Water Leak Behind Vinyl Siding

If you do find such an area remove the siding and inspect the walls behind it to determine how the water is getting in.

Water leak behind vinyl siding.

Despite the good qualities of vinyl it does pay to have extra insurance in the form of house wrap. Although vinyl is impervious to water when installed as directed by the manufacturer vinyl siding as a whole is not completely watertight. Inspect the area above the leak including both indoors and out. Vinyl siding is designed to allow the material underneath it to breathe.

This article describes the causes of all types of leaks in building siding and wall coverings. It is possible for moisture and air leaks to enter through these fine lines and seams wreaking havoc behind the siding that you may not even notice until significant damage has already occurred. 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 an installer uses a material such as incorrectly this only exacerbates the problem.

In terms of siding this means layering sheeting flashing house wrap caulking siding and trim. Wind blown rain entering the siding bottom edge vent drain openings present on most aluminum or vinyl siding can pass behind the siding through those openings. Vinyl siding is designed as an exterior cladding only and is supposed to be installed over other materials such as a weather resistant barrier. Vinyl is a potentially leaky material and water trapped behind siding leads to decay and mold.

Using detailed examples and photos of leaky building siding siding stains ice or other leak clues for vinyl siding we illustrate the installation mistakes or subsequent siding damage that can cause troublesome even dangerous leaks into a building wall or wall. How to prevent water from flowing under vinyl siding. Check to be sure weep holes are open along bottom of window openings. In this video this old house general contractor tom silva shows how to prevent water from leaking in behind vinyl siding.

Vinyl siding itself is waterproof and directs most water flow away from the exterior but even a small gap can allow water through. Therefore it is not a watertight covering. It s virtually impossible to completely seal any siding without additional materials. This is a normal condition of these siding products not present on hardboard fibercement board shingle type siding nor plywood sheet siding and is a reason that these siding.