Missing siding over patio question

[snowdog]

I have a question about a piece of my house that has no siding on it. It's an 18 year old townhouse and there has never been siding on this particular spot, nor does any other unit in my neighborhood have siding there either. I'm trying to figure out if there is a reason for no siding being there, and what that reason is.

The townhouse has a small cement patio in the back. There is a sliding glass door that opens over the patio, right where there is one cement step, then patio. The area with no siding on it is about 4 feet by 10 inches.

I've attached a photo.

This isn't something that ever occurred to me to ask about or investigate. I always thought it was "just the way it is" or that it had some purpose for being like this.

Could this be left like this on purpose for use with anchoring a deck to the house (if I put one in), or something else? I need to find this out, because the HOA is making an issue out of this, but that is a long story I won't go into.

Or, if this is something that has no reason to be left as is and I need to get siding for this, how do I even go about doing that? Where can I buy a 4 foot x 10 inch piece of siding? How does it get attached there etc??? (forgive the dumb questions)

Any input appreciated.

[pushkins]

That is an odd way of finishing siding around a door. I really can see no reason why they would leave it that way, nor why a building inspector would approve it. It looks from your photo that the exposed wood is treated and that's what saved the builder from an inspection fail, that said I wouldn't think that they would leave this section like that for possible deck additions either as any deck would need a much larger attachment area than the 4' odd that you show.
The siding as it looks in your picture is called a 5" dutch lap, take that little piece of J channel off at the end of the siding on the right side, to your local siding supplier they will be able to match up a color.

One problem I do see is if you choose to add siding to this area is that the left side siding isn't going to match up (line wise) with the right side. If you look you can clearly see that on the left there is an extra small piece on the very bottom

[snowdog]

Thanks Pushkins.

You wouldn't believe all the stuff done wrong by this builder. I guess this is just one more example of it. All of our houses were left this way. As far as inspection goes, again, you wouldn't believe it...there was actually no "real" inspection. I found evidence that proved the township "inspector" never even saw my house when he issued the certificate of occupancy (or whatever it is called - my house did not even have a water meter in it!!!). Everything in this development was done "dirty" and with the collusion of the township. Nobody gives a flyin' frak though, the builder got away with everything then flew the coop. The HOA had to pay to replace all of our roofs a few years ago as they were accidentally discovered to be not up to code but none of that was even divulged in public.

Now the HOA is short of money and they are fining everybody for all kinds of weird stuff like this, even though it has been this way for almost 20 years.

Don't get me started...anyways I was just trying to figure out what the deal with this weird nonsiding thing is and how to fix it.

[HayZee518]

the only thing I see is first the stoop. it is the width of a door. it is not full length. my thoughts is that there was a door there to begin with. the double slider was an after thought. check the other houses and see if there is a door in the same spot.

[pushkins]

Or someone planned to have a concrete platform/step level with the inside.

[HayZee518]

Pushkins, take a look at the F strips. They go to where there was once a door,, even both sides with the step. Could be there wasn't any where to fasten the siding starter strip, i.e. the concrete.

[snowdog]

Interior units where the ground is at the first level have a double sliding glass door as pictured. None have a single/regular type of door.

I think the end units are the same way but I'd have to take a closer look. Units where the basement is walkout at ground level I think also have the same thing (but I'd have to look for certain).

There were other phases of development done here though with different style townhouses that are different though. Units built in the same "phase" as mine look like this. At least on my row anyways, but I think they all look like this. I would have to walk around and take closer look at all the units to be sure.

It is just really weird that almost 20 years later now the HOA is choosing to make an issue out of this.

P.S. That photo I posted does look pretty dreadful. I've powerwashed the patio since then - it looks white now....

[pushkins]

I understand what your saying hayzee and I'm not disagreeing but I'm also seeing in the photo 2 concrete anchor bolt holes (right of the step) and some sort of line just above them, kinda like some other sort of step once existed in this area, it almost looks like the 2 exposed anchor bolt holes were once used for a ledger board bolted to the cinder blocks. The wood that you see in the un side area obviously covers something other than a flat concrete, most likely the ends of the floor joists.

[snowdog]

I understand what your saying hayzee and I'm not disagreeing but I'm also seeing in the photo 2 concrete anchor bolt holes (right of the step) and some sort of line just above them, kinda like some other sort of step once existed in this area, it almost looks like the 2 exposed anchor bolt holes were once used for a ledger board bolted to the cinder blocks. The wood that you see in the un side area obviously covers something other than a flat concrete, most likely the ends of the floor joists.

No other step existed there though (I am the original owner). However it would not surprise me in the least if they started working on something like that, but then never put it in. The builder here screwed over many of the contractors and did not pay them, so that much was left unfinished all over the place, until he swindled other contractors to do some other work, until they also wised up.

Also - I took a close look at my nextdoor neighbor's - they have the same situation with the uncovered wood, but have a second patio step covering up the part of concrete underneath the wood. Sigh.