Issaq Lazar spent thousands of dollars on prefinished siding for his home in suburban Morton Grove.
But after just three years, it lost its color and looked more like a patchwork of paint. Visitors to Lazar’s house can’t miss it, because it can be seen on all four sides of the two-story home.
“It makes the house look ugly. In the front of the house, looks very ugly,” Lazar said.
He bought the siding from Menards in 2011 and first contacted the home improvement store two years ago, requesting help to get it fixed. Instead, he says, Menards offered five gallons of paint and a $500 store credit so he could fix the problem himself.
“It was painful,” he said. “I was frustrated. It was a very angry situation.”
Marc Poulos, a member of the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America, says after a full prime coat, power wash and bleach cleaning, he would charge anywhere between $6,000 and $7,000 to fix Lazar’s house.
Tired of looking at what he considers an eyesore, Lazar contacted NBC 5 Responds. Within weeks, Menards sent professional painters to give the house a wash, prime and two fresh coats of paint.
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“It looks great. It’s fantastic. I’m so glad, so happy to see it’s done,” Lazar said.
Prefinished siding usually comes with a 15 year warranty, so it’s not clear what caused the siding to lose its color after only three years.
Menard’s says it is investigating what happened to the siding, but they won’t know anything until a scientific study is complete. Until then, Menards has extended the warranty on Lazar’s siding from 15 to 20 years.
