What causes this to happen ? - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

easy sider · 03-01-2009, 03:55 PM

The siding has vertical discoration that follow the stud lines. This job is 20 yr. old, Alcoa Super V D-4 in Desert Tan.

easy sider · 03-01-2009, 03:56 PM

**Leo G** · 03-01-2009, 04:00 PM

Nails are rusting under the clap board

rbsremodeling · 03-01-2009, 04:02 PM

The siding is having its period?

mdshunk · 03-01-2009, 04:04 PM

Poltergeists

SLSTech · 03-01-2009, 04:11 PM

To close together to be studs - unless they are 10" or 12" OC (Based off the balusters & elect meters)

I agree that water is part of the issue but exactly where - peel a strip off & look at the nails, are they rusting or is it coming from higher up the wall, stains coming from the weep holes maybe?

easy sider · 03-01-2009, 04:13 PM

The back side of the siding looks fine. The nails are 2 " eg roof with no discoloration. The siding is nailed to studs under sheetrock. This is only happening on walls where the electric meters and utilites are located.

Thaks
Bill

SLSTech · 03-01-2009, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by easy sider

The back side of the siding looks fine. The nails are 2 " eg roof with no discoloration. The siding is nailed to studs under sheetrock. This is only happening on walls where the electric meters and utilites are located.

Thaks
Bill

Are both these sides the ones with gutters on them???

The siding is nailed to studs under sheetrock.

mdshunk · 03-01-2009, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLSTech

The siding is nailed to studs under sheetrock.

Common when the houses are close together and they're going for an exterior fire rating. Normally yellow exterior sheetrock.

easy sider · 03-01-2009, 04:34 PM

All end walls with power meters are having this issue. No problems with the front or back walls noticed.

Thanks
Bill

house bldr · 03-01-2009, 05:11 PM

I have seen similiar situations in a house after a fire, I'm told heat magnetizes the nail heads causing smoke particles ect. to stick to them.Don't know if this could be related?

mdshunk · 03-01-2009, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by easy sider

All end walls with power meters are having this issue. No problems with the front or back walls noticed.

Thanks
Bill

That brings me back to the poltergeist theory.

**loneframer** · 03-01-2009, 06:12 PM

I'm thinking maybe dirt collecting as a result of thermal bridging. Did you ever notice on a dewey morning, you can see every framing member through the siding? The studs transfer heat more readily than the insulated stud bay. Possibly causing static electricity?

Just a theory.

paulie · 03-01-2009, 06:31 PM

which way does the extrior wall face - North, south,... Also does any of the other houses show same symtoms?

easy sider · 03-01-2009, 08:47 PM

This is an appartment complex with the buildings random across the property. Most walls are not facing south. All end walls on all buildings are doing this. The wall is sheet rock on both sides with the exterior wall having house wrap and vinyl siding. The buildings are out of waranty as the Alcoa waranty is prorated to 10% after 15 years for multi-family dwellings.

paulie · 03-02-2009, 09:07 AM

OK here's my theory, I agree it's thermal bridging. Look close at where the problem is NOT. It is not under the eves and it is not where the floor joists are for 2nd level, that big streak ends and picks up between the floors. Also look at where the discolor is on the double four. It looks to me it is where the dew would drip off the edge from above.

Red color usually means iron oxidizing, but there are a lot of pollens that are red, are there many tree's near?

Another question, does the stain come off with maybe something like goof off or CLR?

I'm thinking the electricity has nothing to do with the problem maybe the builder did something different on those ends because of the electric. Just a guess.

**loneframer** · 03-02-2009, 09:40 AM

I'd bet where the darkest line is, there is an uninsulated partition, which would allow more heat loss. Look at the layout, every stud, partition is not on 16" center.

Those stains start at the top of where the nailhead would be closest to the vinyl, point of contact for thermal bridging.

paulie · 03-02-2009, 09:52 AM

I got to thinking about it and there is a possibility that the electric has something to do with it. All electric current produces a magnetic field. Iron is a ferris metal that is attracted by a magnet. Over 20 years the iron has collected on the siding. The dew from thermal bridging picked up the iron, dripped to the next panel down, then dried up in the afternoon sun over and over til you got a stain.

olyteddy · 03-02-2009, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulie

I got to thinking about it and there is a possibility that the electric has something to do with it. All electric current produces a magnetic field. Iron is a ferris metal that is attracted by a magnet. Over 20 years the iron has collected on the siding. The dew from thermal bridging picked up the iron, dripped to the next panel down, then dried up in the afternoon sun over and over til you got a stain.

And if we used Direct Current, as Edison wanted originally, the magnetic field would remain. AC changes direction 60 times a second and should cancel out the magnetic field. I agree with the thermal bridging theory, but perhaps the briging occurs there because there's less insulation because of pipes or conduit or bundles of wire.

paulie · 03-02-2009, 10:14 AM

OK I read back through the post and he said that it was only the ends with electric then before that he said all end walls. If it was only walls with electric then its something builder did or something with the electricity.

By the way Tesla was the man, electricity distribution with NO wires!