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First off wood siding is not a barrier type siding. This is the reason that it should have a moisture barrier behind it. So the splitting or checking would really not make that much of a difference so far as water is concerned.

It look like a mill stamp on the front of that piece of wood, that in itself would be a red flag that the builder could care less about the quality of his product.

It also looks like the siding might have been nailed improperly as several corners are starting to bow out.

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Scott Patterson
Spring Hill, TN
http://www.traceinspections.com

The checking is normal but the use of the checked section at time of install is poor workmanship. The 2 foot checked end should have been trimmed off prior to install. A good carpenter would be able to tell that it would check in the future even though it may have looked fair at time of install. What Scott said was a stamp appears to me to be a burn mark from the thickness planer where the piece stopped for a second or two before moving again. That would also be an indication of checking as the checked section would compress as it went through the blade and expand again as it came out catching on the planer housing causing the board to jamb causing the burn mark.
Simple repair. Replace checked section. And refasten the areas where joints are starting to open. Unpainted wood will be affected more by UV and weathering. Present owner may have insisted on natural finish which would clear the builder to a certain extent.

If your profile didn't say you from Phoenix I'd swear that came off the south side of my own house... same stuff... same condition.

I see a lot of that around my area, mostly from the 70s/80s when wood started to become scarce and the quality went down.

I have a standard comment where I identify the area and then state that normal maintenance for this type of siding includes periodicly replacing or sealing any split boards and keeping all materials well painted to prevent damage.

It's one of those where I feel caught in a spot between my SOP's and a siding cotractor... SOP's say to evaluate to determine if the system is performing its intended function, contractor that comes behind me says it's all trashed, needs to be replaced and your children are going to die of mold poisoning if they sleep another night in the house.

Edit - just caught that this was a new house. That's too bad it's doing that already... I'd think the split boards should be replaced. Wow, that sun is hot down there in Phoenix isn't it? Maybe Al Gore is right

At a minimum ...

SOP are like 'code', they are all 'do this MINIMUM', but neither says to 'stop there'.

Nothing in any SOP prevents you from saying it should be repaired/replaced.

Yeah, well, the contractor's got to find a way to make a living too ...

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Jerry Peck, Construction / Litigation Consultant
Construction Litigation Consultants, LLC ( www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com )