Water Leaking Behind Wood Siding

Water entry at siding butt joint gaps.

Water leaking behind wood siding.

If the builder failed to install a weather barrier this sort of staining is more likely. The extra thickness of. Leaks in other areas of the home besides windows and doors are not as common as they may be for homes with wood siding but they still may happen. If you do find such an area remove the siding and inspect the walls behind it to determine how the water is getting in.

Some areas were extremely heavy while others were just a single streak. Not all have wood rot but the damage would progress to rot in time. Some areas were extremely heavy. At yanish we find water damage behind the siding of roughly 1 in 6 homes.

The problem rainwater leaking from a gutter ends up behind siding and causes a wall to rot. Check to be sure weep holes are open along bottom of window openings. In most communities building codes require a moisture barrier. Water from rain or melting snow running down a building exterior wall can pass behind the siding where it encounters a gap in siding butt joints if the gap is not backed by flashing and if water entry at the gap is not blocked by the choice of siding exposure depth and by having staggered butt joints so that the gap is closed by the siding course below.

Water damage is risky business. Preparation for siding while correct installation reduces the risk of water running behind the siding it can t completely stop it. At some point in the past an owner had vinyl siding installed over old siding. If you find mold growing the wood floor plates behind the.

In this video this old house general contractor tom silva shows how to prevent water from leaking in behind vinyl siding. Even without wind some water will seep through tiny gaps to the back of siding through capillary action the way water is siphoned up a stalk of celery. This is true of brick wood and stucco as well as the newest composite materials. See water barriers exterior.

Inspect the area above the leak including both indoors and out. Water passing over wood and other building materials but behind the vinyl siding can easily pick up pigments that stain the foundation wall outside. Examine walls and floors beneath sinks around tubs and showers and around the water heater for signs of water leaks or discoloration.