Garden soil mulch built up against or too close to cladding

For cavity claddings, the build-up also prevents cavity drainage and drying

Causes

Accumulation over time

Forming gardens when building new

Common


Listed under: Section, cladding, walls

Cause

Accumulation over time

Repair

  • remove excess garden soil/mulch. Aim for a minimum 30-50 mm gap between the base of the cladding and the ground/mulch to prevent moisture uptake and to allow the bottom of the cladding to dry completely

  • allow the base of the cladding to dry thoroughly, then check for rot or other damage. Repaint, repair or replace as necessary

  • for suspended floors, ensure that lowering the garden level does not lead to rainwater flowing under the house

  • for suspended floors, ensure good subfloor ventilation:

    • there should be not less than 3500 mm² of clear open subfloor venting for every 1 m² of floor area

    • ventilation openings should ideally be high in the subfloor space, near to the underside of bearers

    • vents should be spread evenly around the building perimeter to allow cross-ventilation

    • no part of the subfloor should be more than 7.5 m from a ventilation opening.

Cause

Forming gardens when building new

Repair

  • remove excess garden soil/mulch. Aim for a minimum 30-50 mm gap between the base of the cladding and the ground/mulch to prevent moisture uptake and to allow the bottom of the cladding to dry completely

  • allow the base of the cladding to dry thoroughly, then check for rot or other damage. Repaint, repair or replace as necessary

  • for suspended floors, ensure that lowering the garden level does not lead to rainwater flowing under the house

  • for suspended floors, ensure good subfloor ventilation:

    • there should be not less than 3500 mm² of clear open subfloor venting for every 1 m² of floor area

    • ventilation openings should ideally be high in the subfloor space, near to the underside of bearers

    • vents should be spread evenly around the building perimeter to allow cross-ventilation

    • no part of the subfloor should be more than 7.5 m from a ventilation opening.