Several damaged corners on Hardi plank siding

[Bill Anglin]

This is a 10 year old home. Several lower corners on the siding are damaged on the South side. Does this look like a installation error, product defect or maybe theres something else going on I'm unaware of. Anyone else seen this before. Thanks for the help.

[Dom D'Agostino]

Maybe they used both blind and face nails, that is not allowed as per JH install guides.(probably because it cracks the lap siding.)

[Scott Patterson]

I would say it is an install problem. The damage is repeating itself in the same area in various locations.

[John Kogel]

I would say it is an install problem. The damage is repeating itself in the same area in various locations.
Ditto installation. If they had nailed it right, it wouldn't be broken.

[Peter Louis]

Shouldn't see nail heads on cement boards.

[Michael P. O'Handley]

Shouldn't see nail heads on cement boards.Wrong,

JH allows face nailing under certain conditions such as when in high wind areas. When face nailed, the nails need to be 3/4" to 1" from the bottom edge and driven into studs 16" o.c..

Those nails are too close to the edge. If they aren't into studs as they should be, the movement during expansion/contraction might be what's cracked off those corners.

Mike O'Handley
Kenmore, Washington

[Raymond Wand]

It appears that the planks where dropped on the corners whilst being installed by careless installer. In transit or poor storage on site resulting in damage.

[Lon Henderson]

I saw a home a couple of weeks ago with this same condition. I think this looks like poor installation and bad nailing too, but have you guys ever seen this lead to failure of the siding such as planks falling off, etc?

[Jim Robinson]

Man, that stuff loves to crack. If they're face nailing in the corner like that, it's not surprising at all that so many of them are cracked.

[Tom Rees]

It appears that the corners cracked when they nailed at that area, which is an improper nailing pattern. See the following installation manual: http://www.jameshardie.com/pdf/install/hardieplank-hz5.pdf

[Craig Carter]

Looking at both the large picture and the close up the only nails showing are those in the corners near the joints. I've seen cement fiber siding raise at these joints when blind nailing. It wouldn't surprise me that the house has been repainted and either the homeowner asked if those areas can be nailed down or the painting contractor suggested it. It would bet it wasn't done at initial installation.

[Jeff Langhorn]

Wrong,

JH allows face nailing under certain conditions such as when in high wind areas. When face nailed, the nails need to be 3/4" to 1" from the bottom edge and driven into studs 16" o.c..

Those nails are too close to the edge. If they aren't into studs as they should be, the movement during expansion/contraction might be what's cracked off those corners.

Mike O'Handley
Kenmore, Washington

I agree with Michael. You either blind nail or face nail this product, not a little of both. It appears from the pictures the corners were face nailed for what ever reason. With out face nailing all the studs I'm guessing the wind caused the corners to break. Easy fix, complete the face nailing of all siding boards.

Jeff

[H.G. Watson, Sr.]

http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/questions-home-owners-home-buyers-diy/25250-hardiplank-siding-corners-cracking-fact-finding.html#post168055

HTH.

[Frazier Jeffery]

Poor installation

[G. Jungman]

Poor installation


This looks just exactly like my home, and yes, its poor installation - not supposed to nail so close to the edge! Only recourse is to replace the board, which I won't be doing. I'm about to repaint the whole house so caulking will occur. Lesson learned on this one when buying a new home versus old. It, of course, looked fine when it was new and freshly installed.