Keeping mulch / dirt / moisture from siding

[FLBiker]

We moved to a new house last July, and it's our first with vinyl siding.  The landscaping is nice, but in the front, the grade is such that the mulch and dirt is right up against the bottom edge of the siding.  I checked the wood underneath, and it feels solid, but damp.  I'd like to pull all the mulch and dirt away.  At the same time, I don't want to create a low point along the foundation where water would collect.

I'm thinking that I'd dig out a small trench (say 6" x 6"), put drain tile at the bottom and fill the rest with gravel.  The area I'm working on doesn't have any drainage / flooding issues (it's a under a roof overhang with a gutter) and we don't have any drainage / flooding issues in the basement.  I certainly don't want to create any!  Oh, and we're in Nova Scotia on a well draining lot (up on a hill) if that makes a difference.  The sides and back of the house aren't an issue as the siding is already up off the ground.

Some questions:

1) Does this seem like a reasonable plan?  Is it overkill (could I just clear the dirt away any do nothing else)?  Is 6"x6" a reasonable size?
2) Is the drain tile important?  My main reason for using it is to take up space so I could use less gravel, rather than to move water from one place to another.  In other words, I wasn't thinking I'd lead the drain tile somewhere low (ie to drain) and I would probably interrupt it to account for some established plants.  Would this be a mistake?  If I use the drain tile, do I need to use it unbroken and be sure to lead it somewhere low away from the house?  Would it be better to just use gravel?
3) Should I use geotextile fabric?  Again, my goal here isn't really water movement -- it's lowering mulch and dirt away from the bottom of my vinyl siding.

Thanks for your help.  And if any additional information would be helpful, please let me know!  For some reason, I can't get my pictures to attach, but I could try again if it would be helpful.  Picture mulch up against the side of a house, occasionally overlapping the bottom edge of vinyl siding and you get the gist. :)

[lthenderson]

My first option would be to regrade things so that the soil/mulch is below the siding and slopes away from the house all the way up to the foundation. My second option, would be to install a drain tile that slopes down to daylight away from the house. I don't think I would install tile up next to the foundation if it doesn't drain for a few reasons. It will become a conduit for critters. It will hold water for insects to possibly breed and multiply. If it doesn't drain, it will eventually fill up with fine debris and clog if the critters don't do that for you. Finally, it does nothing for moving water away from the foundation which is really what needs to happen. Any drain tile needs to be surrounded by rock and a layer of filter fabric to keep dirt and debris from getting in and it is good practice to plug the end that exits from underground with a course mesh to prevent rodents from using it as a home.

[FLBiker]

Thanks for this!  I don't know that I can grade it away from the house and keep it below the vinyl siding.  And I appreciate what you're saying about the tile potential becoming a home for critters.  So I'm leaning back towards clearing the dirt and mulch away, grading it away as best I can, and putting a small gravel filled trench right against the foundation, below the vinyl siding, just to wick the moisture way.  Again, because this is under a guttered roofline, moving water away from the house isn't the priority -- I just want to keep the wood under the vinyl siding dry.

Thanks!

[Fishindude]

My first option would be to regrade things so that the soil/mulch is below the siding and slopes away from the house all the way up to the foundation. My second option, would be to install a drain tile that slopes down to daylight away from the house. I don't think I would install tile up next to the foundation if it doesn't drain for a few reasons. It will become a conduit for critters. It will hold water for insects to possibly breed and multiply. If it doesn't drain, it will eventually fill up with fine debris and clog if the critters don't do that for you. Finally, it does nothing for moving water away from the foundation which is really what needs to happen. Any drain tile needs to be surrounded by rock and a layer of filter fabric to keep dirt and debris from getting in and it is good practice to plug the end that exits from underground with a course mesh to prevent rodents from using it as a home.

Good advice here.   You have a very bad situation that could lead to some potentially serious damage to your home.

Example - I built a large commercial building with stucco siding over wood framed walls some years ago.   In some areas the siding came rather close to the ground, but we had the area landscaped with gravel several inches below the siding so it wasn't a problem.   Several years later they hired a guy to rework the landscaping and he used mulch around the perimeter and in those areas banked it up onto the bottom of the siding.   I told the building owner on several occasions they needed to get this corrected but they didn't do anything.    A couple years later they are having problems, we get digging into things and they had a terrible termite infestation that resulted in close to $75,000 worth of repairs before it was all said and done.

[FLBiker]

My first option would be to regrade things so that the soil/mulch is below the siding and slopes away from the house all the way up to the foundation. My second option, would be to install a drain tile that slopes down to daylight away from the house. I don't think I would install tile up next to the foundation if it doesn't drain for a few reasons. It will become a conduit for critters. It will hold water for insects to possibly breed and multiply. If it doesn't drain, it will eventually fill up with fine debris and clog if the critters don't do that for you. Finally, it does nothing for moving water away from the foundation which is really what needs to happen. Any drain tile needs to be surrounded by rock and a layer of filter fabric to keep dirt and debris from getting in and it is good practice to plug the end that exits from underground with a course mesh to prevent rodents from using it as a home.

Good advice here.   You have a very bad situation that could lead to some potentially serious damage to your home.

Example - I built a large commercial building with stucco siding over wood framed walls some years ago.   In some areas the siding came rather close to the ground, but we had the area landscaped with gravel several inches below the siding so it wasn't a problem.   Several years later they hired a guy to rework the landscaping and he used mulch around the perimeter and in those areas banked it up onto the bottom of the siding.   I told the building owner on several occasions they needed to get this corrected but they didn't do anything.    A couple years later they are having problems, we get digging into things and they had a terrible termite infestation that resulted in close to $75,000 worth of repairs before it was all said and done.

OK, thanks!  Fortunately, I'm in a place (Nova Scotia) where termites aren't an issue -- it's more mice that we're concerned with.  I'll get the mulch and dirt away from the siding, though.  Thanks again!

[Fishindude]

Even if you don't have termites, holding the moisture there will eventually cause rot.

[SunnyDays]

What is below the siding?  If it’s concrete and you have no concerns about water collecting in that area, then I would think that just removing the mulch and maybe digging down a few inches so you could add some crushed stone would be fine.  As long as nothing “wickable” is touching the siding either in front or underneath, it should stay dry.

[FLBiker]

What is below the siding?  If it’s concrete and you have no concerns about water collecting in that area, then I would think that just removing the mulch and maybe digging down a few inches so you could add some crushed stone would be fine.  As long as nothing “wickable” is touching the siding either in front or underneath, it should stay dry.

Below the siding is poured concrete, and we don't have any concerns about water collecting there.  This plan sounds perfect.  Thanks!