Portland Weather Wall Woes: Part 1 - Leaking, Mold and Dry Rot
Have you ever noticed that one or two of your exterior walls just look worse than the other sides of your home? They look beat up, they’re rough, and they won’t hold paint very well. When the wind and rain come, a drip may even appear in your windowsills. If there is a drip coming all the way through to the inside of your home, imagine what’s going on inside your walls.
Mold, mildew, and dry rot are not to be taken lightly and should be a major concern in Portland. Some of our largest repair jobs are the result of improperly flashed deck attachments and improper window installation. It costs soooo much less to do it right the first time than it does to come back and fix a disaster. The handyman from down the street, or the contractor who operates out of his mobile office (pickup truck with a ladder) may have a lower bid, but are you qualified to check his work and make sure his weatherization efforts are up to par?
Rich and Cindy Sutherland’s home had been sided with cedar lap siding. The original siding contractor decided to stretch the reveal so he could cover more area with less material. This is a very common cause of cedar siding failure in Portland. Every time a storm with driving rain came to Portland the Sutherlands would get a leak in their window and into the garage ceiling below. Needless to say, Rich and Cindy were concerned. They called a roofing contractor who told them their roof was shot and his solution was to have them spend $12,000 on a new roof. A new roof was installed and the following year, the exact same leak came back! The roofer did not know what to do about it so he referred them to 1st Oregon Exteriors.
1st Oregon’s AAMA Certified Window Expert, Peter Morin and I went out to the Sutherland’s home. Upon inspection, we determined that the reveal of the siding was stretched, meaning the boards didn’t overlap enough. Those siding boards overlap for several reasons. First, gravity won’t let water flow uphill, but if the overlap is too small, wind will blow it uphill and over the top of a siding board into your wall. Second, the proper overlap gives the siding the strength it needs to act as a system. The top edge is narrow and it needs the rigidity and strength of the next layer on top of it to keep it from warping and coming loose.
Simply put, if the siding were put on correctly, his long-term leak issue would stop. The product we recommended was a rustic cedar style Hardiplank siding. A fiber cement product that will do really well handling the southwest exposed front on the Sutherland’s home.
Today as you view the Sutherland’s home, the windows and the deck are all weatherized into the wall. All of the roof-to-wall areas are also properly weatherized. Everything has been done to the manufacturer’s recommended pattern so that their materials warranty will transfer to the Sutherlands.
In addition, the entire weather wall is covered by Portland’s only Transferable Lifetime Workmanship Warranty. Just one of many exclusives found only at 1st Oregon Exteriors. We can help you when you call us at 503-925-0124 or request a free estimate using our online form.
Related Posts
- Do You Do Small Siding Repairs?
- Should I be worried about my LP, Weyerhauser, Masonite or EFIS Siding?
- Why are my Replacement Windows Leaking Wind and Water? Was I “screwed and glued?”
- Portland Weather Wall Woes: Part 2 - Roofs, Peeling Paint and Defective Siding
- Looking for Vinyl Siding? Look no more…here’s why!!
Leave a Reply