How High Does Wood Siding Need To Be Above Earth

Wood siding should be 4 or so from the ground whether that be soil or solid surface.

How high does wood siding need to be above earth. Hold a piece of siding on the wall using a level to make sure it s straight. If the sheathing siding is not pressure treated then it should be a minimum of 6 above the ground. Mike the building code here in the usa used to say that wood siding must be 6 inches above grade. If the adjacent ground is concrete such as part of a patio or a sidewalk it still requires the same clearance as bare earth.

Maintaining proper clearances reduces access to wood structures behind the siding by wood destroying insects or damage from water that might. That means if you place the siding 6 inches above the ground you get a 70 percent on the test. Concrete and masonry foundation walls shall extend above the finished grade adjacent to the foundation at all points a minimum of 4 inches 102 mm where masonry veneer is used and a minimum of 6 inches 152 mm elsewhere. Touch one bottom corner.

Measure the length of the pieces of siding you need at each mark. My code check actually states it this way. This requirement is not just to prevent damage to the siding it serves a couple of other functions as well. Clearance between wood siding and earth on the exterior of a building shall not be less than 6 inches 152 mm except where siding sheathing and wall framing are of naturally durable or preservative treated wood.

Should be at least six inches above ground level. If the wood framing is not pressure treated then it should be a minimum of 8 above the ground. Any clearance is better than none. When it is higher from the ground splashing water onto the wood is minimized.

The further the better. Wood siding door and window frames etc. You just barely pass. Six inches would not be too far.

Eliminating wood to soil contact may require regrading or pulling soil or mulch back from the foundation cutting the bottom off wood latticework or supporting steps or posts on a concrete base. Realize the building code is a set of minimum standards. Masonry veneer ledge 4in above earth wood sill 6in min.