I have not been to this property, my friend wants to know what could be causing the drip stain on the siding. He tells me there is no a/c in the attic. I’m thinking ice damning?
I would recommend they have a contractor remove that short piece of siding at the very top (which is a slightly different color than the rest of the siding) and look for water-damaged wood and the condition of the house wrap. They should check the gutters for debris and proper slope, check how far the shingles extend beyond the decking, if there is a drip edge flashing, is it below the underlayment? They should ensure the roof deck wasn’t cut too short check it for for wood rot. The homeowner might want to buy a moisture meter from Lowes and check the drywall in that area too.
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I think Corey has a good answer. The water appears to be penetrating somewhere behind the gutter, possibly into the soffit and then behind the top two rows of siding then seeping out. Possible that the staining is caused by gutter debris?
I just noticed a similar issue with my own house…
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Is the gutter or gutter downspout clogged with debris? S.W.A.G.: Gutters overflow during intense, wind driven rain. Overflow enters the two seams at the top of the water stain areas and then runs down the siding surface resulting in stains on the siding.
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They are leaking at the lap joints, so the water could have entered several feet away. Like others have said remove the top two rows and trace the water back to the source.
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Well, I have investigated a similar scenario, squirrels made a nest in the soffit and it was squirrel piss, not saying that is your situation.
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Without seeing the roof and attic above it’s tough to say. Plumbing vent flashing leaking? Bath fan discharging moist air?
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This right here is why AI can not take the job of a home inspector. Multiple conditions can cause a stain like this, and it requires some climbing around to some uncomfortable places to truly understand some defects and make recommendations for corrective action.
I call this job security.
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You can see those panels have been off before and look like a slightly different color, meaning this isn’t the first time this has happened. The lower left side of the panel where the leak starts has clearly been manipulated before.
Echoing all the above, only way to know is to get behind it, but whatever it is, water is getting behind the siding and that leads nowhere good.
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Go ahead not the attic and see if the bathroom fans exhaust into the soffit at this location.
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You can see by the center butt and buttlock that not only is the siding a different color it is a different style and possibly a different manufacturer. The added piece is wider at these points which is probably why whoever installed it didn’t tuck one side under the existing piece. This actually bodes well for your friend, because if the repair had been performed properly it may have hidden the underlying situation longer, causing more damage to the interior.
To me it looks like the same brand of siding, what is making it look different is the installer did not cut back the butt lock properly making it look odd,
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It may have been that the factory end was cut off and they didn’t notch the new piece out, but to me, it appears as though the center butt is also wider than the piece next to it.
Afternoon, Luciano. Hope to find you well and in good spirits today.
Not enough information.
Ask you friend…
A: Was the wall like that when they purchased the property?
B: Ask your friend what type of siding this is?
C: Any bird, rodent or vermin nests or disturbance in the attic near the soffit vents. NOTE: Especially the vented soffit directly above the vertical stain. You catch my drift. You see where I am going with this?
Paint looks blistered in stained areas.
As well, look at the aesthetic shutter. It is not placed evenly against the window trim.
Too much water for condensation.
Is there a mini split evaporator or a condensate drain line on the other side of the wall?
The friend is a realtor listing the house. He is getting his ducks in a row for the inevitable inspection. I will pass along your suggestions.