Need experienced advice! How to redo this mess

[Billbill84]

Hi all. See the pic below. My issue start s with that Pella siding door leaking in on bottom. Upon investigating I suspected it came in under the door so when I went under deck to see the plate it looks like whoever built this deck was an idiot and didn't flash anything and removed the vinyl siding and butted deck straight to house up to the corner of the chimney. Water ran off deck and down chimney and rotted it out! Luckily it looks like the plate, rim, and sill of house aren't too bad. There's J track against everything so below the decking there's no vinyl siding. The J track along house wall is also loose so I'm betting the plywood is rotted from water whisking under that J track and without any flashing. The door is getting replaced next week.
So how should I redo this? I have to lower the deck about 2" and after any rot is replaced should I replace the vinyl siding down to the rim joist then maybe redo the deck so it's off the house about 1/4".
Also ignore the pics commentary that was for the inspection company.

 

[nealtw]

What can I say, that door is a window and should be treated like one, the deck should be much lower but a couple inches will work. Need more pictures of the fire box from below.

 

[nealtw]

You can lower the deck with one jack, lower the posts first and then brace the crap out of it so it doesn't pull away from the house.
When you lower the ledger, notice the position of the second post.

 

[oldognewtrick]

Is there any house wrap under the siding?

 

[joecaption]

As mentioned that decking should never have been built that high, and set so close to the siding.
By far in my past I was paid more money fixing that building 101 screw up then any other job.
What I've done is made the deck freestanding (the way it should have been built in the first place) by adding beams and post.
Removing the deck boards so the rim joist can be unbolted and joist shortened, then adding a new rim joist with joist hangers.
It's a whole lot easier then trying to lower the whole deck.
I'd bet if you removed that sliding door you will also find it was never flashed right and there will be damage under it.

 

[Billbill84]

As mentioned that decking should never have been built that high, and set so close to the siding.
By far in my past I was paid more money fixing that building 101 screw up then any other job.
What I've done is made the deck freestanding (the way it should have been built in the first place) by adding beams and post.
Removing the deck boards so the rim joist can be unbolted and joist shortened, then adding a new rim joist with joist hangers.
It's a whole lot easier then trying to lower the whole deck.
I'd bet if you removed that sliding door you will also find it was never flashed right and there will be damage under it.

Hi thanks for chiming in. I will be tearing into this job this spring. I have to regrade my yard back there so I plan to take the deck down to the bones and discard everything else. Save the ledger and joists lower after regrade.

I am a little confused about the siding. I'm wondering if after I lower the deck how will I extend the siding along that wall because it will need to be sheathed and sided down past the rim joist which is how it should have been.
You are absolutely correct about the door not being properly flashed either. No flashing at all actually. But they got lucky. I expected to find rotted out sill but there was absolutely none!

 

[nealtw]

It is vinyl siding so you can open that up and add more, you just have to find the same brand and colour and it is labelled on the back side.

 

[Billbill84]

It is vinyl siding so you can open that up and add more, you just have to find the same brand and colour and it is labelled on the back side.

Shouldn't be too hard then! Aside from a little sun fading. This whole mess started when they built the house the deck was built at the same time and it seems that instead of waiting to get the siding up, they bolted the ledger to rim joist and continued on until the deck was completed, then when the siding idiots showed up they didn't flash anything and ran the siding butted to the top of the decking and didn't think about anything going on below that and even worse, in the corner of the chimney box which is completely rotted out. Luckily nothing rotted against the house

 

[oldognewtrick]

If you can't match the vinyl siding, you can add a PVC trim board to fill up the space.

 

[mabloodhound]

Yes, add a piece of 3/4" PVC (Azek, Kleer, etc.) under the door.

 

[Billbill84]

If you can't match the vinyl siding, you can add a PVC trim board to fill up the space.

I'll look into that thanks!

 

[nealtw]

Or change the fireplace box to a different style or colour and use that to fill spaces with a good colour match.