Composite wood siding: a deeper look into why it will eventually fail
As we discussed in our first blog, composite wood siding was the choice of many manufacturers during the real estate boom in the last twenty years. Composite wood siding is a man-made product that uses various combinations of wood chips and glue, overlaid with very thin laminate, to give a “real wood” look on the surface
For the most part, composite siding does not handle water very well, causing wood fibers to expand and contract causing the boards to crack, buckle, peel and delaminate. As the paint cracks, it allows more moisture damage to occur, and fungi and bacteria to penetrate the wet wood. Other factors contribute to the failure of composite wood siding such as the quality of its installation and/or the design of the structure.
If these “bad” areas are not repaired or replaced, the siding could cause subsequent damage to other products on your home such as wall and roof sheathing and other interior products. You could also have a problem selling your home in the future. Believe it or not, you could be held legally accountable for not disclosing this product and its problems to a potential buyer.
Jessica mentioned in her blog last week that the siding claims programs are not designed to be a complete reimbursement for siding replacement. While this is true, you can use this money to help defray the cost of repairing or replacing your problem siding.
We encourage those of you with the above mentioned siding problems to have it evaluated to determine if it falls under any of the class-action settlements. It’s important to act quickly!
Happy New Year!
