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Photograph of deteriorated hardboard siding. Guide to Hardboard Siding
Identification, Inspection, Repairs, Product Failures, Warranty Claims for Hardboard, Fiberboard, Pressboard, Engineered Wood Siding Products

Hardboard siding, made from wood fiber & additional ingredients: identification, failures, claims.

Here we explain how to identify brands & types of hardboard siding, how to find, diagnose, and repair building exterior hardboard siding defects, and we give links to hardboard siding failure claims websites.

Hardboard siding, often named by a particular brand such as Masonite is a wood-based exterior wall covering combines wood fibers, perhaps sawdust, along with adhesives, resins, heat and pressure to produce siding boards with a smooth or an embossed wood-grain pattern surface.

As we've seen in decades of building inspections, several hardboard-based and fiber cement based building exterior siding products have not performed as well as originally anticipated, experienced early failure, and were the subject of building siding warranty claims.

At page top we show a bottom-grooved hardboard siding photographed in 1999. We think this is a Weyerhaeuser or Hardieboard siding product dating from the 1990's.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

Hardboard, Composite, List of "Masonite"-type Siding Failures & Claims Information, Hardboard Siding Failure Diagnosis, Repair, Proper Installation

Photograph of deteriorated hardboard siding.(C) D Friedman

Failures of hardboard or pressboard siding are usually obvious: loss of the surface coating, swelling, softening, and ultimately loss of board material, as you'll see in photos on this page. That damage usually is worst near the wall bottom where it is more likely to be wet by rain splash-up of water falling off of the building roof.

Failed hardboard/pressboard siding is not repairable. It will need to be replaced.

Most U.S. manufacturers stopped producing the type of hardboard siding described on this page after 1994 when class action litigation (Naes et al. v. Masonite Corp. and International Paper Co., No. CV-94-4033 (AL Cir. Ct., Mobile Cty.) was settled, providing damage reimbursement for owners of buildings on which this siding product type was installed over the eighteen year period of January 1 1980 through January 15 1998.

A similar case involving Weyerhauser Co. hardboard siding was settled in 2000, with payout to owners of buildings where Weyerhauser hardboard siding was installed between 1 January 1981 and 31 December 1999.

Below on this page we provide an alphabetical index to hardboard siding brands or manufacturers.

[Click to enlarge any image]

Watch out: don't confuse fiber cement siding products, including asbestos cement siding boards or shingles with the wood based pressboard products described on this page.

For help distinguishing between wood- or plant- based hardboard siding products and cement-based or asbestos-cement siding products see

HARDBOARD END CUT PHOTOS - below on this page, photos courtesy of an InspectApedia reader.

Hardboard, Composite, "Masonite"-type Siding: failure and leak inspection, siding repair, siding litigation, hardboard siding class action lawsuits and settlements are listed here.

Hardboard siding deterioration at nail (C) D Friedmanj

Alphabetical List of Hardboard / Pressboard Siding Products

Photograph of deteriorated hardboard siding.

Deteriorated hardboard siding © D Friedman at InspectApedia.com


Current Stimson Lumber Hardboard Product examples - cited & discussed at InspectApedia.com

Above: example of current Stimson Lumber hardboard products, excerptd from the company's website cited in detail below.

Stimson Forestex hardboard siding identifying knot pattern detail - cited & discussed at InspectApedia.com


Jefferson Smurfit Cladwood siding identifying knot pattern - at InspectApedia.com


Hardboard siding disintegrating © D Friedman at InspectApedia.com

These identifying Stamps can help Identify Masonite Hardboard Siding on most products. But nte the text is all in capital letters, one inch high, printed in black ink along the length of the back of the siding boards.

But because the stamp appeared only once per length of siding board, and because siding boards are typically cut to shorter lengths to fit shorter wall sections or around windows anddoors, not every piece of siding on a building will bear the identifying marks. C-6 (coating #6) products are stamped along 4', and C-5 products may be stamped along 14'.

Hardboard siding deterioration © D Friedman at InspectApedia.com

Naturetech KWP 1/2 x 12 x 12' D5 Textured Siding Model Number: WSD51250. - cited & discussed at InspectApedia.com


Solid panel plywood siding on a 1970's New York Home (C) Daniel Friedman

Vertically grooved plywood siding panels on a 1970's New York Home (C) Daniel Friedman

Hardboard Siding Alternatives - Fiber Cement Siding

Fiber cement building siding, such as HardiePlank®, originated by James Hardie Products may be a more durable alternative to wood-fiber based hardboard siding. Information about the James Hardie company is

at JAMES HARDIEPLANK® FC SIDING. Other fiber cement siding product lines include Maxi-Panel, Maxi-Plank, Cemplank, & FortaFiber.

Comment from Sorbilite about the History of Hardboard Siding Failures

Plastron in China (C) Plastron Inc.

Andrew Pohl M.Sc. - M.A. President, 1 Reflection Lane Hampton VA. 23666 USA, Email: apohl@sorbilite.com

Dear Editor,

I am writing to comment on the endless claims of hardboard siding products failures. This concerns a number of the biggest companies in the US.

We at Sorbilite observing this with quiet satisfaction because years ago we were warning most of these companies about the coming catastrophe. We didn’t just warned these companies but give objective suggestions and solutions which were ignored - probably out of arrogance. Now it cost them millions.

We manufacture and distribute world-wide our technology and make it available to third-world countries since decades and the products are not only green but perform under extreme conditions. It should have been good and profitable to listen a little bit…. But may be it isn’t too late.

If you like to have more information don’t hesitate to call on me. Regards

Note: Quoting from http://www.sorbilite.com/,

Sorbilite, GmbH was established in Germany in 1978. Extensive knowledge in the field of particle board and décor panel manufacturing was brought into the company through the chief scientists. They had worked on the Marshall Plan initiative, aimed to develop environmental technologies.

The price of a $ 30 million décor-panel plant (Formica, Resopal) was reduced by 90% but quality and design variety was dramatically increased. The same results were achieved designing a new type of “value-added” three-dimensional particle board plant (MDF).

In 1985 Sorbilite, Inc. was established in the US and it became headquarters for worldwide operations in 1988. Today Sorbilite is located in Hampton, Virginia, USA. Sorbilite has established factories worldwide for more than 25 years.

Andrew Pohl, president of Sorbilite Plastron

Moderator Reply

Dear Mr. Pohl,

While we can't say that we have observed the failure of hardboard siding products with much satisfaction, we would very much welcome hearing from you specific details about or seeing documents about Sorbilite's warnings to the hardboard manufacturers, as that information would assist in understanding the history and development of this particular product failure.

More, if you have specific suggestions for owners whose buildings still include hardboard siding products, particularly how those might best be maintained, that too would be of great value. We look forward to hearing further from you.

Respectfully, Daniel Friedman, Editor.

Pohl follow-up:

Thank you for your prompt reply.

I didn't say the failure of others give us satisfaction , I meant more the lesson of not listening as good exercise satisfy us. If you go into our history you discover that we brought the know-how of the German particleboard industry with us together with the investment results of the Marshall Plan which reformed the composite field.

I do not want to dig too deep into this "not listening" --  because which company want to be suicidal if quick help is available? All bigger companies have their own research facilities. Not the presidents but the head of their research- facilities get the rescuing information.

Unfortunately this information is bad news for them. A proof somebody can do what they couldn't. So most cooperative action ends in further research how you do it and not  how to solve our companies problems.

The weather ability and the chemical composition of composites is a fairly common knowledge. The most kitchen chefs cannot understand why the big difference in taste using the same ingredients.  The know-how and the oven and the chef....

So if you ask me what is your secret.... my answer is the know how ( the leading brain trust of the German industry going back to 1930) the oven (the special press and process equipment) and the chef (putting up over 100 factories around the world). Of course also the practical experience. We let our customer speak. (Attached : Plastron in China)

This letter starts to look as a company promotion. It is not. I personally stopped selling this system and plant in America, started using our own equipment (Plastron Inc. -- www.Plastronproducts.com) and making the same turnover with 5 operators as we did with 31 building presses.

Well we sell the plants as well - mainly in third-world countries. And we don't mind consulting companies in trouble - in America. This is the spirit of this letter.

Moderator reply:

Andrew,

Thank you. I'm glad to do a little editing to make clear to readers your comment about failure of others and satisfaction.  As a forensic investigator I have found more than one case of a product that is such an obvious mistake that I am moved to look for other reasons that it remains on the market as long as it does.

In this article series we discuss all brands of hardboard or pressboard siding, including: Abatibi, ABTCO, Boise Cascade, Celotex hardboard siding, Champion hardboard siding (see Masonite), Certainteed Weatherboards (see Fiber Cement), Georgia Pacific, James Hardi HardiePlank, Louisiana Pacific, Masonite, Shakertown, Weyerhaeuser, Wolverine DuraPress® siding Abatibi hardboard siding, ABTCO siding, Forestex hardboard siding, Georgia Pacific hardboard siding, Louisiana Pacific hardboard siding, Masonite hardboard siding, Shakertown Panel Siding, Weyerhaeuser Hardboard Siding, and Wolverine DuraPress - examples of brands of hardboard siding that have suffered these problems.




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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

Is there Warranty Assistance for Replacing or Painting Masonite Colorlok "Color lock" Hardboard Siding?

Masonite Colorlok Siding ad, Popular Science Mag May 1981

Question from an InspectApedia reader

I am considering buying a home that was built in 1998 and was sided with Colorlock [Masonite Colorlok®] siding.

The siding looks terrible. It is exposed and there is no paint left on the lowest part of each piece of the lap siding where it has swelled and looks like its coming apart.

The home is beautiful with that exception. I saw your article and my question is could it be covered under the claim you write about. Its a big house and the siding is a big issue. If I knew that it could be replaced under some type of warranty it would help me with the decision of buying it. - R.H.

Moderator reply:

A competent onsite inspection by an expert usually finds additional clues that help assess the condition of the siding, the extent of replacement needed, and the possibility that water has penetrated the building walls - points where additional investigation would be appropriate.

That said, as we noted above, The deadline to file a claim has passed. For more information call 800-330-2722.

See MASONITE WOODRUF® ROOFING OR MASONITE OMNIWOOD® SIDING LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT NOTICE - PDF file.

Colorlok® Masonite hardboard siding was a 1970's product (the Masonite Colorlok siding ad shown at left appeared in April and May 1981 Popular Science Magazine), subsequently removed from the market following delamination failures and the class action litigation we discuss above.

In as this SIDING COST TABLE [PDF] shows, in the 1970's the installed cost of hardboard siding was less than vinyl, aluminum, or steel siding. [3]

Where your Masonite (or other brand) hardboard siding has swollen and delaminated, painting it would be a stopgap measure that yields cosmetically poor results.

You will want to replace those damaged siding sections. Try contacting Masonite - the company may still have retained reserves of replacement siding that they may be willing and able to provide to people who present a siding warranty claim to the company even though the class action settlement period has expired.

However considering the poor performance of hardboard siding products over time, I'd consider replacing entire walls using an alternative and more durable contemporary product, perhaps a fiber cement product or something else

. On 6 March 2001, Masonite ANNOUNCED [PDF] that the company was phasing out all of its hardboard siding products including Colorlok®, Woodsman® Lap & Panel, SuperSide®, and HiddenRidge® siding, and Modulux® industrial board.

In many cases hardboard siding that has not delaminated can be painted after priming with a latex primer. Check with your paint supplier and be sure to use compatible paints. Keeping hardboard siding painted, especially at cuts and penetrations (nails, end cuts, openings cut for fixtures,etc) can slow its deterioration significantly.

Note: don't waste time seeking the Masonite claims website titled www.masoniteclaims.com - it has been converted to a "made for Adsense" advertising revenue page that provides no useful information whatsoever.

Reader comment: Photos of end-cut view of hardboard siding - is this asbestos?

End cut view of siding helps identify the material as plant-fibre or wood based hardboard (C) InspectApedia.com OttThank you for your website and the great amount of information you’ve assembled.

While replacing a window in my 60’s era house, I discovered vinyl siding installed over a former siding.

I don’t believe it to be asbestos, primarily because it is wood colored and appears to be wood fiber. I have no visibility to the old siding to determine the length of the panels, only these end cuts.

I thought perhaps these photos could be helpful on your website in helping others to identify their siding as I didn’t see very many end cut photos.

These are 12” wide and about 7/16” thick. They are wood colored and seem to best match your description of fiberboard. Are you able to confirm that from photos alone?

Could these be asbestos? - Anonymous by privat email 2022/03/22

Moderator reply: brown woody fibres identify plant-based siding: hardboard siding - different from cement-board products

Thank you for the siding identification discussion and photos. 

At SIDING, FIBER CEMENT IDENTIFICATION you wills see that we do have some photos of factory end-cuts of FC siding, but your images will be a helpful addition. 

Your first photo [above} where board siding ends are exposed (and apparently covered over byt vinyl siding) the ends are painted, making a certain identification of material more-difficult without a closer-look or a bit of probing. Below is an enlarged bit of your first photo that we showed above.

End cut view of siding helps identify the material as plant-fibre or wood based hardboard (C) InspectApedia.com Ott

Without a bit of scratching or probing we still can't say what the material is, but I do note that it's a poor practice to install vinyl siding over hardboard siding without also trimming out windows and doors so as to close off openings into the wall such as shown in the enlarged image above.

Your subsequent photos (below) show brown woody fibres - not a cemetious material.

However they belong not among cement-based siding identification photos but here (this page) among wood- or plant-based fiber siding identification.

End cut view of siding helps identify the material as plant-fibre or wood based hardboard (C) InspectApedia.com Ott ... End cut view of siding helps identify the material as plant-fibre or wood based hardboard (C) InspectApedia.com Ott

Those brown fibres and absence of any cementious material argue for that identification. That is to say, your siding looks like fiberboard -a  wood-based product, not a cement-based product. 

Below is a close-up view of this plant-based or wood-fiber based siding end cut. You can also see the kerf marks from the saw blade used to cut this siding board and if you look closely at the front surface of the old hardboard siding you can see that it is deteriorated - which may explain why the siding was covered over by vinyl.

End cut view of siding helps identify the material as plant-fibre or wood based hardboard (C) InspectApedia.com Ott

As it will be helpful to other readers I include a redacted (to respect your privacy) version of this discussion in our article [on this current page, HARDBOARD SIDING GUIDE - Ed.]

Below is a closer view of the end cut of a fiber cement board product. You can see that these cemetious siding boards are harder than plant-based hardboard siding - they're "cemetious" and do not show brown plant fibres.

Hardieplank HZ5 top edge profile (C) James Hardie & Daniel Friedman

Also see COMPARE FIBER CEMENT to WOOD-FIBER SIDING - on our fiber cement siding identification page.

Question: Asbestos siding & Abitibi siding

(Oct 26, 2011) Asbestos siding & Abitibi siding said:
Hello. Are the two sidings noted above the same thing with the same properties?

Reply: no recall of Masonite siding

A&A.

No, Hardboard siding is a wood fiber product whose deterioration is described on this page.

Asbestos siding is a product made from a mixture of cement, asbestos (fibers and filler) and possibly other materials. In my experience cement asbestos siding is a durable and long-lasting product, it does not easily deteriorate from exposure, though on roofs and in some other hard wear locations it might become soft and porous.

The issues are different as well.

There are potential environmental and health concerns with the demolition of or mechanical operation on any asbestos-containing material if the process creates/releases asbestos dust.

...

Continue reading at ABATIBI ABTCO SIDING FAILURE CLAIMS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Hardboard Siding Articles

Suggested citation for this web page

SIDING HARDBOARD IDENTIFICATION & CLAIMS at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.


Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING SIDING

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