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Vinyl siding water problem

12 years ago

My house is about 18 years old with vinyl siding and builder's grade vinyl windows. The builders did not use Tyvek or any other moisture barrier, so the siding is right on the plywood. In heavy rain, I'm getting a lot of water beneath windows on the front of my house, and the plywood is very wet. Other parts of the house seem ok after rain (plywood under the windows is dry), it's just the front of the house that seems to be taking a real beating.

Does anyone have any ideas for fixes that would at least help this situation before I go as far as doing new siding/wrap/windows in the whole house? I live in eastern PA, so heavy rains are fairly common. Many thanks for any ideas.

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Comments (6)

kidhorn
12 years ago
You probably have a leak around the base of the windows. Make sure the area around the edge of the windows is properly caulked.

Also if the windows are open to the outside, like maybe You have storm windows that are open, water may be accumulating behind the storm window and puddling. Make sure any outside panes are closed.
User
12 years ago
I disagree. The problem is most likely to be incorrect flashing. When windows are incorrectly flashed, rain come in at the top and runs down and enters the home at the sill area. At least with vinyl siding, you can remove it and fix the problem and then reinstall. You should at least have a vapor barrier on the exterior, like roofing felt, and the windows should be properly flashed to keep the water to the exterior of the roofing felt. The bigger problem is likely to be the rotten sheathing and possibly framing behind the siding that has been damaged by moisture all these years. This isn't a simple bandaid solution, but it is a DIY solution if you've got the time, some tools, and are willing to learn some skills.
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We used CertainTeed Impressions on our entire house. We get compliments on it all the time. In fact, people will go up and touch it, and then are amazed that it's not real shakes. Originally I was adamant that I did not want to use vinyl siding, but this product was so much better than anything else I looked at. I think what sets it apart from other vinyl shakes is that it appears seamless and the color is not a flat solid color. It has a bit of variation in the color like real cedar shakes, and it has some depth to the color and texture. I looked at Foundry vinyl shakes, and there was no comparison. The house is 5200 sq ft. As a comparison, the cost was $5,000 more than SmartSide. I didn't like the SmartSide because at the time they only had pastels, I thought it was way too shiny, and I didn't like all the seams. I think they've come out with many more attractive colors now. I've attached a picture of the back side of the garage. Not the best picture, but it is the best I have that shows the siding up close. I also agree with another poster that a more substantial trim around the windows makes a big difference.
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Because the joints are not sealed, vinyl siding has a very high permeability rating over 40 perms (similar to the wood siding) so it is unlikely to trap moisture long enough to damage the old siding (I assume it is painted). Another issue is whether to put house wrap behind it which might further slow the drying of the wall to the outside. But we don't know the climate or the kind or amount of insulation so I won't try to guess. If appropriate for the wall design, you could use a highly permeable house wrap like Tyvek behind the vinyl siding but only if the old siding is painted. For the vinyl siding to be level it should be installed on a level surface. That can be achieved with reversed shingle or clapboard shims or vertical strapping but the floating vinyl may be more susceptible to damage, but I don't have first hand experience with that. It might be better to remove the old siding. You should also carefully consider how to detail the openings, facias and corner boards.
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bri0822
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated. I also have lurking fear that the moisture damage in the sheathing and framing won't be pleasant. I've only lived in this place a year, but I'm slowly discovering that the last owners weren't on top of these sorts of things...
brickeyee
12 years ago
"The builders did not use Tyvek or any other moisture barrier..."

Tis is a BIG problem.

The siding is NOT waterproof;

Its job is to protect the drainage plane BEHIND the siding from sun and physical damage.

Tar paper was used for a very long time, but something needs to be there.
bri0822
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks again to all. It looks like I'm leaning toward going big on this job - residing entire house, adding Tyvek, and replacing all windows. I'm now looking at Certainteed siding options and Andersen T400 windows, does anyone have any specific recommendations regarding windows or siding? I'm planning to go again with vinyl siding because my understanding is that as long as Tyvek is properly installed and all windows/doors are properly flashed, the water troubles should be over...
brickeyee
12 years ago
Make sure you have some money available to repair any damage discovered under the siding.

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