Seen that exact thing on a flip I did a few years back. Thought the grading was perfect, gutters working fine, but when I pulled back the mulch near the foundation, siding was mushy and there were clear termite tubes. Mulch had been piled up for years. Now I never let it touch the wood—leave a gap or use stone instead. It's one of those little things that sneaks up on you if you’re not looking for it.
That’s a good catch—mulch against siding is sneaky. I used to think mulch was harmless, but after seeing some warped trim and a few ants marching in, I started leaving a 6-inch gap too. Here’s what I do now: pull mulch back every spring, check for soft spots, and swap in some cheap gravel if it looks sketchy. It’s not fancy, but it’s saved me a headache or two. Sometimes the “little” stuff ends up being the big stuff, right?
Funny you mention the mulch—my rookie move was piling it right up to the siding, thinking I was doing the yard a favor. Fast forward to spring, and I’m prying soggy boards off the house, muttering about “character.” Now I just use river rock near the foundation. Not pretty, but at least the ants have to work for it.
River rock’s a solid call. I learned the hard way too—years back, I thought mulch right up to the house would keep things tidy. Instead, it just trapped moisture and I ended up with a bit of rot and a whole lot of carpenter ants. Now I keep a good 6-inch buffer with gravel, and I make sure the gutters are clear and draining well. It’s not the prettiest, but it beats replacing siding every few years. Funny how the “easy” fixes always come back to bite you...
Funny you mention the mulch—been there, done that. I tried bark chips once, and all it did was invite termites. Gravel’s not glamorous, but it just works. If you want to dress it up, maybe add a few stepping stones or some drought-tolerant plants? Keeps things functional but not too plain.