Cement fiber siding products are an excellent, high quality and low maintenance material.  In fact, I’m a big fan of these products; if I build a home again myself, I intend to install cement-fiber siding.  Broken, cracked or otherwise mechanically damaged cement-fiber siding boards should be replaced by a qualified contractor.  If you have a lot of broken siding boards, replacement can be expensive.  If you don’t have the budget to replace broken boards in the near future, I recommend at least caulking cracks and securing broken pieces to prevent water damage while you budget for replacement.  This photograph was taken at a recent home inspection in La Conner.