How to Fix Damaged Fiber Cement Siding

Homeowners here in the harsh climate of the Northeast have many choices when it come to siding material for their homes.  One of the best choices a homeowner can make for siding a home in this climate is fiber cement, for a variety of reasons.

One of the many reasons homeowners choose fiber cement for their siding needs is that fiber cement is so sturdy.  Fiber cement siding can stand up to almost anything that Mother Nature can throw at it.  Unfortunately, bad luck does sometimes strike   –  an earthquake hits, or the house has a run-in with a car  –  and the integrity of the siding can be compromised.

When this happens, the homeowner is left wondering how to fix damaged fiber cement.  There are in fact several ways to repair the siding.  The easiest way is to have it repaired by experts, such as those at United Home Experts.  If the siding was originally installed by United Home Experts, then it should still be under warranty and will be repaired promptly and efficiently at no charge.

However, if the siding was originally homeowner-installed, or was installed by another company without a long-term guarantee, then repairs may fall to the homeowner. Here we will give you the low-cost solution to repair the damages, but we caution you because the integrity of the siding is now compromised. The siding has been cracked and there is now a potential for moisture to build up and cost serious issues within the siding.

We highly suggest contacting us to provide an estimate or if you have a warranty with us, give us a call. You can contact the office of United Home Experts at 508-881-8555.

Now – the cheap, temporary solution to fixing the siding:

While it is sometimes necessary to remove an entire fiber cement plank from a wall, for the purposes of this article we will assume that the homeowner wants to patch a relatively small area and not remove and replace entire boards.

Start by purchasing fiber cement patch material  –  do not use wood putty or any other product made to repair wood.  The siding may look like wood (it may have a wood-grain effect) but it is primarily cement and requires a cement patch.

First, clean the area thoroughly with a damp cloth, and remove any hanging particles; the area to be patched must be clean and solid around the edges. Using a stiff brush, mix the patch material specifically intended for fiber cement following the manufacturer’s directions carefully; use only as much water as the manufacturer recommends.

Use a plastic putty knife to apply the patching material to the damaged area, filling in the area and shaping the patch to match the original contours of the siding.  Allow the patch to thoroughly dry and apply another thin layer of patching material if the first layer shrank during the drying process.  Allow the final layer to dry and then lightly sand in order to blend all edges.  Use sandpaper or a small, sharp tool to match any design that exists in the original planking.  Carefully clean the entire area with a tack cloth to remove all vestiges of the sanding process.

Paint as much of the wall as necessary so that the patched area blends into the entire wall.  In some cases this will require painting the whole wall.  This is especially true if the wall has not been painted for some time and the existing paint has faded in the sun.  If done properly, the patch should last for years, but there are no guarantees to the structural integrity of the siding. Again, we caution you to give us a call so that we can properly give you a diagnosis on the damage.