Water Leaking Behind Siding

The presence of a housewrap on modern buildings or felt on older buildings combined with proper flashing at windows doors and other openings are relied upon to keep water from entering the structure itself.

Water leaking behind siding. The extra thickness of the vinyl. Vinyl siding is designed as an exterior cladding only and is supposed to be installed over other materials such as a weather resistant barrier. Some areas were extremely heavy while others were just a single streak. Water leaks at soffit or eave overhang penetrations for chimneys that permits water to leak at the roof surface then pass behind the siding if the chimney is not properly flashed.

In this video this old house general contractor tom silva shows how to prevent water from leaking in behind vinyl siding. When the siding becomes damaged there s a higher risk of the water running into your walls which could lead to mold growth structural damage and a compromised foundation. This is a caulking that s flexible and works well with vinyl siding. Some areas were extremely heavy.

Rainwater leaking from a gutter ends up behind siding and causes a wall to rot. If an installer uses a material such as incorrectly this only exacerbates the problem. Inspect the area above the leak including both indoors and out. Check to be sure weep holes are open along bottom of window openings.

As gravity takes over and pushes the rainfall downwards you better hope your siding was installed correctly. Caulk along the seams of the siding where it meets the window. My photo above of ice below some courses of vinyl siding traces a moisture problem traced to improper installation of a through wall vent for a direct vent heating appliance. During a very heavy 2 days of rain water began running from between pieces of siding.

While gaps and openings permit leaks behind the siding some siding openings are normal such as aluminum or vinyl siding bottom edge vents. Bottom to top rain will hit the roof and make its way down your siding until it hits the ground. Vinyl is a potentially leaky material and water trapped behind siding leads to decay and mold. At some point in the past an owner had vinyl siding installed over old siding.

If there are gaps and water can get in you can use tri polymer caulking to fill it in. Step 2 you can also check above the window or door to see how the siding is attached there. Preparation for siding while correct installation reduces the risk of water running behind the siding it can t completely stop it. In most communities building codes require a moisture barrier.