Hardie Plank Siding - WTF!? How fucked is it?

[RusM]

Bought a new, brand fucking new no one's ever lived there before house in a goddamned mountain valley paradise last year. The one year inspection comes up for warranty with the builder and I notice the joints of the Hardie plank are delaminating and peeling. The worst on the East side of the house, but it's starting to happen everywhere except the north side.

I don't know shit about cement fiber siding boards and the guy they sent out to look at it frankly admitted he'd never seen this before. Is it water? Are the boards too close together and causing this due to the differing expanding and contracting properties of dissimilar materials?

How fucked am I? And what do I need to get the builder to do to fix it?

 

[SomeGuy]

Replace it all, different installer that knows wtf they're doing...pretty simple.

 

[Java230]

Probably from hitting together as it expends.... Needs more gappage.

 

[woods]

Vinyl.

Jus' sayin'. :D

 

[jeeptj19992001]

installed to tight together, expansion on sun sides.
sun hits it.
materials expand.
no place to go so buckles.
wlill find this happening on longer pieces.

 

[Norm]

I’m no pro, but either the gap is too tight or the butt end are untreated and wet/dry cycle is causing warping. I think fiber cement needs 1/8” gap and paint or caulk on butt joints.

 

[RusM]

Vinyl.

Jus' sayin'. :D

You think a pug is a good idea for a dog...not sure I can trust you anymore.

 

[total newb]

Sawdust glue and paint.

Fuck that garbage.

 

[rockmup]

Looks like the gaps are too tight and water froze in them. Get it re done correctly

 

[Squamch]

Sawdust glue and paint.

Fuck that garbage.

Well, no, that's not what it is.

Agreed that it looks like an installation issue. Looks like a re-do to me!

 

[ironman_gq]

If that is actually Hardie cement board then those joints aren't too tight, they recommend a no gap joint and no caulk. If that is LP Smartside (pretty much replaced Hardie in our area) or a different engineered wood siding, then those are far too tight and should all be caulked. LP wants a 3/16 gap and either caulk or one of their aluminum butt joint trims or you get buckling like this.

It should be a warranty claim with the builder and the manufacturer, there is no reason for either siding to do this within 25yrs.

 

[tracyb]

Definitely looks to tight. Is there flashing behind the seam?

I believe some hardi was also recalled awhile back because it allowed water intrusion and the ends would swell and crack.

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

Vinyl.

Jus' sayin'. :D

FUCK VINYL!

This is what houses are built with:

AND

 

[kf4zht]

I put hardie on the back of my house, front is brick. I ran the gaps on the tighter side since we don't get too cold here. I would start with the fact that they didnt caulk the seams. WTF, it doesnt take long. Probably didnt paint in there either and that stuff can get water in the ends if unpainted. Did they flash under it?

Don't think it is a gap issue, i think its an unfinished. Should have been caulked or really well painted. Hardie is so fawkign easy with the right tools and is more durable than most of the other choices (excluding brick and stone due to cost)

 

[Stingray]

I did a 1500' garage with that shit myself, bought all the right bs tools, cut with the right blades, it sat unpainted for a year after finishing and survived a rainy winter. granted So Cal. so no drastic cold weather, but not a single problem, My problem was I probably had my gaps too big.
I'm saying it sounds like an expansion issue, gaped too tight. Its hardy backer with texture? so basically concrete. Not compressed wood?

Sorry no close up shots

 

[arse_sidewards]

Steel.

Jus' sayin'. :D

FTFY

 

[woods]

FTFY

My aunt's boyfriend/partner/whatever lives in a house where he had the entire 14,000 sqft house sided with stainless steel. ​​​​​​​

 

[RusM]

Looks like it's CemPlank by James Hardie. Installation instructions from them say to install in "moderate contact" at butt joints and also any field cuts need to be painted or caulked. I'm guessing it's because of the lack of end treatment and also being too close or maybe too far? Also says no caulk on joints.

 

[Java230]

Real Hardie doesn't get caulked at the butt joints...

 

[dave_dj1]

Get a hold of your realtor or builder and cash in on the one year materials and labor warranty or get a hold of a James Hardie rep and have them come look at it. I would be pissed as a buyer if I just spent all that $$$$ and had to look at that every day!

 

[Ted_Kaczynski]

Did you pay for Hardie board and get something else?

 

[junkytj]

It's fucked enough, I'd be looking for a solution and likely calling the Hardie rep to see if I could get their opinion on the best resolution.

 

[Ted_Kaczynski]

You didn't notice this before your 1 year inspection? The builder pointed it out?

 

[RusM]

You didn't notice this before your 1 year inspection? The builder pointed it out?

One year was in February, it was on the list, Rona happened, now it's way worse.

 

[Thefishguy77]

Real Hardie doesn't get caulked at the butt joints...

That I have found is year to year and Hardie rep to Hardie rep.

My mom bought a house in a development that used Hardie. At her 1 year inspection same shit, too tight of gaps for the year installed... Builder said they had a approval letter from Hardie that said it was correct. That fucked the builder because her lawyer said since Hardie said its fine then the builder is on the hook to fix her siding. They resided the whole house and painted it.

I say “for the year installed” because I put Hardie on my house 2 years earlier and my instructions said 1/8” gap fully caulked no flashing behind. I followed instructions and after 7 years still perfect at sale. Builder instructions for hers were no gap in field, no caulk in field and flashing behind all field joints caulking at trim/Hardie joints. Had a friend who was a Hardie rep. He said they sold the klenex of siding...


They need to reside that shit

 

[bgaidan]

That I have found is year to year and Hardie rep to Hardie rep.

My mom bought a house in a development that used Hardie. At her 1 year inspection same shit, too tight of gaps for the year installed... Builder said they had a approval letter from Hardie that said it was correct. That fucked the builder because her lawyer said since Hardie said its fine then the builder is on the hook to fix her siding. They resided the whole house and painted it.

I say “for the year installed” because I put Hardie on my house 2 years earlier and my instructions said 1/8” gap fully caulked no flashing behind. I followed instructions and after 7 years still perfect at sale. Builder instructions for hers were no gap in field, no caulk in field and flashing behind all field joints caulking at trim/Hardie joints. Had a friend who was a Hardie rep. He said they sold the klenex of siding...


They need to reside that shit

The pre-painted stuff says not to cawk because the paint and caulk will fade to different colors. Cawk is optional on the paint yourself products, according to the official install manual.

 

[Pt_Ranger_v8]

Vinyl.

Jus' sayin'. :D

Said nobody, ever.


OP, get that shit redone. Only fix. If the ends are unfinished, that shit better be caulked.

 

[[486]]

steel

pour your walls next time

 

[Black Sabbath]

Said nobody, ever.


OP, get that shit redone. Only fix. If the ends are unfinished, that shit better be caulked.

Honestly I don't get all the hate for vinyl. Is it the best stuff in the world? No, but it is essentially zero maintenance, the higher end stuff looks decent enough, and very rarely do you ever hear horror stories of a whole house worth failing like the OP has right now :shrug:

 

[D Nelly]

Honestly I don't get all the hate for vinyl. Is it the best stuff in the world? No, but it is essentially zero maintenance, the higher end stuff looks decent enough, and very rarely do you ever hear horror stories of a whole house worth failing like the OP has right now :shrug:

Even the cheap stuff looks fine if you know what you're doing when you hang it

Vinyl is final. Won't rust, bust, or collect dust