# Wood Siding:  repair or cover with new



## olive (Jan 24, 2007)

My wood siding has some areas with dry rot, not too much.  I want to know whether I should repair the small areas with dry rot or repair and cover over with hardie siding?  The siding is not over the entire house, only about 1/3 of the house.  

From what I've read on the forums so far, it seems that hardie siding requires alot of maintanence.  I only want to paint about every 10 years or so (length of a good paint job), but everyone is saying that hardie needs to be recaulked every 5 years.....is this true??  If that is the case, would it be better to repair or use redwood planks for siding?


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## asbestos (Jan 25, 2007)

In the Pacific Northwest, I have seen 10 Y/O Hardie that looks great. But don't cover, repair unless it is crappy siding to begin with


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## glennjanie (Jan 25, 2007)

I vote for repair first but, if that is not possible, you live in a good place to use redwood. The hardie siding may be just fine but it makes me think of the asbestos shingles of the late 40s and 50s which I don't think much of.
Glenn


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## joecaption (Jan 9, 2011)

Hardee plank can not be installed over old siding. You would have to remove all the old install 1/2 OSB house wrap then the Hardee plank.
Once installed it looks exactly like real wood and if you use 50 year Alex caulking you never have to recaulk it. And only paint about every 15 years. The paint tends to fade not peel.
I'd bet the real reason your having to repaint so often has more to do with a number of possibilitys. Moisture under the house, no ridge vents, no soffit vents or there covered up with insulation. All will cause extra moisture behind the wall. Or someone painted it with oil based primer or paint at one time and now the wood can not breath and it pushes out the paint.


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