Building Inspection, Diagnosis & Repair Info

Gaps at butt joints of HardiePlank siding on an 8-year-old home  (C) Daniel FriedmanCures for Fiber Cement Siding Gaps

  • POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about the cause & cure of butt joint gaps in fiber-cement siding & about fiber cement siding installation

Fiber cement lap siding installation butt joint gap remedies are described in this article.

Companion articles explain where are clearance gaps required and how big should they be; where should there be no gap (butt joints).

The article series describes a problem of gaps at siding board butt joints that has been observed at some fiber cement lap siding installations.

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Cures for Exposed Gaps in Fiber Cement Building Siding - guidelines adapted from James Hardie, CertainTeed & Others

Gaps at butt joints of HardiePlank siding on an 8-year-old home  (C) Daniel Friedman

Here we describe approaches to fixing both the cosmetic complaint "I don't like to see those gaps in the wall siding" as well as a possible leak complaint if the butt joints were not back-flashed.

Separately at SIDING, FIBER CEMENT GAPS we explain why unsightly gaps may appear at the butt joints between individual pieces of fiber cement lap siding on a building. Unless the builder erroneously and deliberately left such openings, the gaps are usually due to having installed fiber cement siding while it was at a "too high" moisture content.

First, it is important to listen to what the manufacturers of fiber cement lap siding have to say about the expansion/contraction (and buckling or gap formation) of this product:

It is normal for building products located on the exterior of a home to expand and contract with temperature changes. To ensure a successful siding installation, you must allow for this movement during installation.

While CertainTeed WeatherBoards Fiber Cement siding does not experience the same rate of expansion and contraction as many other building products (such as wood), over time you may notice movement of the siding, specifically at the butt end/joints.

This issue is mainly an aesthetic issue and should not create a condition that would cause long-term product failure. If you are dissatisfied with the appearance of the butt end/joint locations and wish to address them, CertainTeed recommends that you apply H-covers at the joint locations.[5a][5b]

We discuss the FC siding gap caulking option in detail later in this article.

Fiber Cement Siding Gap Caulking Advice for Homeowners

Fiber cement board butt  joint caulking failure (C) Daniel Friedman Eric GalowWatch out: the HZ5® HardiePlank lap siding installation instructions include important details for joint treatment, including warnings against caulking at butt joints. CertainTeed fiber cement siding installation guides contain similar admonitions:

Watch out: the HZ5® HardiePlank lap siding installation instructions include important details for joint treatment, including warnings against caulking at butt joints. CertainTeed fiber cement siding installation guides contain similar admonitions.

Certainteed Corp. provides important advice for building owners troubled by gaps that appear in fiber cement exterior siding after the product has been installed and in service for some time.

The company points out that while these products expand and contract less in response to temperature changes than [some] other siding materials, thermal movement is normal, should have been allowed for at installation, and might produce noticeable gaps at butt joints. Numbers below refer to the page numbers in the product installation guide.[5]

This issue is mainly an aesthetic issue and should not create a condition that would cause long-term product failure.

If you are dissatisfied with the appearance of the butt end/joint locations and wish to address them, CertainTeed recommends that you apply H-covers at the joint locations.

NOTE: Refer to your sealant manufacturer’s specifications to determine if they allow the caulking of fiber cement siding butt joints/ edges, what their minimum and maximum gap requirements are, and/or how this practice may affect the warranty for the caulking. To ensure that caulks and sealants stay in place, we recommend using materials that remain flexible.

Gaps at butt joints of HardiePlank siding on an 8-year-old home  (C) Daniel Friedman

The labels of these materials will be clearly marked with a phrase similar to “permanently flexible.” For best results, use a high quality, exterior-grade caulk or sealant that meets ASTM C834 (latex caulk) or ASTM C920 (urethane caulk). The caulk or sealant should be color matched or paintable.

It should be compatible with both fiber cement siding and the materials used for the trim. Check the gloss and texture of the caulk to make sure it is compatible with the paint. - p. 55

Before you begin to caulk, remove any dust or debris. Caulk wherever siding meets the trim vertically at the corners and around windows and doors.

Do not caulk where the siding is installed into J-channel or a pocket/ accessory. Follow the caulk manufacturer’s application instructions. - p. 56

To see a table of the specified gaps for Certainteed's fiber cement building products as well as where caulk should or should not be used,

see SIDING, FIBER CEMENT GAP & CAULK SPECS

Caulk & sealant recommendations, products, descriptions are

at CAULKS & SEALANTS, EXTERIOR and

at CAULK GUN TYPES, CHOICES

OPINION: on textured siding products for which a coat of paint won't cover any caulk overspread, (or as the manufacturer may recommend), don't caulk these gaps.

You risk causing more trouble than it's worth, though I can imagine that meticulous work at each joint along with a new paint job may be cosmetically acceptable. You may also be voiding a product warranty.

Watch out: Certainteed Corp. does not recommend caulking at butt joints in lap siding and provides important advice for building owners troubled by gaps that appear in fiber cement exterior siding after the product has been installed and in service for some time.

HardiePlank Fiber Cement Siding Butt Joint Treatments: in 2008 James Hardie withdrew its recommendation for caulking butt joints in HardiePlank lap siding. The company's technical bulletin 9, added that

The use of a joint flashing behind field butt joints is the required joint treatment method for HardiePlank lap siding with ColorPlus technology and the preferred method for primed HardiePlank lap siding.

The use of caulk at field butt joints is a maintenance item for the homeowner, aesthetically compromises the finish look and is recommended against by some caulk manufacturers. All HardiePlank lap siding must be installed in accordance with our installation details as outlined in the relevant installation instructions.

Watch out: any repair that is not specifically recommended by a product manufacturer may affect the product's warranty coverage. On the other hand, warranty coverage reports have an unfortunate history and often a poor payout rate anyway, so in our OPINION, you may not be risking so much.


SIDING, FIBER CEMENT BOARD REPAIRS shows that ultimately the fiber cement siding manufacturer throws in the towel on the don't-caulk-the-butt-joints position for the case of people who are determined to try that approach, and offers some advice about applying caulk in these lap siding gap locations.

Caulking: Repairs such as caulking or flashing-over and re-painting butt joints in siding, may protect the building from water intrusion and further deterioration but may leave cosmetic issues; Caulk applied in siding butt joint gaps should be top quality, rated for the application and materials, applied to a clean dry joint, in weather conditions permitted by the manufacturer; the company recommends a "... high quality, paintable latex caulk ... that complies with ASTM C834, ASTM C920 or better..." [14]

Details about repair approaches to unattractive lap siding butt joint gaps are also discussed

at SIDING, FIBER CEMENT BOARD REPAIRS

Installing H-Covers to Cover Siding Butt Joint Gaps

H flashing for siding butt joint gaps (C) Daniel Friedman

To improve the appearance of these open gaps at butt joints in lap siding installations where their fiber cement lap siding was used, CertainTeed recommends installing H-covers at the joint locations.

We tried a sample H-flashing product (too short for actual use) and found it was difficult to install and risked cosmetic damage to the siding. (Photo at left).

We point out that retrofitting these products, while a nice idea, may be tricky (jamming the "H" up under nailed lapped siding above) and will still be "visible", even perhaps leading to color differences as the two materials (flashing and siding) age.

OPINION: on textured siding products for which a coat of paint won't cover any caulk overspread, (or as the manufacturer may recommend), don't caulk these gaps.

You will see vertical lines where each H-cover is installed, but then in our OPINION there were vertical lines already visible at the butt joint.

And we agree with CertainTeed that this approach is likely to be more attractive than blobbing or smearing caulk into butt joint openings - a procedure that changes the texture of the siding and its coating performance or re-painting performance and appearance in a way that can be far more ugly, leaving roundish smears at every butt joint so treated.

Watch out: even the H-cover solution to siding board butt joint gaps is not without possible trouble.

What are the chances that the plastic or aluminum of the H-cover will weather and change color at the same rate and in the same hue as the paint or coating on the siding boards?

I'll bet zero. So over time these covers may become more noticeable.

Open Butt Joint Repairs in Fiber Cement Flashing: using slip-on H-flashing or slip-in Back Flashing

Open fiber cement siding butt joint shows no back flashing was installed (C) Daniel Friedman E Galow

Our photo is a close-up of one of the bad fiber-cement siding installation job we describe at SIDING, FIBER CEMENT GAPS. Take a close look at our picture - that blue paper you see in the gap is housewrap.

There is no back flashing installed in this siding job, which means that blowing rain enters the wall at every butt joint gap. We are depending entirely on the housewrap to keep water (and later insects and rot) out of the building walls. Do you figure that the same fellows who installed this siding took great care to install the housewrap correctly and without leak points? Doubtful.

Several fiber cement manufacturers recommend the use of sliding H-flashing at fiber cement butt joints as a siding butt-joint gap repair. If the building siding is otherwise in good condition this option may be appealing.

Where to buy exterior siding butt joint back-flashing & H-covers for fiberboard siding products

Siding butt joint back-flashing from Tamlyn: Proline Plank Flash xtremetrim.com (C) InspectAPedia Tamlyn

Separately in "Fiber Cement Siding Best Practices for Effective Job Site Management" [5b] the company recommends

Siding butt joint back-flashing from Tamlyn: Proline Plank Flash xtremetrim.com (C) InspectAPedia Tamlyn

Use high-quality, exterior grade, color matched or paintable caulk or sealant that complies with either ASTM C834 (latex) or ASTM C920 (urethane) and is compatible with both fiber cement siding and the materials used for trim. Be sure to caulk wherever the siding meets the trim, non-self-flashing penetrations, and around all windows and doors.[5a][5b]

CertainTeed's advice on caulking siding butt joints and edges continues:

NOTE: Refer to your sealant manufacturer’s specifications to determine if they allow the caulking of fiber cement siding butt joints / edges, what their minimum and maximum gap requirements are, and/or how this practice may affect the warranty for the caulking. To ensure that caulks and sealants stay in place, we recommend using materials that remain flexible.

The labels of these materials will be clearly marked with a phrase similar to “permanently flexible.” For best results, use a high quality, exterior-grade caulk or sealant that meets ASTM C834 (latex caulk) or ASTM C920 (urethane caulk). The caulk or sealant should be color matched or paintable.[5a][5b]

Separately in "Fiber Cement Siding Best Practices for Effective Job Site Management" [5b] the company recommends 100% acrylic latex primer or paint to seal cut ends of all siding boards.

Watch out: as with our warning about H-covers for butt joint gaps, a caulking or sealant product will most likely weather and change color at a different rate and to a different hue from those of the paint or coating on the siding boards. CertainTeed continues:

It [the caulk] should be compatible with both fiber cement siding and the materials used for the trim. Check the gloss and texture of the caulk to make sure it is compatible with the paint. - p. 55

Before you begin to caulk, remove any dust or debris. Caulk wherever siding meets the trim vertically at the corners and around windows and doors. Do not caulk where the siding is installed into J-channel or a pocket/ accessory. Follow the caulk manufacturer’s application instructions. - p. 56 [5a][5b]

Alternative Approach for a Bad Siding Job: Siding Removal & Replacement

Should we remove & replace the siding? installing it correctly this time.

The contractor at the job we investigated considered this approach, though there would be some lost material due to damage during removal. There the siding had so many installation errors, missing flashing, crooked, trim rot around windows and doors, building leaks, that a patch job was in our opinion and that of the owner and contractor, likely to lead to a lifetime of aggravation for the building owners.

Since the old counterfeit fiber cement siding was going to be removed anyway, the contractor chose to remove it with care, minimizing the damage, to give the owner the option of re-installing the original siding without gaps.

(The owner later elected to toss the old siding and purchase new Hardieplank fiber cement siding - a step that was not without its own difficulties as we explain

at SIDING, FIBER CEMENT MOISTURE LEVELS )

This is a very costly approach but makes sense in some installations such as the fiasco of a fiber-cement siding installation job shown

at SIDING, FIBER CEMENT GAPS.

Details about when, why, & how to remove fiber cement siding from a building are provided

at SIDING, FIBER CEMENT REMOVAL

Maintaining & Protecting Fiber Cement Siding - How to Keep the Water Out

Manufacturers point out that keeping water out of siding and avoiding too-close exposure to ground surfaces, patios, decks (where rain splash-up adds wear) and shrubs too close to the building are all sources of moisture trouble down the road.

Details about avoiding water damage to building siding are at:

...




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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

Report of severe Gap & Installation Issues in HardiePlank Siding

Gaps & installation errors in HardiePlank fiber cement siding (C) InspectApedia.com G Hora

I became a home owner and not-so-handy handyman late in life and appreciate the website -- it shows me at least what NOT to do! 

I am attaching photos of a HardiePlank install on a house I lived in briefly when it was a new build in 2008 or so. The owner had a home inspector do an inspection before occupancy and nothing was mentioned about the siding in his report at that time. Long story but I returned in 2025 trying to help the owner fix things up and found a lot of possible problems.

The house is in Renton, WA, builder Connor Homes (their "Laurelhurst" development) , SUPPOSEDLY at the time one the more reputable builders in the region.

Photos are attached. Feel free to use any -- I have "scrubbed" them of any personal information.

Gaps & installation errors in HardiePlank fiber cement siding (C) InspectApedia.com G Hora

I see a number of the issues you document on your website -- butt joint gaps were caulked at some point, some uneven butt joints, some areas of bulging out at the base (boards will wiggle when pushed or pulled), some odd angular cracks near the tops, etc.

Gaps & installation errors in HardiePlank fiber cement siding (C) InspectApedia.com G Hora

I can't determine if joint flashing was used per Hardie's guidelines.

Z-flashing was apparently used on only one window located beside the front door. 

Gaps & installation errors in HardiePlank fiber cement siding (C) InspectApedia.com G Hora

Being cynical, I think it was just for show.  The rest were only sealed around with caulk. Photos titled "window" show one example.

Gaps & installation errors in HardiePlank fiber cement siding (C) InspectApedia.com G Hora

A lot of the caulk was beginning to crack, and some paint near the failing caulk was bubbling up / peeling. In the photos I have scraped back some of the paint and caulk to reveal the planks.

Gaps & installation errors in HardiePlank fiber cement siding (C) InspectApedia.com G Hora

In the short term I have just re-sealed the window areas with a caulking that matches Hardie's specifications.

If the caulking / sealing is kept up with, do you think it's necessary to try to install Z and/or joint flashing, or do a complete re-siding job? - GH by private email 24 July 2025

Recommendations by (mod)

Thank you so much for your generous offer of HardiePlank photos - we'll certainly hang on to these and look to see where they'll best fit as added illustrations of these problems.

From a quick scan I see both typical gaps and some other workmanship questions, especially around windows.

Gaps & installation errors in HardiePlank fiber cement siding (C) InspectApedia.com G Hora

It looks as if there was over-cutting during prep of the plank extending over the window.

You'd think they'd have caulked it but perhaps the installer figured the flashing was adequate.

Gaps & installation errors in HardiePlank fiber cement siding (C) InspectApedia.com G Hora

Do you have an idea about the cause of that broken corner at the top of a plank in your first photo?

Watch out: as we can see in some of your photos, simply caulking the butt joint gaps in this HardiePlank fiber cement siding won't make a reliable repair. Depending on the temperature and humidity conditions when you installed the caulk and perhaps also affected by caulk shrinkage, we see that the caulk is not sealing the butt joint.

 

How do I Install Fiber Cement Siding Joint Covers?

How do you install joint covers on existing siding? The nail is supposed to go underneath the overlapping board. On 2017-07-20 by Anonymous

by (mod) -

Anon:

If you are asking about butt-joint covers to close gaps at shrunken fiber cement siding, those just slid up into place. You don't have to remove siding nor add nails.

 

Where do I Get Fiber Cement Siding Gap Covers for Butt Joints?

Where to I find metal gap covers for butt joints on cement fiber siding? On 2017-02-27 by lonnie

by (mod) -

Local building suppliers who sell fiber cement siding, or direct from siding manufacturers.

Home Depot Stores, Lowes Building Supply Stores

Also specific suppliers, such as Simplicty Tool (simplicitytool.com) provides a 140-series Joint Cover for hardboard and cement siding. Here's that product description:

140 Series Joint Covers are intended for use with hardboard and cement siding. The Joint Covers protect the butt joint where two siding planks meet and provide an expansion joint to help prevent siding buckling.

A wraparound lower lip hooks the siding and requires one nail to hold it in place. 0.015” aluminum covers are primed on the outside for easy painting and coated on the inside with an epoxy backer to inhibit corrosion.

They are manufactured with either a smooth or wood grained texture and are available in lengths and return
lip widths to fit all major brands of hardboard and cement fiber siding, including most profiled 12” and 16” shapes. Face width is 13/16”.

These joint covers are also available in pre-finished colors.

Available by piece or cartons of 100.


So What's the best Fix for FC Siding Gaps?

Still at a loss as to which is the "best fix". My South facing Certainteed wall shows such large gaps and warping when the sun is beating on it in the summer.

Don't even think the H gap pieces are wide enough for some, and don't address the downward migration of some of the boards creating nearly and inch difference of the bottom line.

Neighbor did the H brackets with a nail at each bottom side. Looks nice for now. I guess I will try that, but his is a ranch, mine a 3 story, might look hoosier to do just the South side, but the other 2 sided areas aren't as damaged. On 2016-06-04 by PMUSG4690

by (mod) -

Unfortunately I don't think there is a perfect, win-win, low-cost fix for this problem.

 

Blowing in Insulation May Crack Fiber Cement Shingles & Cause Leaks

I have been quoted for a blown cellulose wall insulation upgrade to a 100 year old house clad with cement board shingles which requires the installer to use a 1 inch hole saw to access and fill the un-insulated air-gaps between the studs in them.

The installer advises that this may produce some cracks in some cement board shingles which he will not be responsible to repair. Such cracks will not likely be on the order of the "butt joint gaps" discussed above.

My house is in the Pacific Northwest and I don't have any serious gaps due to thermal conditions now. What, if anything, am I to do about such cracks however? Should I groove them with a dremel tool and apply some kind of caulking or what? On 2016-03-22 by Bob Schutte

by (mod) -

Watch out: Every crack in fiber cement shingles such as you describe is likely to be a leak into the interior wall unless it's backed by flashing (which won't be the case in an insulation retrofit unless that extra step is specified in the job.

Those leaks, in turn, can cause mold contamination insect damage or rot.

So every such crack should be repaired. A common repair is to install retrofit flashing behind each cracked single. Just be sure the sliding extends up beneath the next shingle course above the cracked one.

Watch out: The problem I see is that over the entire area of the house you're likely to not see all the cracks until the leaks make themselves evident.

 

Gaps in Certainteed Vs Hardie

First and foremost so all of you know- the only product that is JH in these picture is the one "INSTALLING H COVERS" the rest are certainteed! - Anon: On 2015-10-16

by (mod) -

Thanks for your remarks anon;

at SIDING, FIBER CEMENT IDENTIFICATION -

are details about distinguishing among brands of fiber cement siding.

We have studied Hardieplank extensively as well as other brands of fiber cement siding.

At SIDING, FIBER CEMENT MOISTURE LEVELS - you can see Hardieplank at a study jobsite including original factory wrapping.

Bottom line: gap issues occur frequently with both brands of fiber cement siding, as you can read above in tehse comments by reader GH


...

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Citations & Reviewers

In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.

  • James Hardie Fiber Cement Siding Best Practices, Appendix A, (2014) [PDF] available from James Hardie Corporation, 231 S. LaSalle St., Suite 2000
  • [1] "James Hardie's Mesothelioma and Asbestos Legacy Continues, 2009", web search 03/01/2011, www.survivingmesothelioma.com
  • [2] Killer Company, James Hardie Exposed, Matt Peacock, Harper Collins Australia, ISBN: 9780733325809; ISBN10: 0733325807
  • [3] " Anyone else have HardiePlank siding on their house?", Early Retirement.org online blog, retrieved 1/14/2013, original source: http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/anyone-else-have- HardiePlank-siding-on-their-house-19475.html
  • [4] - DIY Chatroom, retrieved 1/17/2013, original source http://www.diychatroom.com/f2/ certainteed-weatherboard-vs-HardiePlank-4638/
  • [5] Certainteed Weatherboard fiber cement siding and trim products - see certainteed.com/ or see certainteed.com/resources/sidingandtrimspecsheet.pdf
    • [5a] "CertainTeed WeatherBoards™ Fiber Cement Siding Installation Manual", CertainTeed Corporation, 2012, CertainTeed Corporation, PO Box 880, Valley Forge PA 19482, Professional Help Line: 800-233-8990, Consumer Help Line: 800-782-8777, Website: Certainteed.com www.certainteed.com/resources/fc017.pdf retrieved 4/11/2013, [copy on file as Certainteed_Fiber_Cement_Siding_Install_fc017.pdf ]
    • [5b] "Certainteed WeatherBoards™ Fiber Cement Siding Best Practices for Effective Job Site Management", CertainTeed Corporation, retrieved 4/15/13 original source: www.certainteed.com Copy on file as Certainteed_FC_Handling Brochure-Contractor_FC063.pdf
    • [5c] Personal communication, M. Smith, CertainTeed Corp, Customer Service, to D Friedman 4/16/2013
    • [5d] Consumer Services CertainTeed Corporation 803 Belden Road Jackson, MI 49203 Toll Free #: 800.999.3654 Fax #: 517.787.0023 Email: jtc.conservfc@saint-gobain.com
  • [6] "Moisture Control in buildings: Putting Building Science in Green Building," Alex Wilson, Environmental Building News, Vol. 12. No. 5. [Good tutorial, "Moisture 101" outlining the physics of moisture movement in buildings and a good but incomplete list of general suggestions for moisture control - inadequate attention given to exterior conditions such as roof and surface drainage defects which are among the most-common sources of building moisture and water entry.--DJF]
  • [7] J. Tibbets, "Green Houses", NCBI, retrieved 1/17/2013, original source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1469482/
  • [8] Gleeson et al, "Fiber Cement :Building Materials with Low Density Additives", U.S. Patent 8,182,606, B2 5/22/2012, [adding low volumes of volcanic ash & hollow ceramic microspheres to cellulose fiber-reinforced building materials.
  • [9] Thanks to reader Marie Carr for James HardiePlank siding photograph and case history information. 06/01/2008
  • [10] JamesHardie HardiePlank® Lap Siding information can be found at the company's web page on this material:
    https://www.jameshardie.com/products_siding_hardieplankLapSiding.py
  • [11] "30-Year Limited Warranty HardiePlank® HZ5® Lap Siding, HardiePanel® HZ5® Vertical Siding,
    HardieShingle® HZ5® Siding, HardieSoffit® HZ5® Panels", 1-800-9-HARDIE
    10901 Elm Avenue Fontana, CA 92337, retrieved 1/18/2013, original source: https://www.jameshardie.com/pdf/warranty/hz5.pdf [copy on file as Hardieplank_Warranty_hz5.pdf]
  • [12] James Hardie Building Products, James Hardie CustomerLink™ Service Centre, 10 Colquhoun Street, Rosehill NSW 2142, Tel: 13 1103, Outside Australia 61 2 8837 4709, Fax: 1 800 818 819. Hardie has operations in Australia, Asia, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, United States, and the Philippines. The company is a significant producer of fiber cement siding and backerboard. Email: info@JamesHardie.com and Website https://www.jameshardie.com/
    • JamesHardie Corporation, in the U.S. can be contacted at 26300 La Alameda, Suite 400, Mission Viejo, California 92691 - 1-888 J-HARDIE
      1-888 542-7343 or by email to info@JamesHardie.com
    • [12b] "Technical Bulletin #9, Joint Flashing at Field Butt Joints", JamesHardie, retrieved 4/15/2013, original source: www.jameshardie.com, copy on file as James_Hardie_9-joint-flashing.pdf - quoting:
      This Technical Bulletin is an explanation supporting the announcement made by James Hardie on September 8th, 2008 withdrawing its recommendation on the use of caulk at field butt joints for HardiePlank® lap siding.
    • [12] Hardiplank James Hardie warranty claims information:Tel: (866) 375-8603, Email: claims.administration@jameshardie.com

  • [13] Instructions for application of HardiePlank lap siding can be found at https://www.jameshardie.com/products_siding_hardieplankLapSiding.py?openTab=jsnavLink4
  • [14] "Homeowners Care and Maintenance Tips", 1-800-9-HARDIE
    10901 Elm Avenue Fontana, CA 92337, included with product warranty information, retrieved 1/18/2013, original source: https://www.jameshardie.com/pdf/warranty/hz5.pdf [copy on file as Hardieplank_Warranty_hz5.pdf]
  • [15] "HardiePlank HZ5 Lap Siding Installation Requirements - Primed & Colorplus® Products",JamesHardie, November 2012, 1-800-9-HARDIE, 10901 Elm Avenue Fontana, CA 92337, retrieved 1/18/2013, original source: https://www.jameshardie.com/pdf/install/hardieplank-hz5.pdf, [copy on file as Hardieplank-hz5_Install.pdf]
  • [16] Technical Bulletin #9, Joint Flashing at Field Butt Joints, James Hardie corporation, retrieved 1/19/2013, original source: https://www.jameshardie.com/pdf/technical-bulletins/9-joint-flashing.pdf
  • [17] Technical Bulletin #17, Fastening Tips for HardiePlank® Lap Siding, James Hardie Corporation, retrieved 1/19/2013, original source: https://www.jameshardie.com/pdf/technical-bulletins/17 -fastening-tips-for%20-plank.pdf [copy on file]
  • [18] Technical Bulletin #8, Expansion Characteristics of James Hardie® Siding Products, James Hardie Corporation, retrieved 1/19/2013, original source: https://www.jameshardie.com/pdf/technical-bulletins/8-expansion-characteristics.pdf [copy on file]
  • [19] Eric Galow, Galow Homes, Lagrangeville, NY. Mr. Galow can be reached by email: ericgalow@gmail.com or by telephone: 914-474-6613. Mr. Galow specializes in residential construction including both new homes and repairs, renovations, and additions. Personal communication 3/20/2013.
  • [20] Johnston, Colin D., Fiber-reinforced cements and concretes. Vol. 3., Taylor & Francis, (CRC Press) 2000. ISBN-10: 9056996940 ISBN-13: 978-9056996949, "This book summarizes and simplifies the results of a considerable body of research and practical experience with a wide range of fiber-reinforced cementitious composites."
  • [21] Hugh Cairns, Subject 2 Home Inspections, is a professional home inspector in British Columbia, Canada, with offices in Kelowna B.C. and Kamloops B.C. He contributed the American Cemwood photo used at the top and within this article. Mr. Cairns can be contacted by telephone: 250-808-5777, or by email: okanagan@subject2homeinspections.com
  • [22] Roger Xu, 徐银杰 (my Chinese name), Ningbo Yihe Greenboard Co., Ltd., No.189, Longzhen Road, Nongkenchang, Longshan Town, Cixi, Ningbo, Zhejiang China, Tel: 0086-574-63974118/83887668 Fax:0086-574-63974129/83887670 Mobile: 0086-15924317823; E-Mail: sales6@yhboard.com; Skype: dajiezi107, www.yhboard.com/en, personal correspondence 3/21/2013
  • [23] James Hardieplank, personal communication with Daniel Friedman, 6/6/2013. We called James Hardie to ask for guidance in determining just how much moisture was "too much" in Hardieplank siding, after observing that siding at a job arrived visibly wet from the factory even though still inside its original sealed plastic wrapping.

    We called James Hardie's technical support line where a courteous representative told us he would refer us to Hardie's expert Benjaman Batres. Our call to Mr. Batres was returned by Stephanie (declined to give last name) from James Hardie's customer warranty service department. Stephanie informed us that there are no moisture numbers, that it is not possible to measure moisture in fiber cement siding (utter nonsense!) and repeatedly advised "Just read our instructions" or "So file a claim". Don't count on much help from James Hardie's customer warranty department on siding shrinkage or butt joint gap concerns.

    Gaps at Hardieplank siding butt joints continue to appear in the Hardieplank installation. We are monitoring - DF 10/9/2013 Re: Eric Galow, project at 116 Coyote Ridge, Staatsburgh NY visited April-June 2013; My Call to Hardie at 888-542-7343 referred on to Benjaman Batres, 909-349-2976 Ultimately this stunningly rude customer service rep told me that "our conversation was over" or words to that effect - no help was forthcoming. Says if the siding arrives wet, refuse it (no idea of impact on contractor and no definitino of wet). Says "read our instructions", Says "the owner can fill out a claim form", I say "I've read your instructions, I dont' see how to determine what is wet;"

    She says "File a claim"; I ask last name, she says "this conversation is ending" I Say "but why do you keep saying read our instructions when I've done so and tell you there is no answer there ? I don't see any guide to define "too wet" or "dry enough". How do we figure this out. I say I thought you'd want to know that I opened factory-sealed product and it was soaking wet, visibly wet on top inside the wrapper, and moisture measurements into the bundle showed the center planks were much higher in moisture content". She says "If the contractor opens the product and it is wet he should refuse it".

    Final resolution: The builder, Eric Galow, removed all of the problem siding from this home and re-sided the entire home over again with a different product.
  • MASONITE WOODRUF® ROOFING OR MASONITE OMNIWOOD® SIDING LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT NOTICE - PDF file
  • In addition to citations & references found in this article, see the research citations given at the end of the related articles found at our suggested

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