Hi all,
I had my patio redone and yard graded to fix some drainage issues. The concrete paver patio is covering about 10 inches of the siding, and there is dirt now piled up all along the rest of the back and side of the house. This looks like it will cause massive insect and rot problems.
Any ideas on how to proceed? Contractor insists this is how they always do it. There is no flashing or waterproofing behind the pavers.
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Replies
What kind of siding is that? I believe Hardie (and code) requires 2" clearance between the siding and hardscape, or 4" to soil. You can always chat with a city inspector to find out the code.
And at what elevation is your door relative to the patio?
Sounds like your drainage issues may not have been fixed.
Thanks for the reply. It is vinyl siding over cedar clapboards. The door is about 3 inches above the finished patio surface.
"This is how we always do it." I wish I had a dollar for every time I've heard a contractor come out with that one.
Siding is typically attached to sheathing or lathing both of which I would want to stay dry or at least be able to dry out. So even if your vinyl and cedar don't mind being buried, whatever is behind might mind. It sounds like the patio grade was determined by the elevation of the door sill. That makes sense but I think the siding should have been cut away and some sort of flashing installed.
If your house were advertised for sale and I were interested in buying it, the scene in your photo would make me start looking for other screw-ups.
Civileng43 is right. Siding should start 8" above grade. The first 8" above grade typically are foundation wall. Current grading is too high relative to the siding and whatever lies behind it, and is asking for leakage and rot problems. "This is how we always do it" is probably related to how the contractor grades around a patio. You had a grading problem before the patio was built. Patio grading exasperated it.
Is this (the house) "slab-on-grade" construction? How high is the mud sill and floor joist framing above existing grade?
The house is on a hill. As part of the drainage work, they raised the grade next to the house to where the grade is up over the siding. It wasn't like this before.
It is not SOG, there is a full basement.
It was a poor decision to raise the grade over the siding. My suggestion is you have the grading re-done. And don't be shocked it there is damage to the materials below the siding....sigh.