Cement board siding is a #lowmaintenance building material and low maintenance building materials top the home exterior features list according to the AIA. http://www.residentialdesignmagazine.com/13029/13029/ Cement board siding: ✅ will not rot ✅ will hold paint well ✅ will leak if installed without following the install instructions. Naturally = happens without outside/special help or intervention - simply put...this siding expands and contracts. It expands when it gets warm and it contracts (shrinks) when it gets cold. When this product moves from one state to the other (hot to cold or cold to hot) this crack will get wider or narrower...naturally. You can’t stop it from happening. It’s called building science. For that reason (as the manufacturer suggests) it’s best to slip a small piece of metal behind the crack to prevent rain water from leaking into the crack. When rain leaks into the crack it can cause problems. This siding doesn’t need caulking. It needs the metal installed as the manufacturer suggested. Naturally - - it’s ALWAYS best to follow the manufacturer’s install instructions. Sometimes we try to ignore mother nature - but she always wins. Naturally. We Speak House #homesweethome🏠 #homebuilder #mynewhome #framing #framer #builder #siding #cementsiding #paintedsiding #builditright #builttolast #leakingwalls #wespeakhouse