We get asked a lot of questions about pressed wood siding and this will probably only be one of several posts about the product. Let me just start by saying that if you have hardboard, also called Masonite, or pressed wood siding on your home that is not holding up like it should, a little investigation just might pay off.
Many Richmond neighborhoods have houses with hardboard siding. Did you know that if you own a condominium, a house or a town home with this type of siding installed in the mid 1980’s, you may be part of a class action lawsuit? Keep reading if you would like to do something about getting the cash to replace or repair faulty siding.
Most people wonder if they can file their pressed wood siding claim on their own and the answer is yes, you can. If anyone tells you differently, they’re wrong. Granted, the process of filing the claim can be time-consuming and sometimes complicated but, hey, it’s the government and big business—what did you expect?
Technically it is a basic three-step process:
- Identification. Does my house/siding qualify for the claim?
- Evaluation. An on-site inspection of your property is done (by you, a technician working on your behalf, or the manufacturers’ representative).
- Recovery: settlement funds are sent.
However, things are rarely this easy. There are other determining factors that will affect your claim that include the amount of damage to the home, the siding manufacturer and the year that the siding was installed. Hopefully, you kept good records in the 80’s because you are going to need to provide proof and include a 6” x 6” sample from your house. The paperwork can be daunting as well, but it is all totally doable and well worth the effort to improve your home’s appearance. Watch for our next post with a list of questions to help you decide if you want to file your own pressed wood siding claim or hire a professional to do the dirty work for you.