AskCodeMan

Jerry,

We have a builder that now uses some manufactured stone around the slab stem wall with a "cap stone" on top. The vinyl siding comes down right on top of this cap stone with no J-channel and no flashing visible on three sides of the house. In other words, the vinyl siding is grouted along the bottom edge with no way to drain.

This grouted joint is lower than the wood framed wall but trapped moisture there could weep up into the concrete towards the interior.

The builder is putting up resistance since they did most of the development this way and it has passed many code inspections.

I found a document that describes drilling holes in the vinyl siding at the lower edge but it did not go into much detail. I guess that about covers it since any holes drilled would have to have a way to drain but I am looking for more detail.

thanks!

Current (as of 10-26-2014) installation instructions for vinyl siding: http://www.vinylsiding.org/wp-content/u ... glish2.pdf

See bottom of page 2, continues to top of page 3.

Then see near top page 11 (which also refers back to page 2).

Also Note: at bottom of page 19.

While specific details are not included for the starter strip installation (which should be a very detailed section as everything else is based off installing the starter strip correctly), you can use the roofing parts on page 22 and 25 as guides as to the clearances necessary.

Various sections of the guide address the fact that vinyl siding is not a water-tight system and that there needs to be a WRB barrier behind it as a drainage plane, which means, as you stated, there needs to be a way to drain (weep) that water out at the bottom of the system (the starter strip or 'J' accessory trim along the bottom).

I suspect that the installers are not (see note at bottom of page 1) ... not VSI Certified Installers.