Jay Markanich's Blog

It's called kick OUT flashing for a reason.  It is supposed to divert, or kick, the water out!

One of the most important things installed on a house - siding and roof - is flashing.  It keeps water out!

AND WATER IS THE KILLER OF HOUSES.

This house has James Hardie siding.  JH siding has specific installation needs.  And their website has dozens of pages and diagrams to show how installation in every instance should be done.  The product is very good when installed right.  But like most things, when it is installed wrongly it becomes a big problem, and fast.

This is a variation of the JH diagram for kick out flashing.

Notice that the step flashing, seen under the yellow arrow line, goes all the way to the kick out flashing.

And the kick out flashing is right at the bottom, on top of the house wrap, and over the drip edge.

The website even says that the flashing should come out at 110 degrees and, per IRC code, be 4" high.

Not pictured here, they also want the end of the gutter to be 1" from the siding so no water can get trapped.

James Hardie siding has cellulose in it which is very water vulnerable.  See how high the siding is here above the shingles and corner?  And how protected it is by flashing?

That is for a reason!

Compare that diagram to this photo of a similar location seen during a one-year inspection.

It's taken from far away with a telephoto lens, but clear enough.

> The lack of step flashing is evident.

> There is no house wrap.

> The gutter is too close, even touching the siding.

> The kick out flashing attempt is attached to the siding.  It is the wrong angle and too small.  This doesn't meet the IRC code, much less the JH installation requirement.

> There is a gap above the butt end of the siding where water can get in and get behind.  There should never be a butt end of JH siding exposed like this.

And the opposite one on the other side of the house was very similar to this.

Obviously this is done incorrectly.  It is not even close to the diagram and an unprofessional installation.

My recommendation:  a one-year warranty inspection is a very good idea.  It's really the last homeowner hurrah before the builder drifts off into the sunset.  It's the last chance to get the builder to live up to any warranty obligation.  Like I say, it's a good idea to get that inspection done!