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You have been misinformed.
1) A moisture protection barrier (like TyVek) is now required on ALL structures with siding. This prevents water intrusion. 2) This membrane MUST be taped using the approved tape (sold under the TyVek brand and others) at all seams of the house wrap and at all corner boards and trim pieces. 3) An inspection is then required when all window, door, and other penetration flashing has been installed prior to the installation of the siding. 4) In our climate, Hardie recommends butt joint flashing (a small piece of roofing felt) behind EACH butt joint of the siding and minimal siding contact at butt joints (leaving an expansion gap about the width of a sawblade). 5) On 9 out of 10 siding projects, we apply a 60 year 100% acrylic sealant (about $3 per tube) to siding butt joints. An occasional customer insists that the butt joints not be caulked. We have them sign a release, and leave these joints open against our recommendation. (Re-caulking every year is not required with a quality sealant.)
Call the builder, who MUST be a licensed general contractor, and insist that THEY solve this problem. You don't want to talk to any subs or manufacturer's reps. As licensed contractors, we are responsible for EVERYTHING that is done on any contracted project regardless of who was hired to perform the work.
Quality and craftsmanship have not gone out of style; its just that some builders have gone out of business due to a slowed economy and poor craftsmanship.
Is this a new inspection requirement???? Which city? I have not had to have a city inspection on a new construction house prior to the siding being installed (though that is a good idea). Definately not an inspection item 2 years ago in Raleigh or Durham.
If yours was not installed per directions it is wrong. HP is, I think saying to not caulk butt joints but only at end corner pieces.
"See also RTFB-41"
No matter how it was installed, there should not be a leak around the window at two years old. The builder needs to take care of this and I would turn the screws on him with the licensure board, BBB and attorney general until he does. If you stand outside of a house/neighborhood they are building with a picket sign and I bet they will get the picture.
2009 NC Residential Code says in R703.10.2 that fiber cement lap siding
"shall have the ends sealed with caulking, covered with an H-section
joint cover, or located over a strip of flashing". Don't have my 2006
code book handy, but it looks like the paragraph was in there as well.
Note that the code does not distinguish between ends and joints.
Whether it's Hardie, Nichi, Certainteed, or any other cement board it
does not matter. Hardie recommends not to caulk joints probably for
aesthetic reasons, and if caulking is poorly done or wrong caulk used it
won't perform.
Some jurisdictions where building inspectors are not as overwhelmed as
in Raleigh/Durham have had a separate sheathing inspection for a while
now if you wanted to cover it up before rough-in.
It does not really matter what material was the drip edge over the
window (galv. steel, aluminum, copper, vinyl etc). If the joint above
was not flashed or caulked, and if the window was flange type and it was
not taped at the top, or brick-mould type and not caulked to the wall -
this might be an entry point for water in driving rain. Drip edge would
not help much if the joint above it leaked water, because few siding subs
tape or caulk drip edge to the wall.
I had a similar problem I owned back in the northeast. It was on a bank of windows that faced directly west and when rain storms blew from the west the water would run down my inside wall like the Niagara river over the falls. These windows were two stories up in our great room.
After many calls to the contractor and just as many inspection and caulk applications it was finally decided to remove the windows and try again. Upon removal of the windows the problem was identified. The Contractor NEVER put flashing under the windows to abate the water from entering.
So if they are saying caulking will solve your problem on a yearly basis I would get a second and third opinion. This is obviously a problem with the window installation.
Good luck and I hope they find/solve your water problem! Been there and down that and its no kind of water fall I ever want to experience again!
I had a similar problem I owned back in the northeast. It was on a bank of windows that faced directly west and when rain storms blew from the west the water would run down my inside wall like the Niagara river over the falls. These windows were two stories up in our great room.
After many calls to the contractor and just as many inspection and caulk applications it was finally decided to remove the windows and try again. Upon removal of the windows the problem was identified. The Contractor NEVER put flashing under the windows to abate the water from entering.
So if they are saying caulking will solve your problem on a yearly basis I would get a second and third opinion. This is obviously a problem with the window installation.
Good luck and I hope they find/solve your water problem! Been there and down that and its no kind of water fall I ever want to experience again!
Right-O, Dan.
If the first application of "Leak-Fix-In-A-Bucket" doesn't get it there is usually no point in just gobbing more on.
That just makes it tougher and messier for a real repairman to take apart and diagnose and repair properly.
2009 NC Residential Code says in R703.10.2 that fiber cement lap siding
"shall have the ends sealed with caulking, covered with an H-section
joint cover, or located over a strip of flashing". Don't have my 2006
code book handy, but it looks like the paragraph was in there as well.
Note that the code does not distinguish between ends and joints.
Whether it's Hardie, Nichi, Certainteed, or any other cement board it
does not matter. Hardie recommends not to caulk joints probably for
aesthetic reasons, and if caulking is poorly done or wrong caulk used it
won't perform.
Some jurisdictions where building inspectors are not as overwhelmed as
in Raleigh/Durham have had a separate sheathing inspection for a while
now if you wanted to cover it up before rough-in.
It does not really matter what material was the drip edge over the
window (galv. steel, aluminum, copper, vinyl etc). If the joint above
was not flashed or caulked, and if the window was flange type and it was
not taped at the top, or brick-mould type and not caulked to the wall -
this might be an entry point for water in driving rain. Drip edge would
not help much if the joint above it leaked water, because few siding subs
tape or caulk drip edge to the wall.
Hardie specifies "minimal contact" at siding butt joints to allow for linear expansion of the cement-fiberglass material (siding).
With the butt joint flashing (roofer's felt) there is double protection against water entry into the wall sheathing. Sealants applied at siding butt joints prevent water intrusion into the edge of the siding material; and, their expansive properties allow for movement using the elasto-meric sealants for water protection.
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Hardieplank sez:
