COLCO NEWS RELEASE

To:   Jim Wilkie, Major Accounts Manager, BC Region, Weyerhaeuser
        3512 East Kent Avenue South, Vancouver BC Canada V6C 2N1
        Tel: Toll Free – 1-800-665-3448  Fax: 604-439-9571

From: Dr. James Balderson @ FAX 604-739-4109
           james.balderson@myleakycondo.com
           COLCO: Coalition of Leaky Condo Owners

Re:      Weyerhaeuser & James Hardie Building Products
            Hardiplank, Hardipanel, Hardieshingleside, etc.

Thank you for meeting with me and providing an excellent presentation with detailed information regarding James Hardie Building Products used in BC.  Thousands of leaky rotten condos in British Columbia require approximately $1 billion in repairs due to premature building envelope failure. James Hardie products (Won't crack, rot, or delaminate”) are being utilized on some leaky rotten condo repairs and on new condo construction.  COLCO members were therefore disturbed to find James Hardie products that were delaminating.

(1) Does the 50 year warranty for plank lap siding, panel vertical siding, and panel shiplap siding apply in Canada?  The warranty certificate indicates a limitation to “installation within the US and Puerto Rico.”

(2) Does the third owner of a condo clad with James Hardie Shingleside products covered by a “30-Year Express Limited Transferable Product Warranty” actually have no James Hardie warranty? Given the way condos are built and sold in British Columbia, the third owner could actually be the first owner-occupant.

(3) What is the warranty claims experience for Weyerhaeuser James Hardie Products? Given the intricate, detailed installation instructions and warranty limitations tied to correct shipment, storage, handling, cutting , nailing, screwing, installing, caulking, priming, and painting, there appears to be a very high probability that the product warranty will be rendered useless during construction.

(4) Has Weyerhaeuser James Hardie settled class action law suits for warped leaky rotten product? James Hardie products contain wood fibres which can absorb moisture and expand, leaking to warps, leaks, and rot.  COLCO members want to know if Weyerhaeuser and James Hardie products have been involved in class action lawsuits.  Go to www.4w.com/siding/index.htm and to www.seattletimes.com for “Why home sidings can’t take the damp” for more info.

Signed
Dr. James Balderson

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