Problems with James Hardie® Siding Installation
By Reuben Saltzman
James Hardie lap siding is great product, but it only performs as well as it's installed. I've heard several complaints about this product from various home buyers, mostly anecdotal evidence about how the material deteriorates, but I've found improper installations on every damaged section of siding I've ever seen. James Hardie lap siding is a fiber-cement product that comes with a 30 or 50 year warranty, but any warranty will be void if the product is improperly installed.
James Hardie isn't the only manufacturer of fiber cement siding, but it's certainly the most popular. Listed below are a few of the most common installation defects that I find. The funny thing about these installation defects is that the installation instructions are very clear and very specific - the diagrams below all come directly from James Hardie. The other manufacturers of fiber cement siding have nearly identical installation instructions.
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