Composition Board Siding

Composition board siding is also known as "pressboard siding", "hardboard siding", "waferwood siding" and "inner-seal siding". All these names refer to the composite wood product made from wafers of wood, coated in resin and formed into a mat. An overlay is placed over the mat and pressed into the panels by heat and pressure and the panels are then cut into boards to make lap or panel siding. The major manufacturers of this product include Louisiana-Pacific (L-P), Georgia-Pacific and Masonite, usually identified by the manufacturer’s seal on the underside of the siding board.

Wood, by its very nature, has a tendency to expand and contract. Compressing the wood during the manufacturing process has placed the wood in an unnatural state. Wood will expand if it is exposed to moisture—the compressed cells in the wood will expand and swell. Proper installation and maintenance are critical for this product to perform. Exposed edges must be sealed with a good coat of paint, and the wood must remain sealed throughout its life. If the composition board siding is improperly installed or maintained, the siding retains moisture and begins to swell, crack and rot.

Several class action lawsuits are taking place throughout the country involving different composition board manufacturers. The only way to determine which product is installed is to remove a section of the siding and look for the manufacturer’s identification number. Once the product is identified, the owner can register in one of the many class action lawsuits to obtain relief. The following are the major composition board siding manufacturers:

Louisiana-Pacific Corporation http://www.lpcorp.com/ 800-648-6893

Georgia-Pacific Corporation http://www.gp.com/ 888-882-5246

Masonite Corporation http://www.kinsella.com/masonite 800-330-2722