Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

Vinyl siding dilema

P8riot

Active Member
944
39
Carbon, In
Well, I have vinyl siding on my house. The whole house was sided and the previous owner decided to put brick up around the bottom. Now he had to figure out how to "start" thr vinyl siding now that he can't use a starter strip with the house already sided and he has to take the siding to the brick. He used a J channel. Well one can imagine where the water goes as it runs down the siding. WTF do I do?! I was thinking of drilling 3/16 weep holes every foot to let that water out and I will caulk between the J channel and the top of the brick. The holes may get clogged and it will be a contant battle. Any other ideas besides tearing off and starting over? I think the saving grace is the over hang and the low roof. The siding doesn't get hit a lot, but sideways rain obviously does hit it. Around the doors I imagine the water runs off rhe edge and right along the door. I just replaced that door and surprisingly the frame was very solid, no rot.
20230228_210952.jpg

20230228_210945.jpg

20230228_211000.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Big_Holla

Smawgunner2

Active Member
1,415
63
Athens County
If I’m understanding you correctly, can you get rid of the jay channel, and caulk the bottom of the siding to the stone?
May have to 3M double sided tape under there.?
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
39,067
274
Do you know how far up that J channel goes behind the siding? The correct way is to Z-flash it. You can get brown metal from menards that would probably match pretty close. I ask about how far up the J channel goes because it may be sufficient back there to keep water from going up and over the back even though water collects in the J channel. You still have the problem of water running out the ends of the J channel towards doors though. It won't look that great but if the J channel goes up a few inches behind the siding then maybe you could just flash the ends with a brown to block water and guide it off the front of the brick cap.

internachi-z-flashing.jpg
 

Fletch

Senior Member
Supporting Member
6,204
136
I think your making a mountain out of a mole hill.... Water getting in is probably minimal, esp since you have an overhang... Your fine...
 

P8riot

Active Member
944
39
Carbon, In
The siding is cut at the bottom. When he installed the brick, it must have ended mid siding piece. So he cut it and it is just a cut edge sitting in the J channel. I worry if the siding is touching the back of the j channel, the water will wick (not really but run up the back of the siding). Another part of the siding was really fubar from the Amish doing the roof. Some blew off the other day and to my surprise...NO TYVEK. There is only aluminum faced insulation styrofoam board. The seams aren't even taped or anything. That insulation board is nailed right to the studs. How screwed am I? That's bad right? That part is above the ceiling height, so attic space.
 

mike hunt

Junior Member
380
61
There is a tool to remove a siding panel where it's clipped in to the lower panel to inspect. Is that screw on Nova Brick?
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
39,067
274
The siding is cut at the bottom. When he installed the brick, it must have ended mid siding piece. So he cut it and it is just a cut edge sitting in the J channel. I worry if the siding is touching the back of the j channel, the water will wick (not really but run up the back of the siding). Another part of the siding was really fubar from the Amish doing the roof. Some blew off the other day and to my surprise...NO TYVEK. There is only aluminum faced insulation styrofoam board. The seams aren't even taped or anything. That insulation board is nailed right to the studs. How screwed am I? That's bad right? That part is above the ceiling height, so attic space.


I wouldn't say screwed. It's not correct but it's not some ticking time bomb or anything.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jagermeister
If the edge of the bottom piece of siding is cut you could cap it with a piece of finish trim (vinyl that matches your siding), then put angled flashing underneath that to direct water away from the house and brick. If you did it right you can remove the J channel, install the angled flashing (nail to wall), then install the finish trim (nail to wall), then tuck the cut siding edge into the finish trim channel. Either add weep holes or caulk would be my thought.

Will be interesting to see what people that actually do this for a living say?? @Mike ?

1677675594844.png
 

Floki

Junior Member
1,198
70
Do you know how far up that J channel goes behind the siding? The correct way is to Z-flash it. You can get brown metal from menards that would probably match pretty close. I ask about how far up the J channel goes because it may be sufficient back there to keep water from going up and over the back even though water collects in the J channel. You still have the problem of water running out the ends of the J channel towards doors though. It won't look that great but if the J channel goes up a few inches behind the siding then maybe you could just flash the ends with a brown to block water and guide it off the front of the brick cap.

View attachment 174289
This is the correct way. I would put the flashing on wall behind the fan fold or house wrap. Not sure what ya have behind siding.

You could also go to a metal shop have them bend you a piece of metal 6inches up wall 2inches sitting on the cap with a 1/12 bend on part that sits on brick cap. The cap should be tapered for run off .

Probably has 1/4 taper away from house. That would do ya as well . Throw J channel back on done.

As far as around brick mold of door find some colored silicone caulk to match metal put a small bead on each side .👍
 

P8riot

Active Member
944
39
Carbon, In
I'm nervous to start tweaking that siding. I will probably break a ton if it has been up a while. Then I will hate myself for screwing with it. 🤣 It is all pretty tight, so I can't even see what is back there without really bending it.
 

Sauger

Member
324
31
Warsaw
I agree that water getting behind that is minimal. Your best bet and the correct way would be to install flashing like what was shown above. If it were my place I would fash to include a cap over the brick the same color as your trim.