Siding Too Close to the Ground, the Patio or the Roof:
Why the Gap Is There
Siding sheds water from the top down. Where the bottom edge sits in soil, on concrete or on a roof, it soaks it up instead.
Sixty-one houses in Russ’s recent reports had siding with too little clearance to the ground. Others had siding sitting on a patio, buried behind a deck, jammed against roof shingles, or wood trim resting on concrete. In all, 102 of 269 houses had a clearance finding somewhere on the outside.
It’s one of the cheapest things to fix early and one of the most expensive to fix late.
What the bottom edge is doing
Siding works by shedding water down and out. The bottom edge of each course is where that water drips off. When the bottom of the wall sits in soil, on concrete or on a roof, water has nowhere to drip to. It sits against the edge and gets drawn up into it.
Wood siding, hardboard and wood trim rot from the bottom up. Fiber cement holds up better but can still wick water at cut edges, and makers’ warranties depend on proper clearances. Soil against siding also hides insect activity. The dry rot post covers what happens to wood that stays wet in a Portland winter.
Real Inspection Photos
Siding Clearance Findings From Russ's Inspections
Siding and trim too close to soil, concrete, decks and roofing from Russ's recent reports.
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Siding with less than 6 inches of clearance to the soil. -
Siding that ends below the level of the slab beside it. -
Deck surface built tight to the siding, with moisture damage visible on the siding. -
Wood siding sitting on the roof shingles, with damage at the bottom edge. -
Fiber cement siding running down to the patio surface with no gap.
Clearance to the ground
Russ’s report wording is plain: the siding has less than 6 inches of clearance from the ground in one or more areas, which increases the risk of decay and pest intrusion. He found it in Vancouver, Oregon City, Portland and dozens of others.
Usually the house wasn’t built that way. Flower beds get built up, bark mulch gets topped off every spring, and in 20 years the soil line climbs several inches. In a Portland house and an Oregon City house, the low siding courses next to the soil were already damaged. On a Battle Ground shop, the wood siding sat right on the ground with faded stain.
Pulling soil and bark back is the first fix. The grading post covers keeping the ground sloped away from the foundation while you do it.
Clearance to patios, walks and decks
Hard surfaces get their own clearance, usually about 2 inches, because rain splashes off them and water sits at the joint. In Beaverton, siding ended below the level of a concrete slab. In Sherwood, fiber cement lap siding ran down to or below the patio. In Lake Oswego, siding sat right at a back patio. Wood trim under door thresholds rested on concrete in two Portland houses and a Lake Oswego house.
Decks are the same problem in wood. In one Portland house, deck surfaces were built tight to the wood siding, and the siding behind them already showed moisture damage.
Clearance to the roof
Where a wall rises above a lower roof, the siding should stop above the shingles. Makers call for about 1 to 2 inches. That keeps the bottom edge out of the water running down the step flashing.
Russ found wood siding sitting on the roof in several Portland houses, one with the siding already damaged where it touched the shingles. In Portland, manufactured stone veneer was installed tight to the roof too. The kick-out flashing post covers the flashing at that same joint.
Stucco, stone and the flashing at the bottom
Stucco and adhered stone have a weep screed at the bottom, a metal strip that lets water inside the wall drain out. It has to stay above grade. In Lake Oswego, stucco ran below the soil and gravel in several spots. The brick and stone veneer post covers that one in more detail.
Fiber cement has its own detail: a gap above the horizontal flashing at the bottom of a wall section. In Washougal, someone had caulked that gap shut, which the maker’s instructions say to leave open. The fiber cement installation post covers the rest of those details.
What Russ checks
He walks the outside of the house and looks at the bottom edge of the siding and trim everywhere it meets soil, concrete, decks and roofs. He probes or uses a moisture meter where trim looks soft or stained. He doesn’t remove siding, so damage behind it isn’t visible. Clearance problems get a recommendation to correct the grade or have a siding contractor cut back and flash the siding.
- Walk the house and look at the gap between the siding and the soil
- Look closely where patios, walks and driveways meet the wall
- Check the siding on walls above lower roofs and porch roofs
- Push on the bottom course of wood siding and trim for softness
- Note flower beds and bark piled up against the wall
Siding needs air under its bottom edge: about 6 inches above soil, about 2 inches above hard surfaces, and a gap above roofing. Siding too close to the ground was one of the most common exterior findings in Russ’s reports. Pulling soil and mulch back costs nothing.
For the rest of the exterior, the guide to what to look at on the exterior before you make an offer covers siding, trim and drainage. To set up an inspection, you can book online.
Siding Clearance FAQ
