House Siding Water Damage

According to the insurance information institute homeowners insurance may help pay for repairs if for instance your drywall is drenched after your water heater ruptures or an upstairs pipe bursts and water saturates the ceiling below.

House siding water damage.

Flashing tiles shingles or deteriorating parts on the roof that indicated signs of needed repair. My home was struck by lightning recently and the siding took a hit too. Water damage caused by seepage coming in from cracks in the foundation or at the exterior of the house allowing water to enter your home. Unsealed gaps in these spots.

Before you even think of fixing your water damaged stucco make sure you fix the cause of the water damage. It s the water that penetrates that causes problems because it likely won t get enough air circulation to remove the moisture and wood that has more than 20 moisture will rot. The sunroom here was built well. If these pieces aren t replaced or if regular maintenance isn t performed water damage and resulting wear and tear can occur.

When clapboards or shakes are rotten or broken your home s siding can no longer do the job it s meant to do. It also allows decay and further damage in the wood around it. Whether you have a burst pipe a leaking air conditioner or whatever else fixing that should be your first priority. Unfortunately you won t be covered when normal wear and tear is at issue.

Here the biggest danger is water seeping in behind your siding and causing permanent damage to more vulnerable materials. Damaged siding lets air water dirt and insects through to the inside. We tear off the damaged hardboard and replace it with fiber cement siding. Common locations for water leaks in siding are at the corners of the house anywhere two siding panels meet and around the windows where the siding abuts the trim.

Preventing water damage behind siding takes a layered approach both literally and figuratively. In most cases the original layer of building paper or housewrap at the bottom of the wall was enough to prevent water infiltration and damage beneath the siding. So if this happens you will need to remove or replace the siding quickly before rot sets in. The repair is simple if you follow the details in the illustration above.

Most homeowners insurance policies help cover water damage if the cause is sudden and accidental. Let s look at the examples illustrated in the photos below all needed some type of siding repairs. The sheathing and framing sometimes need repairs too but that is less common. Preventing water damage behind siding takes a layered approach.

Water can also seep in behind faux stone and other external walls around your home.