IS THIS THE WORST BUILDING MATERIAL EVER?! (How To Identify/Address--MASONITE SIDING/HARDBOARD)

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

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[@johncgonzales4338]

Particleboard is the same thing. As a cabinetmaker we make the sink cabinets and vanities out of plywood (not chipboard) due to water problems.

[@chrisparker4940]

Particle board + water is oatmeal

[@darthvader5300]

@@chrisparker4940 I have been travelling around the world during the COLD WAR and I came across several construction sites from time to time. I came across a material that uses wood wastes which are vacuum-microwaved kiln dried and then impregnated through and through in a vacuum-pressurized impregnation chamber with a phenolic resin of the highest quality of that time which is the 1970s and1980s. Then it is compressed inside a vacuum chamber and allowed to cure expose in the open after curing it inside a microwave curing oven. Then it disappeared but I can still see it used as an exterior panel 1.5 to 2 inches thick with the nail heads and screw heads thickly painted with the same thick phenolic resin mixed with an epoxy resin, several years later when I was reassigned back to that country and I found it still in good condition as if it just left the factory. And then I found woodcrete which is a combination of wood chips vacuum-pressure impregnated-bonded-coated with cement mixed with blast furnace slag and clay powder mixed with enough water pre-mixed with rice flour to turn it into a sticky rice glue and then mixed with an equal amount of slaked lime. I saw it being used as posts, beams, joists, wall frames, door frames, window frames, floor and celing panels, exterior and interior panels and exterior panels. It is even being used on boats which is deliberate made WIDE enough to accommodate a very thick layer of industrial strenght marine grade-industrial strenght polyurethane-epoxy foam on it's side walls so that it won't even sink even when fully loaded with cargo and passengers. Two engineered wood products made by the Japanese for the very strict quality conscious and budget conscious Southeast Asian markets because their attitude is, if I am to invest my hard earned money, then I want to buy the very best product that will last and so that I can past it on to my children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. But they all disappeared by the 1990s. What happened? In America it is also the same story. The original FLAKE BOARD is made out of wood flakes that were placed inside a container and vibrated inorder to properly distribute them and make sure that they are all flat on their sides. Then a high vacuum is created and a synthetic resin of epoxy is poured over it while the electric ultrasonic and mechanical vibrators makes sure it pours evenly between the flakes and a 1.5 to 2 inch layer is left on top. Then the pressure is normalized and is increased to 2,200 pounds per square inch until the instruments inside has indicated that the epoxy resin has impregnated, coated, and bonded every wood flakes inside the mold. And then a mechanical press lowers down to press the epoxy resin impregnated, coated, and bonded wood flakes together into a densified epoxy resin bonded wood flake slab which is 12 inches thick and 10 feet wide and 50 feet long. The excess resin is collected and reused and upgraded if needed to be just as good before it was used. The mechanical pressure then is maintained for 24 hours and the entire slab is cured by microwaves. Then it is cut into joists, floor panels, wall panels, beams, posts, etc. Then after the year 2000 is started to disappear but the houses made by it are still standing and the high quality marine grade structural stainless steel alloy nails and screws and bolts and nuts and washers used on it are still as good as the flake board material itself. What happened? It seems some dirty lobbyists and building associations does not want REAL COMPETITION BASED ON HONESTY!

[@flyboy8492]

Our countertop is made from particleboard. You can feel the underside of the edge is puffy and soft simply from decomposition caused by sweaty and oily hands.

[@rexlex1736]

Particle board should be outlawed.

[@spaghettimonter13]

Don't forget about all the houses that were built in the 90s and early 2000 that used buildrite( absolutely stupid name for the product cuz anybody who uses a did not build the house correctly LOL) particle board that is used as exterior sheathing for a house plus the fact that nobody knew how to apparently ever Tyvek a house properly back then means that the only water barrier that is actually doing anyting is the fighting and if that ever failed then that buildrite would be decimated

[@Howie875]

I worked as an AC installer and AC technician in Southern California during the late 80's. There was a tremendous housing boom then. I remember carpenters installing that stuff all over the place. I thought it looked great and it looked real easy to work with. Uniform, straight and no warping. It seems that time catches up with everything and everybody....

[@peterford9369]

Exactly. I've been a carpenter all my life, using wood siding, Masonite siding, and now even Hardie board. Not much vinyl. And it all degrades over time. Depending on maintenance.

[@THEGAMINGHELP101]

@@peterford9369 Fiber cement siding is a great product. Currently in a 20 year home and the fiber cement siding is in great condition and I don't buileve its ever been repainted.

[@peterford9369]

@@THEGAMINGHELP101 I thought we were talking about Masonite? Not Hardie board or plank. Yeah, Hardie or cement siding, has it's pros and cons. Heavy as he--, to work with. In sheets. Brittle. It's not that forgiving to impact if not flat against a solid surface. But it's termite proof, mostly weather proof, looks pretty good,if you like thin siding. For lapped use. I believe they've improved the formula. I had a customer that had bought some at an auction. It was so brittle, it broke when you tried to nail it. You had to predrill and nail. And he had about 500 pieces. 12 ft long. Couldn't even use it, it was so time consuming. But it definitely will be around for a while I'd say. Thanks

[@pattysherwood7091]

I feel pretty humble about my building skills, being a 65 year old goat lady. But after seeing how shabby a house can be built by professionals, I am full of pride at the scrappy roof I just put on my duck shed. Thanks for the video.

[@aubreynewton2334]

Go ahead and build whatever you like Patty. I hear duck eggs are awesome and I'll bet you are too. Magnum Opus = not awesome

[@pattysherwood7091]

Magnum Opus You have reminded me that I have to write my fascinating autobiography before I leave this world. ...so much to do! Thank you for the lovely compliment.

[@pattysherwood7091]

Aubrey Newton it was nice to wake up to these comments. When my 41 year old son Ben, a genius finish carpenter with many other skills, died last year, my life became like Groundhog Day. I wake up to a nightmare that never goes away, and I have flashes of good moments. You never know how sweet you can be to people like me. Thank you and have a great day.

[@pattysherwood7091]

@KZbin WantsToSilenceMe you have real talent.

[@pattysherwood7091]

@jmalcolmg123 the goat half is the layer of filth that covers me.

[@src4409]

Wow. You just helped me identify the siding on my shed. No wonder it has a ton of termite damage. Next project on my list.

[@elegeephoto3412]

Yeah, I just ripped all of mine away from my patio and it completely rotted out a huh structural beam for my roof. No bueno!!!

[@1redrubberball]

I live an hour East of Raleigh. My house was built in the late '80's and sided with masonite. About 15 years ago, I decided it needed replacing and chose a high grade of vinyl siding with a double nailing seam for high wind. Under the siding I found that only wood had been used at the 4 corners to establish structural rigidity, otherwise there was just foam board with a tinfoil layer on the inboard side. Ripped all that off, found about 3 rotten studs which got cut out and replaced with new ones. Used OSB board everywhere to replace the foam board, covered with Tyvek and applied the vinyl over that. Believe it or not, one vinyl siding vendor had recommended that my son and I just put the vinyl over the masonite, which would have bottled up the moisture in the walls. I have absolutely no respect for anyone that just wants to make quick profit and get gone, no matter what kind of work they do. Thanks for the video.

[@stevepowsinger733]

But most likely some houses put up for sale have had short-term repairs, like this disintegration-board, done on them. What building inspector would look for that?

[@martymaloney1032]

I agree, contractors who go fast and easy are willing to cover up what should be dealt with. Our house was built in 1975 and I’m guessing from the way areas around nails swelled up that it must be this stuff. Takes paint really well but I have no idea how to deal with imperfections or damaged areas. Hope to remove reinsulate and put new siding up next year. Won’t be doing cedar siding again (like our last house) unless we leave it to silver because restaining every three years was a PITA.

[@butgord]

Hardy plank cement cladding lasts a lifetime its made in timber Pattern ,Plain , and with squares on it, it can be damaged by brute force with a hammer .

[@zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz8635]

Vinyl siding lets a lot of air through, so you would not really be trapping the moisture. However, I would never put vinyl over another siding material, as it's just not the correct way to do things.

[@1redrubberball]

@@zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz8635 Siding isn't meant to prevent moisture from getting behind it. You can't prevent walls from breathing in moisture laden air. Tyvek is meant to be the barrier where moisture stops coming from the outside, and allowing exit to any coming from the inside. Even the OSB or plywood underneath is supposed to be spaced apart by 1/8th inch to allow any moisture behind it, to breath out.

[@KarlBunker]

When I was a kid, my family moved into a house where the shower surround was a faux tile paneling that was actually Masonite. The result was just what you'd expect. 😬

[@darthvader5300]

I have been travelling around the world during the COLD WAR and I came across several construction sites from time to time. I came across a material that uses wood wastes which are vacuum-microwaved kiln dried and then impregnated through and through in a vacuum-pressurized impregnation chamber with a phenolic resin of the highest quality of that time which is the 1970s and1980s. Then it is compressed inside a vacuum chamber and allowed to cure expose in the open after curing it inside a microwave curing oven. Then it disappeared but I can still see it used as an exterior panel 1.5 to 2 inches thick with the nail heads and screw heads thickly painted with the same thick phenolic resin mixed with an epoxy resin, several years later when I was reassigned back to that country and I found it still in good condition as if it just left the factory. And then I found woodcrete which is a combination of wood chips vacuum-pressure impregnated-bonded-coated with cement mixed with blast furnace slag and clay powder mixed with enough water pre-mixed with rice flour to turn it into a sticky rice glue and then mixed with an equal amount of slaked lime. I saw it being used as posts, beams, joists, wall frames, door frames, window frames, floor and celing panels, exterior and interior panels and exterior panels. It is even being used on boats which is deliberate made WIDE enough to accommodate a very thick layer of industrial strenght marine grade-industrial strenght polyurethane-epoxy foam on it's side walls so that it won't even sink even when fully loaded with cargo and passengers. Two engineered wood products made by the Japanese for the very strict quality conscious and budget conscious Southeast Asian markets because their attitude is, if I am to invest my hard earned money, then I want to buy the very best product that will last and so that I can past it on to my children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. But they all disappeared by the 1990s. What happened? In America it is also the same story. The original FLAKE BOARD is made out of wood flakes that were placed inside a container and vibrated inorder to properly distribute them and make sure that they are all flat on their sides. Then a high vacuum is created and a synthetic resin of epoxy is poured over it while the electric ultrasonic and mechanical vibrators makes sure it pours evenly between the flakes and a 1.5 to 2 inch layer is left on top. Then the pressure is normalized and is increased to 2,200 pounds per square inch until the instruments inside has indicated that the epoxy resin has impregnated, coated, and bonded every wood flakes inside the mold. And then a mechanical press lowers down to press the epoxy resin impregnated, coated, and bonded wood flakes together into a densified epoxy resin bonded wood flake slab which is 12 inches thick and 10 feet wide and 50 feet long. The excess resin is collected and reused and upgraded if needed to be just as good before it was used. The mechanical pressure then is maintained for 24 hours and the entire slab is cured by microwaves. Then it is cut into joists, floor panels, wall panels, beams, posts, etc. Then after the year 2000 is started to disappear but the houses made by it are still standing and the high quality marine grade structural stainless steel alloy nails and screws and bolts and nuts and washers used on it are still as good as the flake board material itself. What happened? It seems some dirty lobbyists and building associations does not want REAL COMPETITION BASED ON HONESTY!

[@theglowcloud2215]

@@darthvader5300 sir, this is a Wendy's

[@mothman-jz8ug]

Not being intentionally nasty, but this is true: I can remember when that stuff was in common use, and even the builders referred to it as "pressed horseshit" siding.

[@CrowCreekOutdoors]

That’s about what it smelled to the saw man. That stuff stunk.

[@Mote78]

When my wife and I searched for a home in Raleigh, N.C, Masonite sided homes had many layers of paint. The real estate agent said Masonite is fine but keep it painted maybe every 5-7 years(!). I’m glad I chose a home with fiber cement siding. After 25 years the stuff remains solid. Seems to never rot. I’ve replaced several pieces of wood trim but not one bit of fiber cement siding.

[@addij3689]

Sad part is they still used it anyway.

[@robertthomas5906]

It's amazing what they'll do. The house I grew up in was built in 1964. A lot of the soffits was painted cardboard. No shit. I've since bought many of those houses and I still run into it. Sometimes over the past 55+ years it has swelled from the 1/2" to as much as 2". It comes right off of course. So far to fix it all I had to do is replace it. What was behind it seemed fine. Replace, prime, paint, seal, done. Then there is the lead paint problem. Some of the houses ended up with leaded paint inside the house. Supposed to be external paint. Probably left over from another job.

[@drewmcmillan3462]

Thanks for your good videos mate. Keep it up, please... God bless you!

[@CrowCreekOutdoors]

My dad used masonite siding on his own home when he built it. 20 years later we had to replace the outer band on the floor joists and the bottom sill of the exterior wall on the back where the rear deck allowed rain water to get between it & the siding. Huge amount of aggravation to repair. It’s a brick house now & you couldn’t give him an open deck.

[@outatimet]

I'm currently dealing with the exact same situation 😔

[@donniel.5902]

Thank you for taking a stand on so many of the topics that you discuss. For those of us who can only classify ourselves as home handymen, your information is extremely helpful and very informative. Also nice to know that you are located only 20 minutes from my home which increases the possibility of me being able to possibly hire you someday.

[@stevenhanly4412]

As a home inspector, every time I see this on a house I have to mention to the homeowner that they need to make sure the bottom edges of it are painted, and that all of the seams are caulked, otherwise it acts as a sponge. And here in western Oregon, it's known to rain from time to time. I hate composite siding, and never recommend its use.

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

I can’t believe they install it up there, Steven!

[@elgringoec]

@@TheHonestCarpenter Using that in the Pacific North-WET. Doh!

[@25-8]

What is the best siding you would recommend ?

[@stevenhanly4412]

@@25-8 While I don't do a lot of siding jobs (thankfully) I prefer cedar or cement fiber. Cement fiber is probably more durable than cedar, although both can last quite a while if properly installed and maintained. Although, as Richard Gilley mentioned, even composite can last if maintained properly.

[@nunyabeezaxe2030]

As someone that too lives in Western Oregon and who had one of the wildfires from last year stop about 60 feet from his house, my neighbor had cement fiberboard for siding. Her bushes that are about less than 10 feet from her home burned, but her siding kept the house from going up. Let that sink in for some people.

[@SkipperPond]

I've used the Honest Carpenter for consulting advise and it was so well worth it . Thank you for that service. God bless.

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

Thank you, Skipper! We’re happy to work with you! 🙂

[@clarkspiemuncher24]

May as well live in a cardboard box. Why are homes not built out of brick ?

[@mtadams2009]

@@clarkspiemuncher24 I don't really like the look of brick homes. In the real world its most likely cost. That is why you have this crap and other cheap siding products.

[@Matticitt]

The biggest issue with any manmade wood byproduct is extreme susceptibility to water damage. It just falls apart instantly on contact with water so the idea of using something like that as an outside siding is crazy.

[@LarryB-inFL]

So composite wood decking for docks is going to "fall apart instantly on contact with water"? Just like those pressure treated fence posts?

[@z-ZONDER-z_E15]

@@LarryB-inFL I hope not, at least not good quality ones made with 'MODERN EPOXY/PLASTIC TECHNOLOGY'. Plastic can't get wet like how wood dose, so 75% wood + 25% plastic = Strong WATER PROOF WOOD, the only real problem is disposing of it properly.

[@allisonmiller3148]

Totally agree. My house is sided in this and my husband and I have had to slowly Replace the lower siding planks. It’s a good temp solution, but we will still need to have the house resided because the upper boards are affected as well due to the previous owner neglecting almost all home upkeep and repairs for over 15years 🤦‍♀️

[@tesswagner895]

I'm very new to refurbishing and rebuilding and am finding your videos to be most helpful and timely. Thank you for this as I'm kn through process of redoing the outside of the home I grew up in.

[@bowmanjeff8]

Bought a house 6 years ago that was built in 1987 .. It had Masonite... When I had it repainted, the painter made certain to replace any rotten parts with Hardiboard fiber cement board. Include soffits .. Two story 2600 sq ft house .. paint job was 13K dollars. But what a huge difference... Came in handy when I sold the house after 4 years of ownership. Then I bought a brand new house .. didn't stay there 2 years ... HOA life not for us .. and the build quality wasn't there. A real shame. The house looked great but the "bones" were not done very well..... we just moved into a 1984 brick house ( smaller , but on an acre of land with NO HOA) .. so far no Masonite found on this one .. but if I do find it on the trim it will be replaced with fiber cement board. I'm also in NC . Keep up the great content.

[@jamescooley7849]

Great info, I've been replacing this homeowners nightmare for more than 25yrs now. Thank God my work can stand the test of time and weather.

[@vaughanellis7866]

Masonite has never been used as a building material in the UK, it has only been used as a packaging separator in bulk palleted products.

[@birdsfan3705]

Finally, someone who is being honest about the fact that many of these cheap products are fine in best case completely dry scenarios. The problem is most people’s homes will not always be best case scenarios.too many pressed saw dust, flake board type products are being sold to home owners who are thinking they will get 30-40 years worth life out of the product, when in reality they be lucky to get 5 years.

[@areuaware6842]

The life expectance of a stick built house is fifty years with a thirty year mortgage. LOL

[@MathewPollard-vj4uq]

The pressboard siding on my house in mostly dry Colorado is going strong after 40 years except a few splash zones 12" off the ground or roofs where the ends were trimmed and not painted. These areas swell and become sponges. Unfortunately they don't make anything that matches the damaged panels. My plan is to trim back 8" and add 8" PVC Trim board with a rain flashing over it to make up the difference. I would never use it anywhere that experiences serious rain and long term humidity. Here you have to watch for paint damage from sun or hail. Fix the paint damage so that water can't get in and swell it.

[@swabby429]

My father lived in a manufactured, modular home that used this type of siding. It was installed vertically. The cardboard like effect was a nightmare. The most peculiar aspect of dad's home was that grasshoppers absolutely couldn't resist the stuff. They literally ate the portions of the siding that had softened or were semi-soft. It was the strangest stuff ever.

[@Stickmanght]

I've had to repair, replace and repaint a lot of houses that have this siding on them. Every failure mode he mentions I've seen for myself.

[@chargermopar]

Used in a development here called Country Walk. Hurricane Andrew fixed it in 1992.

[@josejusino6171]

You have opened my eyes, I am in the market for a house your videos always educate me on what to look out for. Thank you so much

[@larrog8413]

"What the hell are we going to do with all this wood pulp?" "I have an idea! Let's mash it together, and sell it as cardboard house siding!" "That's a horrible idea! Who would buy a cardboard house?? Let's call it masonite!"

[@AnthonyTolhurst-dw1nc]

Now MDF used for interior 2nd fix and cabinetry. Stinking rubbish. But it could be a result of not enough forest timber to house increasing populations.

[@christinevillanueva54]

​@@AnthonyTolhurst-dw1ncmy cabinets!! I wish I had known...😮😠

[@jacki6794]

The inside of my house is sheeter in the stuff. It was wallpapered numerous times . The real estate agent told me it was sheetrock. Now no contractor wants to touch it.

[@flyingdude119]

In the Raleigh area they also used Homasote which is made from recycled paper, as the house sheathing.

[@markmorris3579]

Emerson Biggins-I remember Homasote.It was popular as skirting for mobile homes and sheathing for ice fishing shacks because it was cheap.

[@bobc.7740]

Yes, it lasted 4 years on my house in Vancouver, WA. LP paid the cost to replace it with vinyl which has been on the house for over 20 years and looks great.

[@jonathanb6911]

It's ironically one of the best supports for artwork!

[@j_shelby_damnwird]

Gessobord panels are pretty expensive...

[@jonathanb6911]

@@j_shelby_damnwird That's why you make your own 😉

[@jack002tuber]

They can say they treat the ends, but you have to cut some of it to install it, and nails pierce it, no answers for that!

[@batmansdad3195]

@Richard Gilley any manufacturer now states seal the nail holes with paint for the caulking being that small and tooled can let go and become a water trap. Going back to tooled caulk also voids the warranty of most exterior caulkings

[@ralphhyland8661]

RTFM. When you cut it in the field, double prime all cuts. ALLWAYS caulk properly, and keep up on painting. Like he said, it's the lower few boards that suffer and it's from water saturation.

[@garyhull5617]

Another reason the lower few boards suffer is the lap fails to get enough primer/paint applied in most cases because it fall below the "painters" line if sight.

[@apoxrox]

Good old aluminum and steel siding is still some of the best stuff you can put on your house. And yes it is still produced in the USA in a lot of nice colors.

[@apoxrox]

@DTOM Gadsden There is no 'best siding'. They all have their strengths and weaknesses.

[@apoxrox]

@DTOM Gadsden There is no 'best siding'. They all have their strengths and weaknesses.

[@shawnr771]

Put on aluminum siding in south Dallas and it will be gone by the time you finish the install. I know it was stolen off the same house twice. That made it to the news about 25 years ago.

[@Techno4more]

This stuff has given us plenty of jobs, I love it

[@leomardo2285]

Low quality for creating jobs is the worst mindset ever. It is nothing more than just cheating. Unfortunately somehow everyone seems to be on this bandwagon. Nothing boils my blood more than someone who says that - which I turn and says yeah remember this when you have to cough up $5k for your car since they did not recall due to part failure.

[@michaellautermilch9185]

If you want more jobs, I have a huge pile of sand I want moved from point A to point B, and it needs to be moved using a teaspoon. That should boost employment numbers nicely, as the job could employ hundreds of people for a few months.

[@kevinxxx1387]

I agree wholeheartedly. My house has these problems, and now I need to make repairs. I can't afford to re-do the entire exterior, so I'm looking for ways to replace only what I must and do it correctly.

[@g.e.boroush5176]

You are a breath of fresh air! Thank you for all of your great information. I, of course, have rotting masonite on my house which will become a summer project. Grrrrr . . .

[@garylandry4071]

I agree because I've spent the last 35 years stripping that crap off of houses and you're right it's complete junk

[@batmansdad3195]

It can't be that bad if you're making a living off of it, sure it's bad for them homeowners but if you've been replacing it for 35 years id almost say you wouldn't mind it

[@parkernaut89]

One thing that people don't mention is that your pet dog can chew through that press wood crap like it's nothing.

[@gonkmosni]

I had this stuff on my detached garage at a home I owned in Colorado. Exactly as mentioned in this video, the bottom 3 or 4 courses were ruined by constant lawn watering and the occasional rain storm. The remedy that I hit on (even before this tutorial from Ethan) was to replace the bottom 5 courses with Hardyboard siding. It was fairly easy to install and cutting was not that difficult, I just had to use an angle grinder with a diamond blade. Then we had the whole garage painted and it turned out so well you couldn’t tell where the new siding and the old siding was.

[@chrismoody1342]

I’m in the middle of renovating all my exterior siding due to this product. I’ve always maintained the paint but it still didn’t stop the degradation. Cement siding is going up in place of it. If that wasn’t bad enough, now I’m looking a complete exterior paint job. Good thing I’m as good as the pros and whole lot cheaper. DIY baby.

[@robertroberts2795]

You just think you are as good as pros

[@edzachary8657]

@@robertroberts2795 yep another Harry homeowner who thinks he's got it all figured out

[@2manycatsforadime]

good move with the cement siding. Hardie board is an excellent product. I was a General Contractor for 40 yrs and never had a call back with cement board products. Even paint adheres and lasts 4 times long than on wood.

[@800624]

Replace that siding with vinyl. No more painting. Just wash it now and then.

[@robertroberts2795]

@@800624 As far as Im concerned that is some more bad shit.

[@kevinhill8749]

My current house was built in the 80's and has this all over the outside. Our pre-purchase home inspector was floored at how well it had held up. He basically said the previous owner sealed and painted regularly and it kept the siding protected. He said he usually has bad news when inspecting houses with this stuff but ours was ok. I've been in the house 5 years now just outside of Atl GA and had it painted 2 years ago and plan on painting ever so often to keep it in good shape. Fingers crossed it keeps looking and performing good as long as I keep it maintained

[@tomahawktom7595]

Holy crap, that is what my girlfriend has on her house and we were trying to figure out why the siding was getting all puffy. Now we know

[@DanTheManIOM]

what my neighor did was insulate and then go vinyl...he actually had asbestos mineral siding. Which is fine as long as you don't break it or disturb it.... I think they took it off his house, but I am not sure, they sided his house in dead of winter, in a snow storm...hey, welcome to Western NY

[@captainjack8823]

@@DanTheManIOM They'd been better off to leave it on, its super durable. Like you said the only danger is to those that saw or drill it causing dust. I've done both off and on for years and thank God, no health problems from it. But I never worked with it 40/ hrs. per week year in, year out. Left alone asbestos siding is probably less harmful than being in and or close proximity to large buildings such as skyscrapers for their emissions of radioactivity. The Powers That Be won't tell you the last part!

[@ralphhyland8661]

I sided my detached garage with it in 1991. Back and edge primed EVERY cut. Also did a good job caulking it. So far so good 30 years later. I am on the west coast so climate is nowhere near as wet or humid as the area mentioned in your video. I will do a good long walk-around this spring, we were thinking of painting it, just for a color change. Thanks for the info.

[@apexcapital1328]

Yup, you’re basically living in a cardboard box if you have that as siding for your home.

[@lukewarmwater6412]

they make tons of the stuff in columbia falls montana. it is garbage that is made of sawdust and glue. might as well use paper.

[@divinee.155]

ur living in a paper house with drywall and a cheap board house

[@areuaware6842]

And the second little pig built his house out of sticks... LOL

[@carlfetterman8808]

Yes, I agree. I installed that stuff on a house in NY that failed in 5 years. What a mess!

[@jpvoodoo5522]

My thoughts exactly. Except this stuff is like powder and glue. Cardboard is at least corrugated for some structural strength. The homeless guys know their house is built better than the homeowners who got suckered. They aren't dumb.

[@aarontate1861]

We had a similar product in New Zealand. We bit the bullet and replaced the whole lot on the extension that was on our brick home with hardie plank. It still looks as good as the day we replaced it, 13 years later 👍🏻

[@RealTechZen]

The stuff is equally disastrous when used to make interior trim moldings. Seeing the base boards and bottoms of door casings swell up after having carpets cleaned is really discouraging.

[@Colleen527]

Could you explain what tools are called I am new to woodwork. I went to a store to buy something to clean the edge of a box they sold me a file no good clogged up to quickly so I went back I bought a rasp file which did the job then smooth ed it up with sander. My problem was if I knew the word rasp it would have been cheaper.

[@MojoPup]

@@Colleen527 Oh Lord, that's a big question. There are dozens of woodworking tools, if not a couple hundred. Your best bet is to go to a Hardware Store, especially if it's a locally owned one, and tell them what you need to do. Big Box Stores are fine if you mostly know what you want. And sometimes you can find someone who actually knows their stuff. But smaller hardware stores are more likely to have staff with good knowledge. There are tools for metal work and tools for woodworking, a few things can be used for both. So it depends on exactly what you're trying to do. Find a friendly experienced hardware store employee and ask a lot of questions. No question is stupid if you don't know the answer.

[@stainlesssteellemming3885]

@@Colleen527 Actually, you probably needed both. A rasp will remove material quickly, but not necessarily leave a smooth finish. A sander (or the file you started with) then refines the surface to leave a smoother finish. And yes, files (especially fine ones) clog quickly. That's why you usually have a wire brush handy: the file is not getting blunt, just clogged (which is a sign it's doing its job and removing material). As far as names for tools? As mojopup says, you need to know what you want to achieve then look for tools used in the job. I do hand-tool woodwork: most people think there is one type of plane, in reality there are about 20, all specialized for different things. Just as there isn't just one type of chisel. Or saw, or mallet/hammer. Or - as you learnt - file.

[@georgebush6002]

@KZbin WantsToSilenceMe Thanks to your post I learned something. I assumed 3/4" pine would never last; because it is a softwood I underestimated its durability, especially with poly. Have you installed any pine yet? If so, I hope it went well.

[@danielled8665]

Yesss that happened to my basement baseboards after a washing machine overflowed.

[@Joe-vv8xl]

Our brick house built in 1959 has a front and back bump-out overhang with this type of siding. We replaced the front siding with cement board siding. Although the front siding had some surface issues, the product was still very solid, even the low pieces close to the concrete porch. The back siding is still doing really well after 60 years.

[@numberoneduno7265]

Just wrapped my house in HardiePlank. Love it!

[@neilabernath5862]

Hardiplank is the best material ever made, only problem is it is hard to work with so costs more to install.

[@numberoneduno7265]

@@neilabernath5862 It definitely takes a craftsman, who has the proper tools as well. I was blessed to have a great contractor.

[@WesB1972]

@@neilabernath5862 It is layers of cardboard saturated with cement and silica dust.

[@BadfingerFan]

Thank you for the exceptionally fair and well balanced analysis of hard board products.

[@walterulasinksi7031]

Masonite, was first developed to create very smooth finishes on concrete forms.

[@gavincurtis]

Sounds like it's perfect application, other than drawer bottom panels.

[@walterulasinksi7031]

@@gavincurtis There are many reasonable applications for the material. Bench tops, underlayment for vinyl sheet flooring, I have even used it for stage floor surfaces. With proper primers it will accept paint and create very smooth finishes. It is however not suited for outdoor / weather tolerant surfaces of any kind.

[@waynehendricks8187]

I agree completely as I had termite damage because of this product. My wall looked just like the picture in your video of termite damage so I had to replace many studs. Thanks for the videos. They are always real good.

[@mikebailey783]

So essentially, they were slapping MDF onto the outside of these buildings. Amazing that it got past regulations (or rather, the regulations allowed it).

[@prjndigo]

No, MDF would have been a fairly good upgrade. Masonite is designed to swell when wet and then shrink again when dry so you can get it off of poured formed concrete. It was literally intentionally disposable.

[@keralee]

Which tells us all we ought to need to know about "building regulation" industry. Totally corrupted and evil, paid off by big $$.

[@bigpoofau]

@@keralee sums up the USA

[@ljbanko1]

Absolutely agree. I've been battling this stuff on my house for 16 years!

[@tuddrussell]

Yep, there it is on my house.

[@wewanttobefree41]

yes I had it on the house that I used to live in, it has to be painted with semi gloss paint if you paint it with water base paint you might as well not paint it at all the semi gloss paint will seal all the little pits and nail holes in the sorry siding, if I had to do it over again I would put hardi plank siding on ,it is the best for siding I put a small peice in water and left it for a year and when I took it out of the water it had not hurt at all

[@jie1379]

I agree I am suffering this problem with my house now. Just keep replacing bad siding.

[@cfrandom]

"Contractors have used a lot of subpar materials over the years ..." Why make that statement in the past tense?

[@Mike1614YT]

Many times contractors use sub-par materials and do sub-par work because many customers cannot or will not pay to do things right.

[@ROTALOT]

Present perfect tense means ongoing up to present. Have/has + past participle

[@vicariouswitness]

I find cheapest construction is when the market is fast moving in value. If the local market is booming the developer wants to sell fast and finish fast. To grab that profit margin. Then developer gone and home falls apart. I like local developer that isn’t going anywhere , then they see me in 24 hours usually.

[@BrokenAbyss]

Congrats fromkiss, you have officially the oldest KZbin page I have ever seen and I like your pfp. I’ve seen 13 years before but never 14. Congrats.

[@cfrandom]

@@BrokenAbyss Coming up on 15 yr. A friend accused me of being around for the invention of the wheel. I told him, yeah, and it was my idea to knock the corners off to make it roll better.

[@billmckinney7398]

My house was built in 1977. It had brick on the outside of the first floor, and Masonite siding on the second floor. Being up high, it didn’t suffer like the video showed down low, and I kept it painted and well-maintained. I did replace it all with hardyboard several years ago.

[@rollawy]

alot of the problem is the home owners wait too long to repaint...then they hire a splash and dash painter( one that doesn't do a prep and just sprays it without getting enough paint on the lower drip edge)

[@chazIII7III]

Better than nothing I guess. Sometimes people don’t have the money for better quality painting.

[@theoldman8877]

Painting is a bandaid for a problem that should not exist in the first place. A house should last 100 years with minimum maintenance. Paint should only need to be decorative in nature, not required for the prevention of structural failure. Bridges are a completely different because they must be made from extremely strong materials like steel, steel requires oxidation protection, some day I hope to see a permanent solution for the prevention of oxidation of steel. Galvanized steel comes close but not completely effective.

[@tylersdoinit]

@@theoldman8877 stainless steel

[@robertpope9753]

@@theoldman8877 Where does your discussion of metal bridges fit into this discussion? This post is about residential siding products, not bridges. And, NO, Paint is NOT merely decorative in nature. I own a 50 year old house with wood siding in very good condition because it has been cleaned and painted as needed. My painter, a professional, told me many years ago paint can make your house look nice, but its main job is to protect your siding from the elements.

[@lindseysturkie2205]

This horrible product is NOT the home owners fault and painting as always just hides a bigger problem.

[@wrightharris4365]

I absolutely agree! I had this horrible material on my brand new home and within a few short years it started failing as you described. No matter what I did to stop it nothing worked and it ALL had to be replaced- vinyl -done👍 I don’t particularly like vinyl but painting a garrison colonial with an attached two car garage gets old real fast!

[@TheSpatulaCity]

Yeah, I 've got this stuff on a house I recently purchased in Florida. The bottom 2-3 feet look just like in your examples. I was thinking about just sealing it up with a sealer and covering over it with some faux brick panels but I'm now considering pulling things apart and replacing it with cement board.

[@kathryntokarska1738]

Love your videos, educational and interesting, glad I found you.

[@brodystowers8092]

I wanted to know what you thought the worst building material was and you nailed it 100%. I am replacing this stuff for a customer starting tomorrow. It is costing the customer over $2000 to replace trim on two bay windows and repaint a front door area.

[@wolfbrew]

My housing development used this and I have replaced lots of it. Wish I knew about the cement board. Going to have to find that here.

[@imout671]

Its great but difficult to cut and a little brittle. Kids throwing a basketball against a wall broke some I was called to replace. Prime it good no matter what they say.

[@fosterdl1]

We had this on our first house that we built in the mid 70's in NYS. Our issue was that the "adhesive" (wax) used to hold it together would leach out and stain the surface. We were compensated to re-paint our house following the mfg. instructions. That was good for a few more years and then the "rot" started. We the installed PVC (vinyl)

[@Norm475]

My builder talked me into that junk and within 8 years it started to fail. When I complained they sent a female rep over and she said it was installed improperly. She said it was installed too close to the ground. I told her to look up, when she did she saw that it was also deteriorating 10 feet from the ground, then she did not know what to say. I ended up getting divorced and the X wanted the house so I was removed from that problem. I then bought a duplex and within a few years I needed a new roof and my roofer installed Certain Teed shingles with a 30 Guarantee. They also failed in about 9 years and they had a class-action lawsuit. There are a lot of junk products out there.

[@btafan11]

What does the rep being female have to do with anythng? You had an affair with her and that's why you got divorced?

[@angelaj8958]

I had a roof fail after 5 years, placed a claim, and the roofing company basically lied and said conditions were blowing sand when it was installed. But I had been there every day and it was picture perfect roofing weather. The guarantees are written by company lawyers who will make sure you never collect a dime.

[@guytech7310]

"I ended up getting divorced and the X wanted the house so I was removed from that problem." That's one interesting way to avoid a problem. It would have been shocking if you and your X had a battle of who doesn't get to keep the house. Husband: "You can take the house." So be be Ex-Wife: No, you have to take the house!"

[@neilrusling3438]

@Jo Blow EXACTLY!..."Whats her being a girl got to do with it?"...well you are 99% sure that the job shes talking about is a job she has never done, all her info come from company manuels which are esentially propaganda, the sort of crap that if a man came and tried to BS you with you would get very unhappy real quick, so they send a girl and hope you are a gentleman, Its quite clever really when you think about it.

[@Norm475]

@Sharp things In space I don't hate women. But, I really don't respect many of them, with their purple hair, tongue piercings, body covered in tattoos, and bragging about the number of abortions they've had, riding the CC for 15 years and then complaining they can't find a good man to settle down with after they have been run through more times than the Holland Tunnel.

[@AcmeRacing]

My mother in law had a house sided with blistering Masonite in Maine. When she asked me about doing home improvements, I told her first she wants to get the siding replaced, before she invests in any interior upgrades. Repainting it was futile. I did a spot repair with exterior grade plywood "clapboards" where I had replaced a door, then in a few years she had vinyl done over the whole thing.

[@UnkleAL1962]

I still have the old asbestos siding but its in amazing shape, paints well, and I like the look better than vinyl siding so I just leave it be.

[@Alamyst2011]

Keep it painted and sealed. The stuff will literally last forever.

[@chrisparker4940]

And if you need replacements you can actually get the composites that look just like the asbestos siding shingles. They are textured and have the same shape. We did a job replacing several broken originals and after we painted them we could hardly tell.

[@peterpan4038]

Asbestos is one of the worst materials to repair/fix/ etc. But it's only scary as dust, hence painted and sealed that stuff is wonderful. Just never cut it, or otherwise turn some to dust.

[@howardbain6516]

I had Color-lock siding on my 1970 ranch home with a 2 foot overhang.. It was top nailed and hàd a plastic fin on the back bottom that fit into a small grove on the top of the piece below it. It was regularly painted and just started to pucker at the bottom two rows at 48 years of age.

[@duradim1]

This product has been around since the 1960's. It was used mainly for horizontal soffit surfaces. It has been rebranded several times and still is junk. But I can tell you I have seen cement board fail also. If not cleaned first and then sealed, it too will soak up water and the freeze thaw cycle will cause it to turn into powder.

[@miketheskepticalone6285]

Anything created by the hand of Man needs maintenance ... but whoever thought sawdust and glue exposed to weather that included ANY moisture at all could work needs their head examined. Or boot applied. Cement, sealed and maintained, remains stable. Masonite will fail under wide temperature variance, ANY application of water, UV, and pests go through it without slowing down.

[@coppulor6500]

Home inspector here trying to remdiate this POS house my girlfriend bought. A few pieces of hardboard siding (not "hardiboard") had failed just above the deck (due to splash damage from water bouncing off the deck AND due to lack of clearance from the deck and the lack of flashing). I pulled off a few pieces of the original siding along with some fiber cement board which was used to replace those badly damaged hardboard pieces several years prior to my move in. The back side of the fiber cement board was covered with mold. Meanwhile much of the backside of the hardboard was in much better shape than I had expected. The back side of the hard board was covered in a hydrophobic coating like some sort of acrylic that made the water run off. Whereas the backside of the fiber cement has a rough surface and therefore allows all kinds of particles to stick to it if it gets wet due to condensation etc. Particularly relevant since this is a 1982 POS house. Honestly, I was shocked at how much mold growth is on the back of the fiber cement board. My question to you is what do you seal the backside of the fiber cement board with?

[@JoeZyzyx]

My house has asbestos cement siding, built in the mid 60's and it's still great siding. I constantly have those guys selling plastic siding coming around trying to convince me they have something better. I've seen that plastic siding get ripped off in strips during heavy storm winds, while my shingled siding stays just great. I send them packing, letting them know I never will switch. Others in the neighborhood did put plastic siding on, and I went and saved the best of their asbestos shingles they were removing, so I'd have a good supply if I ever needed some, which also matched my own siding in pattern (not paint color).

[@rodpotts2666]

I've replaced miles of that stuff. Only thing I ever use it for is sidewalk forms.

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

Never thought of that, Rod

[@Meddawg799]

My house was built in 1994 and had it on three sides. Two years ago it was time to paint anyways so I finally ended up replacing it all with cement board. Over the last several years I did spot repairs and discovered the other bad place that showed up early was the chimney. I did replace all that over years as it got worse.

[@chrisfrate]

I would like to add particleboard as a close second. Most people glue it and screw it to the plywood subfloor below which makes it impossible to remove. Also it doesn’t hold nails well so it has to be removed if you want to install hardwood flooring.

[@coppulor6500]

Particleboard is arguably worse. It soaks up every spill and especially pet urine. And because its so porous, provides an excellent medium for mold growth.

[@fila6243]

my dad built his garage with it. lifted the lower part 6 inches so it doesnt get soaked. been looking great for over ten years.

[@paulhoskins7852]

Getting it far away from moisture is key.

[@kmagnussen1052]

The instructions printed on the back stated it had to have two coats of exterior paint on the front and one on the back after priming before installing. Never seen one painted on the back.

[@philirwinskifortyfive1798]

I used on my own house in the 1980s and painted the back side. Had to eventually replace the lower five courses but it otherwise held up well. I owe it to the back paint.

[@SakimikeRenehan]

My house barely had the front and sides painted. The back had nothing. It lasted less than nine years before it was bloated-poor craftsmanship. Now I am spending my free time replacing it.

[@mikesawyer1336]

Zooming past your channel I noticed that nasty stuff. I'm battling rot on my shed - covered with that masonite crap! I hit play immediately to hear your comments and boy oh boy. I'm glad it's just the shed and not my house.

[@redacted_redacted69]

I like the hardie board. Good product, concrete basically, no rot, and it paints great. Brush or roller. And if you can't afford brick veneer it's a 2nd option that will last like brick.

[@abacab87]

I wonder if that will crack in time, just like the old asbestos siding. I've found that nothing is will truly last a lifetime. Brick might last 60 years before having to redo the mortar. Every house I've sided has layers that I can tell are about 25-30 years old. Each type of siding claimed lifetime.

[@WesB1972]

Its layers of cardboard saturated with cement and silica dust.

[@waynesmith3754]

I was glad to Find this Video. I have been telling people for over 40 Years that these kinds of Building Materials + Particle Board are ...COMPLETE TRASH ...to be Avoided

[@clintonflynn815]

Great info well explained... thank you for putting this out there.

[@txkflier]

I totally agree. I'm in the process of replacing some of the soffitt and a lot of the fascia and 1x2 drip edges on my house. I didn't want to mess with Hardie board, so I bought some sheets of groove-less OSB siding and cut 12" wide strips for the soffitt and 4" wide strips for the fascia.

[@kennethwhite5158]

I was in construction for over 50 years and remember Levit Homes building massive housing projects throughout Florida and using masonite siding only to maximize their profits. Most all the carpenters I knew including myself were laughing and horrified these materials were being used. It pays to have some common sense when building a home and not the common cents builders use.

[@schoolssection]

You suppose they were trying to minimize costs as well as to 'maximize their profits'?

[@stevedale8353]

I totally agree ! My house was built in the midst of the building boom post WWII. The siding used was green pine, barely air dried. It wept resin all over. In the mid 1950s a painter told my fater that the pine would never hold paint ! He was enamored with the new Masonite siding. Pre-primed and straight, it was supposed to be a cure-all. By the mid 1960s it had begun to self destruct ! If a frog took a leak next door, that stuff swelled up and began to crumble ! For a while I diligently reeplaced it piece by piece ! Carefully priming the cut ends, and repairing damage found under the bad Masonite. In the early2000s I gave up ! I patched many more "bad spots" with pressure treated plywood and covered the house with 1/4" fan fold foam and vinyl siding. What scares me now is that I can't see if the were any places that escaped me when I covered it up that are just waiting to fall apart !

[@johnfoltz8183]

It's like living in a glorious clipboard

[@N_AUD1]

Accurate. I used this to describe my siding to my girlfriend. She left me

[@AProHomeDamon]

I've been doing home inspections since the mid 90s. I see a lot of vinyl over masonite siding quite frequently. The problem is the damaged wood is now concealed. I know that most inspectors do only a visual inspection, but if you look at the base underneath the starter row, you can tell. Just gently pushing against the vinyl you can find soft spots behind. I usually undo a piece of siding just to be sure. One time the termite damage was so bad that when I tried to pop a piece of the vinyl siding,the entire wall was damaged including a stud pack at the corner.

[@davidshettlesworth1442]

I agree! Thank goodness for "James Hardie Board" I was able to replace any troubled areas on my house. The Cement board is superior to any previous siding material. Able to patch my two story house back together and resist decay.

[@danmarks1827]

Preach it! You are absolutely right. I do residential renovation and remediation and it should be a crime if this stuff is used anywhere on the house. Hardie board siding is far and away better as siding. Vinyl siding shouldn't be used here either, since we get hurricanes here and it frequently gets ripped off houses, even fairly new ones.

[@robertfung6674]

Hardi Cement Boards are the best, I painted my house 15 years ago and it still looks the same .

[@cdnbacon2001]

thank you this is what I was looking for. I hope to do my house in a few years.

[@bruceschneider4928]

We had LP siding on 3 sides of our first house. When it was 8 years old, I thought it looked like it needed new paint, so I walked around the house to see what kind of prep work I'd need to do. There were no obvious signs of damage, but when I casually put my hand on the wall, it felt very cool to the touch. It was about 80°F and sunny. No way that wall should have been so cool. I pressed on the wall, and my finger went right through it like it was jello. Fortunately, we were able to receive money from the class action lawsuit, and we replaced the LP with Hardie Board. And then there was the "blue poly" plumbing...

[@Andrew_2040]

Asbestos, lead-based paint, and aluminum wiring all are good contenders for worst building material.

[@oldcountryman2795]

All of the wiring from the power plant to your circuit breaker box is aluminum.

[@nickcrane8329]

Lead based paint is actually really good besides the health risks actually. They only put lead in the higher grade exterior paints when it was still being produced. For a while it was the highest grade available to buy because as a paint it really was pretty durable.

[@halycon404]

@@oldcountryman2795 Copper is too expensive to build the entire electrical grid out of it. Trust me, they'd rather build it out of copper. The costs are just enormous. When the phone companies started pulling old copper mains out of the ground to replace it with new runs of fiber they actually made money off the process. It has to be one of the only times in history it made economic sense to tear down, replace, and recycle an infrastructure. Copper prices covered the equipment, material, and man hours for the entire country to switch over to a fiber backbone from a copper one.

[@oldcountryman2795]

@@halycon404 No they wouldn’t. Copper is too heavy to string from poles.

[@niallcoulson8607]

I totally agree... I replaced mine with Hardie Plank about 13 yrs ago and painted it for the first time this year- 2020 ... I live in eastern 🇨🇦. I love the Hardie material.

[@stephenhollomon3251]

I live in a house built in 1968 with Masonite siding. It is in perfect condition now. Has only been painted three times. I think someone is overstating the case.

[@johnroberts6206]

Must have been good paint job the first time 😂

[@steveswoodworking2504]

No, I've got the stuff. I bought it when it was about ten years old, built in the mid 70's. I do paint the bottom edge, and it has bloated up on the bottom, bloated up on some edges, and some nail holes. Whole sheets are coming loose. I'm about to replace what is left with Hardi board. Mine's a little different than what he was explaining, I think mine is worse. It is plain 4x8' sheets of particle board, with a paper face.

[@WesB1972]

The Masonite siding made before the mid 1980s was made by a different process. Much better product that the later improved stuff made to improve "the corporate bottom line". My first house had Masonite siding on it. I pass the house frequently and the siding still good and solid 55 years later. The later stuff is crap.

[@fermiticus4034]

I started working for myself, back in 2000. Made a lot of $$$ replacing that garbage...along with the crappy pine trim. Every house I worked on was no more than 10 years old.

[@housetoblue]

This siding is designed to have a short life span where you have x amount of rain fall a year.It might be fine if you lived in a dry climate, Arizona etc. like many things are made to only last so long, pre designed failure.Good if your in the siding business

[@wondertravel2928]

I agree.

[@glenagarrett4704]

If you habe it, observation and maintenance are key to lasting performance. I bought a 30 year old home in 2000 with masonite siding. The elderly couple had kept up with maintenance, painting, etc. When I added windows we found the paint layers. I've done the same upkeep & have had no issues. I am, however, lucky that none of my siding is closer to the ground that 4 feet due to partially submerged basement on a sloped lot. It's a bit of pain for lawn & garden but a plus for this.

[@nosaj03]

Ive got masonite on my house now and have been replacing it with Hardie.

[@SkipperPond]

Great video. Ditto here. Just recently had an entire side of house done as I have a 2.5 story home. James Hardie is awesome.

[@jameswilliams6468]

Can't stand hardy. I guess if you aren't installing it yourself. I prefer LP smartside. Cut it without toxic dust and with regular saw. Goes up fast and does break.

[@NickFortier]

Hardiboard just sucks to install . So nasty, and it's not easy to install compared to wood, which will last plenty long

[@paulteirney3587]

Be careful as it is not that good at leaky houses in NZ it has cost homeowners millions of dollars.

[@dwightdavis8509]

You are correct. I had it on my house built in 1989. After only a few years there was water penetration over the cheap spray paint job. Every edge began to swell and repainting on made the problem worse. It soaked up the paint and swelled even more. I was glad to sell my property to someone who would build a shopping center and tear down the house.

[@satajet883]

Yep that crap was on my house. Replaced it with final. Would love to meet the owner of the company that put that crap on my house back in the 80s when it was built!

[@cward1954]

I would like to meet the idiot who built the house I live in as well. In some areas, siding was nailed directly to studs in the wall... no sheathing. The house was built in 1990.

[@johnmaclauchlan8660]

I am from the UK and I was amazed this was used outside. Domestically it is used to fill in the back of cheaper furniture which is fine or for drawers but not where there is any moisture. Not that we don’t have throw up cheap, repair later, houses. We certainly do!

[@genebruce6321]

The back of my house is sided with 4x8 sheets of this stuff. The house is over 30 years old and the siding is rotting at the bottom. The only reason that it has lasted this long is that I live in North Texas and, while we get rainfall, it dries out thoroughly between rains.

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

Yep, geographically speaking that was a lucky break, gene. In a damp climate, you'd probably see full framing rot at the ground floor--the worst place to have it. Glad it's held up this long. You could maybe cut the bottom foot and add a large pvc skirtboard if you ever got tired of the deterioration!

[@robertroberts2795]

Snap a chaulk line on the siding and cut it off. Then slide pre-bent metal drip cap under the siding and install a primed skirt or freeze board.

[@JB-hu2xy]

You are so right. I have a garage with water damage to some edges of lower rows of fiberboard siding. I looked online how to replace the bad panels myself. Will use the extra panels I stored for several decades, with regret.

[@GraemePayne1967Marine]

Did you mention that "Masonite" is a registered trademark of Masonite Corp. for their version of tempered hardboard? It is mot a generic term.

[@maestrovso]

Isn't this siding is basically the same or very similar as the infamous LP (Louisiana Pacific) siding that ended in class action suit and recall?

[@squidreuel]

glad you mentioned that, every one thinks all hard board siding is Masonite, its not, Masonite was the best of the hardboard siding, but the whole industry failed.

[@curtiscox7105]

I have this material on my house. They put it on using 8' X 4' sheets. The area around the fireplace/chimney is the worst. I tried patching it but it was too eaten away. This same siding in on almost all the neighboring homes as well. It crumbles when you look at it. This video was helpful. Thanks.

[@mindofmadness5593]

So they started building houses out of the same crap Wally World makes those DIY Book Shelves and Desks out of. Wonderful.

[@jllrue]

Walmart doesn't make it stupid! They sell it just like all the other retailers!

[@stevefifield1207]

Probably the other way around. Home construction dried up, so they needed alternate uses for existing materials and machinery. Cheap furniture fit the bill, and due to the indoor nature it would hold up better.

[@exceptionallyaveragejoe]

All the houses in my neighborhood have this, but all except one were encased in vinyl siding. My shed was also clad with it. Replaced sections with some that came with the house. Looks good now, painted the shed red white and blue.