Stop putting mulch right up against your house foundation

I was walking a route in the Oakwood neighborhood last spring and noticed every other house had mulch mounded up against the siding. One house had it piled so high it was touching the bottom of the vinyl siding. Within a few months that same house had a dark stain creeping up the wall from moisture wicking into the wood behind it. You should always leave at least 4-6 inches of bare ground or gravel between your foundation and any mulch, otherwise you're basically inviting rot, termites, and dampness into your basement walls. Has anyone else had to tear out rotted siding because of this?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_terry16d ago

Stop putting mulch right up against your house foundation" - yeah, that ship sailed for my neighbor. He had that stuff piled up like he was building a snow fort around his house. Two summers later his basement smelled like a wet dog that had been rolling in dirt. He pulled off the bottom row of siding and it was basically mulch inside the wall too, all rotten and full of ants. I told him, "Man, you basically built a cozy little spa for termites." He spent a whole weekend ripping it all out and painting the bare concrete with that waterproofing goop. Now he just keeps a thin layer of pebbles down there and calls it good. Some people just have to learn the hard way that mulch is for gardens, not for hugging your foundation.

keith_henderson15d ago

Four inches of mulch and a whole new ecosystem inside his wall @the_terry.