A Boral trim lawsuit search usually turns up two very different things: a handful of individual cases filed against Boral Composites, Inc. over its TruExterior poly-ash trim, and a much larger class action that has nothing to do with Boral at all. No certified class action has been brought against Boral over its trim products. The class action people often find instead targets Louisiana-Pacific Corporation and its TrimBoard fiberboard product.
The Lawsuits Actually Filed Against Boral
Public court records show at least two suits naming Boral Composites, Inc. as a defendant over its trim.
The first is Kaper’s Building Material, Inc. v. Boral Composites, Inc., filed in December 2018 as a product liability case. It was removed from Jasper Circuit Court to the Indiana Northern District Court under case number 4:18-cv-00096. Kaper’s filed an amended complaint in October 2019 attaching the Boral written warranty as an exhibit, and by November 2019 the case was remanded to state court.1PACER Monitor. Kapers Building Materials Inc v Boral Composites Inc The federal docket does not show a final outcome on the merits.
The second is Classic Quality Painting LLC v. Boral Building Products Inc., et al., filed in July 2020 in Charleston County Common Pleas in South Carolina. Defendants included Boral Building Products Inc., Boral Composites Inc., Boral Composites LLC, and lumber supplier Buck Lumber and Building Supply Inc. The case was dismissed in June 2022 under Rule 41(a), a procedural rule typically used for voluntary dismissal, which can reflect a settlement or a decision to drop the claims.2Charleston County Public Index. Classic Quality Painting LLC vs Boral Building Products Inc
Neither case reached class certification, and neither produced a reported ruling on the merits of the product itself.
What the Boral Warranty Allows a Claimant to Recover
Any homeowner considering a claim against Boral is working within a narrow written warranty. The 20-year limited warranty, issued by Boral Composites Inc. out of Roswell, Georgia, covers three guarantees: no decay from rot, no excessive swelling from moisture, and resistance to termite damage. If a defect is confirmed, the sole remedies are replacement product or a refund of the purchase price of the defective material. Labor, reinstallation, and consequential damages are excluded.3Town of Bluffton, SC (Meeting Document). Boral TruExterior Trim Limited Product Warranty
Two procedural conditions matter for anyone thinking about filing. The homeowner must notify the company in writing within 90 days of discovering a problem and allow an inspection before removing the product, or the warranty is voided. The warranty is also voided if the trim is not painted within 150 days of installation, since the product ships only with a factory-applied primer.4US Lumber. TruExterior Trim 3-Part Specification
Why Searches Often Lead to the Louisiana-Pacific TrimBoard Case
A great deal of what circulates online as “trim lawsuit” material concerns Louisiana-Pacific Corporation and its predecessor ABTco, Inc., not Boral. That litigation involves TrimBoard, a fiberboard or manufactured wood composite with a paper overlay, sold under the names TrimBoard, ProTrim, and ChoiceTrim.5ClassAction.org. TrimBoard Class Action Boral is not a defendant, and the products do not overlap. Boral’s TruExterior is a poly-ash blend of polymers, fly ash, and glass fiber, marketed as moisture-proof and rot-resistant.6Green Building Advisor. Considering Using Boral TruExterior Trim on a New House
The LP TrimBoard class was certified on July 15, 2011, by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, covering all persons in North Carolina who owned a building in which ABTco or LP TrimBoard had been installed since October 22, 1998.7PR Newswire. ABTco or Louisiana-Pacific TrimBoard Class Action Lawsuit Notice In March 2013 the court refused Louisiana-Pacific’s attempt to decertify the class, ruling that the warranty claims did not require individual assessments of causation and damages.8Law360. Louisiana-Pacific Can’t Reverse Class Cert in Siding Suit The core allegation is that LP’s fiberboard trim absorbs moisture in exterior applications, leading to swelling, decay, rotting, and potential insect infestation, and that LP’s warranty limitations were unenforceable.9ClassAction.org. TrimBoard Problems Can Reportedly Lead to Swelling, Decay, Rotting If a search brought you to that case, it is a separate manufacturer, a separate product, and a separate legal history.
Contractor Complaints About TruExterior Trim
Away from the courts, contractor forums include recurring complaints about how the material handles. Installers report the product is brittle and prone to breakage if long lengths are not carried on edge and supported during cutting, and that cutting is rough on saw blades and produces unpleasant dust.6Green Building Advisor. Considering Using Boral TruExterior Trim on a New House
A more specific finish complaint concerns surface texture. Even the “smooth” side of the trim reportedly carries a fine, straight grain. When fastener holes are filled, sanded, and painted, filler can settle into that texture and telegraph through the finish, particularly with darker paint colors. One contractor reported that on a whole-house siding project, every filled fastener head flashed noticeably during paint prep. Other installers argued the issue was one of technique and surface preparation rather than a product defect.10Festool Owners Group. Boral TruExterior These complaints have not translated into litigation on the public record.
Who Owns TruExterior Now
The TruExterior product line has passed from Boral Composites to Westlake Royal Building Products, which continues to market and sell poly-ash trim and siding under the TruExterior brand.11Westlake Royal Building Products. TruExterior Poly-Ash Siding and Trim Anyone filing a warranty claim or considering suit over trim installed in recent years should confirm the current warranty administrator against the paperwork received at purchase, since the corporate defendant on the older Boral cases may not be the entity handling claims today.