The kickboard under the side casing of my exterior door rotted from the backside last year. The door has side lights and flutted side casings. I replaced the kickboard last year and just removed it to see if the water problem was still there. The sheathing is wet under the area of the casings (5/4″ X 6″ finger jointed pine). I had some of the clapboards above the door removed and checked for signs of water leaks from above. That area was ok and the flashing over the door was ok too. All joints appear to be tight. My next thought is to remove/replace the side casings, but I’m not sure if this will do any good. Another thought was to have the whole door replaced and get a good installation (pan flashed, etc). A consequence of all this is that carpenter ants have found the wet wood.
Replies
1) make sure the caulk is good where the clapboards butt into the side casings--OSI makes a good exterior caulk.
2) if the bottoms of the casings are caulked tight to the foundation, scrape it out so any water that does get behind can drain.
3) is the door in a position that water splashes up from the foundation onto it? I've seen this happen many a time.
If you can post a picture, we could be of greater help, but hope this gives you some answers.
Jason Pharez Construction
Framing & Exterior Remodeling
Thank You for the reply.
The landing has settled and is approximately 10 inches below the door bottom. When I replaced the kick board I replaced the original 1 X 6 with a 1 X 10. The clapboards that butt the casings are all caulked. The sheathing is primarily wet where the casings sit on the kick board. This too is well caulked. The sheathing under the door and sidelights are dry. I'll try to post a picture...I haven't entered the digital age yet....too busy fixing water leaks.
JIM
Jim, if I understand you correctly, the "kick board" you're referring to is like a water table or something that covers the bottom of the wall under the siding or under the door?
In any case, it sounds like however water is getting in, it's trying to drain out where the casing meets the kick board, but it can't b/c the bottom of the casing is caulked. (BTW caulking the bottom of most things is generally bad.) If that's the case, remove the casings and the caulk on the bottom. Bend some "Z" flashings as wide as the casings, and slide them under the casing and over the kick. Leave this uncaulked (except maybe for the sides), and it will direct water that gets in out. I&W shield on everything may not hurt either.Jason Pharez Construction
Framing & Exterior Remodeling
Thank You,
Sounds like a good idea. I'll give it a try. Didn't mean to confuse...is the correct terminology Toe Board or Toe Kick? The exterior landing outside the door is one step down and this board runs horizontally under the door unit from the ouside edges of the door side casings and covers the sheathing that covers the rim joist and foundation from the door threshold to the exterior landing. Have I succeeded in really confusing you? One of these days I'll get a digital picture.
JIM
JIM
I was going to say pretty much the same thing Jason said about splashing. Also, as he said, make sure any water that does get in can drain back out--caulk in the wrong places is worse than no caulk at all.
Thank You for the feed back. I'm going to remove the casings and check the bottoms to see if the splashing is being 'wicked' by the casing bottoms and getting behind the caulk. Both the casings and kick board are up against the plywood sheathing. The casings sit on the kick board. Do you think that putting spacers behind the kick board to get it away from the sheathing would let any water that gets behind there drain off? I was also going to try to put flashing under the door and down the sheathing ...there is no pan flashing. Just don't want the flashing to direct the water inside the house.
Spacing makes sense to me--as does flashing (maybe even the self-adhesive water & ice shield bituthene?). Just think like water and keep directing it out, not holding it in.