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James HardiPlank® Cementboard Siding Information InspectAPedia®  -     James HardiPlank® cement board siding information & company contact data. James HardiPlank® stain coating failure case study James HardiPlank® lap siding installation instruction guide Typical diagnostic steps and lab assessment fees for assessing coating failures on cementious building siding materials

James Hardiplank™ cementboard siding product information. On the James Hardiplank cement board siding shown at the top of this page stain was found flaking off of the siding - a subject of consumer complaint about this home located in central Nebraska. Building paper was installed below the siding, there was no evidence of delamination or water damage, and the siding was delivered to the builder (Wardcraft) already stained.

James Hardiplank™cement board siding is a cementious product (also see SIDING, ASBESTOS CEMENT SHINGLES). This material is NOT the same composition as hardboard siding products sold by Abatibi Corp, Masonite Corp., Boise Cascade, and Georgia Pacific Corp, all of which experience failures of delamination, swelling, softening, and general deterioration when exposed to water and weather, depending on the quality of installation, exterior coatings, and maintenance.

James Hardiplank Surface Coating Failure Investigation & Case History

Reader Marie Carr provided the page top photograph along with the following case history as part of a an investigation into the most-likely cause of a stain flaking problem observed on this building's siding: (See PAINT FALURE, DIAGNOSIS, CURE, PREVENTION for a detailed paint and stain failure analysis guide.)

We have James Hardiplank siding that was stained. When we tried to make a claim against the company, they indicated that they recommended their siding not be stained. So then we are trying to make a claim against the company that stained the product, and they indicate that it was moisture in the board that is causing the siding to flake. So as you can see, we are going in circles at this time. The stain company suggests we paint over the siding as a correction and we would like your opinion on that corrective measure. We would like an independent company determine, if possible, what is actually causing the siding to flake off.

We are looking for independent lab to test siding to see why stain is lifting from the cement board siding.
It is also spider web cracking. Here is the picture of the area we removed the siding from. We are not sure how the stain was applied. From what we know, the siding was delivered to Wardcraft stained. We purchased additional siding from them when we completed our garage and it was wrapped with packing material between the pieces. The home was assembled in doors at their factory in Minden, NE, siding was placed on the home there, for the most part in Feb 2005, with the remaining siding placed on the home once it was set at our site, March 2005. The only siding that was put on the home at the site was the top peak on the north side. Weather, from what I can remember, was sunny. As I indicated, the siding was stained when they placed it on the home.

When we picked up the siding we bought for the garage from Wardcraft, we asked for some stain at that time, and they told us that we could use stain that we purchased from a local supplier, they didn't have any stain there.

Typical Steps in Diagnosing & Curing Hardiplank™ or Other Cementious-Siding Flaking and Cracking Problems

We also want to inspect or otherwise see photos of all sides of the home, showing distant and closeup images of the failures. We want to know how the peeling varies by location.

We will also want to know the age and leak history of the home – any leaks of any kind that have ever occurred, and where water passed.

HardiPlank® siding instructions require that the surface be painted; they recommend a combination of factory primer and an acrylic topcoat. They are within their rights to object to coating with a stain.

Once a siding coating failure has been observed, we would not paint over the stain before we have some confidence that we know the cause of the failure, and further, that we have some assurance that the paint-over coating will bond with the surface adequately (special prep may be needed) and that it is chemically compatible with the existing stain. Else you may have a new failure.

A very careful collection of surface samples of peeling material as well as some tape samples of the surface right under where a fresh peeled stain has just come off might be diagnostic.

In the forensic laboratory we can examine, and dissect a short piece of siding that is representative of the failure. To examine a failure such as that described above we would need to study a sample in the lab using several methods including by stereo microscope. Then we would need to prepare a sample of the peeled-off surface, collecting several samples of the peeling material. Those paint chip samples are then examined in cross-section forensically using high powered microscopy – that can tell us whether or not the stain was coming off due to moisture or from another cause. The fee for that level of analysis is typically around $500. and of course includes a written report and photographic documentation as well as discussion if you have questions about the report and its findings.

A detailed examination of paint or stain thickness on the siding may tell us if the siding was sprayed, and if it was pre-coated before assembly on the home – that might explain, for example, why the stain is very thin on the upper ridges of the material and thicker between them in the simulated wood grain.

See PAINT FALURE, DIAGNOSIS, CURE, PREVENTION for a detailed series of diagnostic steps in paint or stain failure analysis.

If you have additional siding product failure examples or questions that are not found addressed at InspectAPedia.com you are welcome to contact the author to provide additional field photos or information that may assist others in identifying and repairing siding failures.

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AIR SEALING STRATEGIES
DEW POINT TABLE - CONDENSATION POINT GUIDE
MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS
MOISTURE PROBLEMS: CAUSE & CURE
PAINT FALURE, DIAGNOSIS, CURE, PREVENTION

SHEATHING, Gypsum board
SHEATHING Homasote & Other Board
SHEATHING, OSB
SHEATHING, Plywood
SHEATHING, FOIL FACED - VENTS
SIDING, ASBESTOS CEMENT SHINGLES
SIDING EIFS STUCCO
SIDING HARDBOARD
  Abatibi Siding Claims
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  JamesHardie HardiPlank Siding
  Masonite Siding Claims
SIDING VINYL
SIDING WOOD
STAIN DIAGNOSIS on Building Exteriors
STAIN DIAGNOSIS on Indoor Surfaces

• Thanks to reader Marie Carr for James Hardiplank siding photograph and case history information. 06/01/2008
• JamesHardie Hardiplank® Lap Siding information can be found at the company's web page on this material:
  http://www.jameshardie.com/homeowner/products_siding_hardieplankLapSiding.py
• JamesHardi Corporation, 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
• Instructions for application of HardiePlank lap siding can be found at http://www.jameshardie.com/homeowner/products_siding_hardieplankLapSiding.py?openTab=jsnavLink4

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