Can a Shower Leak Cause Bleeding in Siding?

Bleeding

• When bleeding occurs in siding, moisture leaks through the material of the siding from a source somewhere behind it. This can cause discoloration and staining, but not always. Bleeding is more likely to cause major damage to wooden siding than vinyl because vinyl tends to be more moisture resistant. By the time you notice bleeding in siding, extensive leaking has often occurred inside walls, many times because of a problem with a plumbing fixture.

Causes

• A shower leak can cause bleeding in siding if the shower is on an exterior wall in your home. If the shower pan leaks extensively, the water can run out into the exterior wall. Over time, water soaks through the exterior wall into the siding. The leak can also come from a window in a shower. A wooden window frame will wick moisture out of the shower. That moisture soaks the frame, the wallboard around it and eventually will bleed through the siding on the exterior of the house by the window.

Solutions

• Repairing the leak in your shower is the first step to solving the problem. Once you have stopped water from flowing into the wall, you can evaluate how badly struts, boards and other internal parts of the wall have been damaged. Wood that has been soaked is at risk for rot and mold growth. You might need to replace the water-damaged portions of not just the siding but also the struts, drywall and insulation.

Considerations

• If the leak is coming from a wooden window in the shower, your best bet is remove the window altogether. It is a major risk for leaks in the future. If you don’t have a shower on the wall where the bleeding occurs through the siding, look for another source. A leak from a hose spigot or even a gutter connected to the roof can cause bleeding in siding.