Repairing James Hardie Siding: Chips, Cracks and Board Replacement

What typically goes wrong

• Chips and dings from hail, a ladder, a stray ball or a lawnmower throwing a stone.
• Cracks from a hard impact, or from a board that was stressed during installation.
• Failed caulking at joints, corners and around windows.
• Bottom-edge damage where siding has sat in soil, snow or standing water.
• Loose boards where fasteners have missed the framing.
• Finish wear, such as scratches or peeling paint.

Small chips and dents

Minor surface damage is usually a patch-and-paint job. The damaged spot is filled with a cementitious patching compound suited to fibre cement, sanded flush once cured, and touched up in the siding colour. On a factory-finished wall, use the touch-up product made for that colour and apply it sparingly, to the repair only. Touch-up spread over a wide area can show as a patch of different sheen.

Cracked boards

A hairline crack that isn’t moving can sometimes be sealed and touched up. A board that is cracked through, broken at a corner, or loose should be replaced. One plank can be taken out without stripping the wall: the fasteners are cut, the damaged piece is removed, and a new board is slid in and fastened. It’s fiddly work and best left to someone who does it regularly, because the boards above and below are easy to damage.

Will the new board match?

Not perfectly at first. A new board is fresh and the wall around it has weathered. On a recent installation the difference is slight. On a wall that’s ten years old you may notice it for a while. Using the same colour and finish type is essential. This is a good reason to write down your exact colour name when the siding goes on and keep any leftover boards.

Caulking

Sealant is the part of the wall that ages fastest. Check it once a year. Where it has cracked or pulled away, the old bead should be cut out and replaced with a quality exterior sealant, not smeared over. Don’t caulk the gaps that are meant to be open, such as the space above horizontal flashing. Those let water out.

Damage along the bottom

Swollen, crumbling or peeling board along the lowest course means moisture has been getting at the edge. Replacing the board fixes the symptom. Fixing the cause means restoring the gap: lowering soil or mulch, redirecting a downspout, or correcting how the siding meets a deck or step. See clearances.

Is it a warranty matter?

It depends on the cause. A defect in the product falls under the manufacturer’s warranty. A problem caused by installation falls under the installer’s workmanship warranty. Impact and storm damage are generally neither, and may be an insurance matter. Take photos before anything is repaired. Details: warranty guide.

When repair isn’t enough

If damage is widespread across a wall, or the same problem keeps coming back, it’s worth having the whole elevation assessed. Sometimes re-siding one wall is the better answer than a dozen patches. Raico Roofing and Exteriors can inspect and tell you which it is. Request an estimate.