Pre-primed finger jointed pine: exterior use

[Unregistered-Sig]

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What do you know about the disaster that pre-primed Finger jointed Pine becomes when used as an exterior siding product? We were referred by our very reputable lumber yard to use this product over cedar, mahogany or even Azek for our very time consuming siding project. In less than three years (with a professional paint job), the product is just rotting off our home and leaving us thousands of dollars of repairs to do. The lumberyard allegedly were aware of this problem for years prior to our sale and will not own up to it in any way. They even cancelled our very well maintained 30 year old business account over this.
Do we have any recourse? And what do you suggest? We spent so much time with the wood work on this house, pilasters, raised panels, decorative molding…all just rotting away before our eyes.
Would appreciate your input.

[homebild]

Pine moldings, whatever type, are limited to use indoors.

They will not stand up to exterior exposure over time no matter how well painted.

That’s why only chemically treated wood and naturally rot-resistant species like redwood, cedar, cypress, douglas fir and tropical woods are used outside.

[Bruno1949]

Pine is not rot proof, even if painted. Finger jointed is basically just scraps cut and glued together. It works fine for interior use but it is not meant for exterior use.

“The lumberyard allegedly were aware of this problem for years prior to our sale”. There is no ‘problem’ to be aware of; the trim was NEVER intended to be used outside. Either the lumberyard person misunderstood your project or you didn’t make it clear what you were doing. Finger jointed pine never has been an exterior product, ever.

You are at least partly at fault. A well informed consumer knows, at least generally, what they need. You needed to do a basic amount of research to know what you needed before you started the job. Blaming the lumberyard for allowing you to buy a product never designed for what your job required wasn’t a good idea. It sounds like you have burned your bridges with them and it was, at best, only partly their fault. Maybe they should have asked more questions but you really should have known what you needed before you walked in.

[Author]

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