Water Leaking Behind Wood Siding

If the builder failed to install a weather barrier this sort of staining is more likely.

Water leaking behind wood siding. Inspect the area above the leak including both indoors and out. Water entry at siding butt joint gaps. At some point in the past an owner had vinyl siding installed over old siding. 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.

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. The problem rainwater leaking from a gutter ends up behind siding and causes a wall to rot. This is true of brick wood and stucco as well as the newest composite materials. It easily hides beneath siding materials and often shows no obvious signs to untrained eyes.

If you find mold growing the wood floor plates behind the. In most communities building codes require a moisture barrier. Some areas were extremely heavy. In this video this old house general contractor tom silva shows how to prevent water from leaking in behind vinyl siding.

The extra thickness of. Check to be sure weep holes are open along bottom of window openings. Water passing over wood and other building materials but behind the vinyl siding can easily pick up pigments that stain the foundation wall outside. If you do find such an area remove the siding and inspect the walls behind it to determine how the water is getting in.

See water barriers exterior. Not all have wood rot but the damage would progress to rot in time. 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. Tracking down the leaks in a vinyl sided building.

At yanish we find water damage behind the siding of roughly 1 in 6 homes. Preparation for siding while correct installation reduces the risk of water running behind the siding it can t completely stop it. Examine walls and floors beneath sinks around tubs and showers and around the water heater for signs of water leaks or discoloration.