Water Behind Wood Siding

The damage can compromise a building s structural integrity.

Water behind wood siding.

Rainwater from missing or improperly placed gutters can end up behind siding. While wood siding brick vinyl and other exterior finishes may appear watertight in fact all residential cladding systems allow some water to penetrate. Inspect the area above the leak including both indoors and out. The siding made from portland cement sand cellulose and other additives is available with smooth or simulated wood grain finishes.

Tracking down the leaks in a vinyl sided building. Lack of gutters installed on the top roof of the home. Planks are 12 feet long x 5 16 inches thick and they come in a half dozen widths which means weather exposures can vary from 4 inches to 10 3 4 inches. Allowing mold to continue to grow under your siding can have a number of consequences.

Water passing over wood and other building materials but behind the vinyl siding can easily pick up pigments that stain the foundation wall outside. Check to be sure weep holes are open along bottom of window openings. It easily hides beneath siding materials and often shows no obvious signs to untrained eyes. Although vinyl is impervious to water when installed as directed by the manufacturer vinyl siding as a whole is not completely watertight.

So if this happens you will need to remove or replace the siding quickly before rot sets in. When siding is put back behind the gutter the lowest piece of flashing running down the pitch of the roof above must be fashioned to divert water into the gutter not behind the siding. How to prevent water from flowing under vinyl siding. It is a misconception that vinyl siding doesn t need a water resistant barrier system.

However if the flashing is broke or not properly attached water can seep behind the siding allowing mold to grow. Not all have wood rot but the damage would progress to rot in time. The most common causes of water damage behind vinyl siding include the following. Water damage is risky business.

Water can also seep in behind faux stone and other external walls around your home. This is especially true during wind driven rain when high air pressure forces water to flow through small openings at siding joints overlaps nail holes and other gaps see photo. In this video this old house general contractor tom silva shows how to prevent water from leaking in behind vinyl siding. At yanish we find water damage behind the siding of roughly 1 in 6 homes.

See water barriers exterior.