Garden soil mulch built up against or too close to cladding
For cavity claddings, the build-up also prevents cavity drainage and drying
Causes
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.