Wood siding contacting deck

[mathew stouffer]

What are your thoughts on the wood siding contacting the aggregate deck surface.

[Jerry Peck]

Not good and not allowed, siding of all types should be at least 2" above the roof surface.

[Michael Garrity]

No good,should have left the bottom board off

[mathew stouffer]

Jerry,
Is the same gap required along the deck floor as with the roof surface

[Jerry Peck]

Mat,

If the deck flooring buts up against the siding, then yes.

If the deck flooring leaves an air gap for ventilation and drying out (and not just a tiny gap), then you could probably leave the siding down to within 2" of the roof surface, except that we all know debris is going to collect in that space and hold moisture and water, which will rot the siding out - so I would recommend the siding be stopped above the deck flooring, however, (and of course) that would mean the base flashing along that wall would need to be high enough to allow for that, and it likely is not.

If siding is not stopped high enough (even if the reason is because the flashing is too short to allow for that, or, should I say, especially if ...) the siding will deteriorate (unless we are referring to stucco on masonry, in which case the stucco will deteriorate but the wall will not be too badly affected), and when the siding deteriorates it will leak in above the flashing, which will decay the wall framing.

[Deck Expert]

Siding should be at least 1 1/2" above the finished deck surface, with all weather resistive barriers lapped down over the L flashing that should be inside that wall. Wood or other building materials touching the deck surface will wick up water into the siding and damage or destroy the siding and the weather resistant barrier behind it.