Independently owned and operated Composite Siding Independently owned and operated

Composite Siding Four biggest manufacturers: Louisiana Pacific (LP) Masonite Georgia Pacific Weyerhaeuser All are under current or past class-action lawsuits

What Is Composite Siding? Composite siding is a type of exterior cladding system that is available in many different styles, designs and patterns Made from wood byproducts such as sawdust, card board, paper, wafers and glue, it is coated in resin and formed into a mold under heat and pressure to form individual boards or 4x8 sheets It is difficult to identify which brand has been installed Only LP in a limited version can be visually identified All others must be removed to see identifying trademarks Inspectors CANNOT remove siding to identify the brand

How to Identify the Product From a visual standpoint, it is difficult to tell Composition lap siding, when installed, looks like any other type of wood vertical lap or horizontal siding. Boards are available in 16-ft. lengths, come in various widths from 6 to 12 inches wide, and are textured to look like real wood siding Lap siding is installed horizontally with the top portion of each board overlapped by the board above

LP Composite Siding One characteristic that can be associated with older type of LP lap siding: Company’s distinctive trademark was imbedded into various pieces of the boards as they were being manufactured Only LP Inner Seal Siding has this identifying trademark

LP Composite Siding The drawing on the left depicts how randomly the knots may appear The drawing on the right side is an example of what 4x8 panel siding may look like

LP-sided home, rear view LP Composite Siding LP-sided home, rear view

LP-sided home, swollen, delaminated drip edges LP Composite Siding LP-sided home, swollen, delaminated drip edges

LP-sided home, exposed edges LP Composite Siding LP-sided home, exposed edges

LP-sided home, failed caulking joints LP Composite Siding LP-sided home, failed caulking joints

Reasons for Failure Improper installations by contractors Overdriven nailing procedure allows moisture penetration internally to product Failure to reseal exposed ends during installation Failure to properly caulk exposed ends and butt joints Lack of homeowner maintenance Failure to keep siding maintained Improperly painted, caulked and sealed Requires periodic inspection — home should be painted and sealed every five to seven years depending on exposure to outside elements

Result of Class-action Lawsuit on LP Products As a result of a class-action lawsuit against LP, an upgraded version of LP’s Inner Seal siding was introduced after 1996 LP introduced its “Smart System” Same components as before only introduced more chemicals to deter moisture intrusion and WDO infestation GPI’s opinion: If the same methods of installation and maintenance continue, then the same problems will result — it’s only a matter of time

Summary If composite siding is maintained properly, it can last 20 years Composite siding MUST BE KEPT SEALED WITH PAINT, CAULKED PROPERLY AND CHECKED PERIODICALLY FOR PROPER MAINTENANCE For current status of class-action lawsuits, go to www.sidingsolutions.com/pages/classtat.htm

Thank you!