All the products I find locally are 16″ X 16′ and will not line up. Do you know if my siding is still produced and available? The house was built in 1989.
I purchased a house about 5 years ago and the siding crumbles to the touch…appears to be LP siding. Not sure why previous owner did not replace. Sucks to know that I now have to replace the entire house and detached garage. What type of siding do you suggest or is it better just to do cedar siding?
Answer to Jeff Alexander: Most likely it is not it is almost 30 years old. You should be able to get something that matches up pretty close.
Answer to Gina’s question: There are a lot of great siding choices now, cement board and fiber siding some are pre painted or primed and have warranties of 30 to 50 years. Cedar is also very nice but usually costs more and will usually last 30 to 50 years if properly installed. The choice mainly comes down to your preference. The very important keys with all siding materials is that it is properly installed and then properly maintained.
I purchased a 1997 Horton mobile home that is 28 by 56 built in 1996 2 years ago. When starting to replace skirting I couldn’t help but notice a lot of rot at the bottom of about half of the panels. So now I’m trying to figure out how to fix this . Upon looking closer I noticed all the seams that are tongue and groove are grossly caulked and a lot of the nail heads are backed out and need to be replaced and caulked also. I’ve been told I have masonite panel siding . It appears to be more like pressed cardboard! Do I have any recourse to get help to fix this and if I do, would it be The company who manufactured the mobile home or the manufacture of the Masonite ? I know a mobile home is nowhere near built like a house but I have to admit I was overwhelmed when I seen all of this . Any advice would be appreciated . Thank you in advance .
Most new construction has no more than a 7 year warranty. The siding warranty is unknown unless you have the purchase specs, receipt, or other information to verify. There are many types of composite siding. If you do know for sure what type it is you can contact the manufacturer to see if you have any recourse. Very often if you can all the info and actually make contact, they most likely will say it was not properly maintained or it was not properly installed. If it was not properly maintained, that is on you – did you allow the paint and or caulk seams to wear out so that water got in and caused the damage. A lot of times people wait too long in between painting or they do not maintain caulked joints to keep the water out. If the water damage is due to improper installation, then your only recourse is to go after the installation company. You should get the damage professionally evaluated and see what they determining the cause of the damage is a result from, then you will know how to proceed. Hope that helps.
I have Temple Inland siding on my home. It is now crumbling to the touch. It was installed 1997. I have 4 years left on my warranty. This company was bought out by Georgia Pacific. Who honors the remainder of my warranty??
You should call Georgia Pacific and find out what they say.
I own a small construction company in Dallas/ Fort Worth area. I completed a roof for my client changing from a 20 year old concrete tile roof system to a standard laminated shingle. After we removed the existing roofing tiles {especially from the rakes) we discovered that the fascia and soffit are particle wood so the house looks like a terrible mess. Any direction you can offer on how to file a claim against the defective siding???
Hi Gregory, that is an uncertain route. You need to start with the name of the product and manufacturer and who installed it, who sold it, and determine if it was installed according to manufacturer’s instructions, what the warranty actually covers, what the warranty period was and if there is any warranty remaining – a lot of siding companies go out of business before their warranties end, then find out from the manufacturer what is required to file a claim. Hate to be to bearer of bad news but unfortunately at this point this will probably turn into a dead end road. Most of the time the needed information is just not available. Additionally problems with these materials is most often due to improper installation or improper maintenance or a combination of the two, either of which voids most warranties. 20 years after the fact it would most likely be very difficult to prove it was installed and maintained properly and would most likely not be recommended to try and take this to court to press your case even if everything looked like the manufacturer was at fault.
I have a 1990 manufactured home and mine too is falling apart due to the sawdust siding or whatever they used. I just found about this now. How could I claim or out in a claim for this
Answer for Fred: As I’ve mentioned numerous times above, To file a warranty claim you must first know a few things, most importantly what the product is and then contact the manufacturer for how to file a warranty claim. Then filing a claim depends greatly upon how old the siding is and what additional information you have about the siding. I’ve listed some important information that may be needed to file a claim.
What is the siding product(s) name and manufacturer company name? Without this information, if it can not be verified, you have no way forward. Many of the siding products are almost identical.
Age of siding, date of purchase / date of installation.
Proof of sale / Receipt for sale or installation of siding product.
Who sold the product? If you had a problem most likely others also had the same problem and the distributer of the siding product may be able to help with the recall or warranty process.
Who installed the product? Likewise the installation contractor may have already been down the warranty claim process with other clients and could be of great help in this process.
When was the product installed?
Was the product properly installed? The siding may need to be inspected to determine if it was a manufacturer’s defect or damage issue related to improper installation.
Has the product been maintained as per product requirements? Improper maintenance is one of the most likely causes of damage to to composite siding. In most cases it is imperative that a weather proof, i.e. waterproof protective coating be maintained to prevent water penetration into the siding material which causes swelling and deterioration. Not only paint or stain or sealer on the siding face but every butt joint and end joint need to be sealed watertight with proper caulking.
I bought my home in 2005. Found out recently that the siding is crumbling and is Masonite what are my options. Thanks
Hi Nancy, not sure if you read the Post above that would be more helpful that what I could say here. It’s probably too old at this point. Do your research, start by finding out and talking to the installer and the supplier. Without that info there isn’t really anything warranty wise. You can slow the damage by proper maintenance, repair or replacement if it is too far gone.