# Vinyly siding J channel..



## windowguy (Jan 27, 2009)

my second floor overhangs my deck by a couple of feet. When the second floor siding reaches the bottom, that bottom piece is called a J channel i believe. It "catches" the water and keeps it from dripping down right?

Where exactly is all that water supposed to drain to? Is it supposed to flow to the corner of the house and then drip down? My problem is 2 J channels connect their spans, the seam, is right over the door to my deck and the drip of water goes on for days.

i've actually resorted to drilling a hole 6 feet down to try to get more water to drip not by the door.

So my question is where exactly is the water running down your vinyl siding supposed to go after it slides down into that J Channel?


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## Ed the Roofer (Jan 27, 2007)

There should NOT be a seam obove your opening like that.

Ed


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## jaros bros. (Jan 16, 2009)

I don't know if Ed caught all that you were saying. I can picture exactly what you are describing. It sounds like a piece of j-channel was the best option for the siding so that's why it was used there. A starter strip would have been a better option. Now your j-channel is functioning like a rain gutter. I think you've come up with a good solution, and I have done the same thing too. Just make sure to drill the holes big enough so they don't become clogged, and drill enough to release all of the water. I've always wondered what happens in the winter time when ice builds up...you would think that the j-channel would snap after a while.


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## windowguy (Jan 27, 2009)

Even if a starter strip was used, and if that starter strip's function is to catch water dripping down, again i would ask.. where is the water ultimately supposed to drain to?

Maybe the answer is "its not supposed to drain to anywhere because vinyl siding was not designed to "catch the drips" its just supposed to run off"

But i've seen hundreds of homes with a second floor overhang, sometimes over a deck. Is the water just supposed to run down the house? Mine definitely looks like it was made to catch the water somehow.

what i'm gonna wind up doing is caulk that seam where two pieces meet up and then drill holes in other areas for the water to drip out.


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## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

Interesting read: http://www.fourseasonsroofingandsiding.com/J.channel.leaks.htm
Be safe, G


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## Ed the Roofer (Jan 27, 2007)

The guy over their just blast away vinyl siding, but not everyone can afford Hardie Siding or one of the alternatives.

I like their website very much though. It is one of the most informative on the web.

Ed


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## MJW (Feb 7, 2006)

The guy is a moron and is using this new "global warming" tactic like Al Gore. It's the same argument any company uses when they become exclusive to hardi. Hardi is just the new masonite board. No one seems to get that. Caulking can hold up water also and cause problems. Hardi can also have mold problems.
When vinyl or steel are installed correctly, there won't be any problems either.

To the OP, you have the right idea for an easy fix. Make sure that window has a good flashing above it.


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