Got damaged siding that needs to be replaced? Good news -- you don't have to re-side. A fiber-cement siding quick fix that blends right in might be all you need. Wood- and hardboard siding often is water-damaged because installers might have over-driven nails, improperly sealed joints or allowed cut edges to be too close to the ground. Constant soaking by lawn sprinklers hurts, too. These result in soft and swollen ?mushy? panels. Panels in that condition need fixing. A 'smart' solution we use to solve the problem is fiber-cement siding. It's tough, durable, and its wood-grained surface is a perfect match for most wood and hardboard surfaces. And when painted with two coats of top-quality acrylic latex over a primer coat, the repair is hard to detect. Made from Portland cement, sand and cellulose fiber, several brands now are being widely sold in 12-foot lengths in many widths -- all 5/16 of an inch thick -- in both smooth and wood-grain finishes. Water damage? With fiber-cement no one'll ever know. And that's the On The House tip for today.