I bought a house last year and when I was buying it, I did not register the fact that on the back side of the house the siding is in contact with the ground/stone patio.
Because of the slope of the back yard, during rainfall about an inch of water pools where the patio and siding meet (the water drains quite quickly once it is done raining). My questions are:
- Is this not up to general code, and if not, what is code?
- If not, what can I do to remedy the situation?
- If I don't do anything about this for another year, what potential water damage issues (if any) will I be risking?
Best Answer
Codes vary, but generally speaking wood and related exterior products must be 6" or so above the ground. I'm not sure whether a concrete slab is treated the same as the ground in this case. It's probably moot in your case as you're now beyond the point where you'll ask the seller to deal with it.
There isn't a whole lot you can do assuming that you have typical wall sheathing behind the siding. Replacing the siding with something more durable (white or painted vinyl planking, for example) will prevent visible decay, but doesn't help with rot behind.
To offer further suggestions I'd need to know what the wall looks like behind the siding.