Siding Damage Grass cutting - mulch beds

Hi all,

You have been so helpful and I really value your experiences and thoughts. So I would like to run this by you guys and see what you think about this suggestion. And I apologize for the long text.

We are a approx. 200 units townhouse community, which was started roughly 13 years ago, but is still building new houses now in phase 4. The association provides grass cutting weekly. We hired a new “landscaping” company this year.

This company now proposes to the board to go forward with allowing them to either “spray mow” along the houses and deck posts or go ahead and install mulch beds along the perimeter to prevent the landscapers to having to replace damaged siding.

I am totally against the spray approach, as we have lots of dogs and kids in the neighborhood and given the chemicals that are already being used, I’d hate to add to that chemical blast even more.

I like the idea of mulch beds along e.g. end units sides. But what about the back of the houses. If they have a walkout basement but decided to keep grass rather than install patio pavers or cement slabs, I feel like we as a board, would be making their landscaping choices for them and I don’t think that is right. Not to mention, that this would add a lot of costs to the landscaping budget due to the HOA having to provide way more mulch around the neighborhood than currently.

For 13 years it was possible for companies to cut the grass and replace the few siding pieces that were damaged. Around the deck posts most of us installed metal “frames”, which prevent the edge cutters from damaging the wood posts, so that shouldn’t be a big issue.

I feel like the landscaping company should have said something to use about their concern PRIOR to biding and also that for one they are trying to get us to pay for them to put in mulch beds and second then make more in mulching those beds.

So my question is, what are your thoughts? Have you been in that situation and decided on either approach? And if so, are you glad you did it or not so much?

Thank you so much
Kat

It's a myth that mulch attracts termites. They like the cool moist environment of mulch if they find it, but there's nothing in mulch that actually attracts termites.

My community dealt with this problem some years ago. The lawn care company at that time was damaging the siding and deck supports with their weed whackers. The board approved installing narrow mulched beds with small bushes. Now we have to deal with the bushes being too close to the buildings and keeping the mulch levels below the siding and/or brick to prevent mold and insect intrusion. So it was not a perfect solution.

Mulch may or may not attract insects but it can catch fire. I worked in a community where some mulch caught fire for no apparent reason.

https://www.safetyinsurance.com/resource_center/homeowners/mulchfires.html

We've also considered gravel or stone mulch, but we don't have any in the community now and hesitate to start down that path. You can end up spending more time and money on the solution than the original problem cost.

Probably the most effective step we took was replacing the lawn care service that was tearing up the place. A lot of the problem resulted from shoddy, careless work, and our current company does excellent work. Occasionally some siding will get nicked, but accidents will happen with even the most responsible crews, and our property manager keeps them on their toes. Also, in my area communities often bundle lawn care and snow removal. Our current company is top notch with snow removal, so on balance we consider the occasional nicked siding an acceptable trade off.

WOW, thanks Cathy! The fire situation is quite eye opening! Stones were not even brought up by the company, although I personally find them prettier than the mulch. But nevertheless I just don't have a good feeling about deciding about "landscaping objects" on other peoples property if it was fine for 13 years, plus adding the annual maintenance cost to it. not to mention the weeding etc.

100% agreed John!

This was never raised as an issue in the 3 years I have lived here. I know of some siding, that got damaged and was repaired by the prior grass cutting company. No big deal - it happens.

Given this was never raised as a concern by anyone PLUS the fact it would not only take away from their decision on how to use/ decorate their yard, but also add cost to it, makes me not want to do this.

I just wanted to see here, whether anyone had great experience with this and to see if with a different point of view and arguments, I may be missing, I would change my mind.

Steve, do you mean something like this?

https://www.landdesigns.com/keep-dirt-mulch-off-house/

I have seen landscapers using weed whackers too closely to those and "kicking" the rock all over the yard. To me they'd have to be just as careful about this, as they should be with siding?! But please let me know, if I am wrong.

Thanks Steve.

While I wouldn’t be opposed to something like this - I don’t think a new grass cutting company should make a problem out of something that was fine for 13 years - neither increase the cost for homeowners. Plus the problem with the neighbors not having a patio ... I don’t want them stepping over a “moat of rock” to get in their yard ?!

FYI:
Some jurisdictions require non combustible material.... i.e. gravel next to the structures. Many buildings fires have started from discarded smoking materials in mulch. Mulch starts on fire very easily.

Many HOA's pest control is NOT included. It's on the homeowner to be responsible. So I would not assume nor put on pest control onto your HOA responsibilities. Most likely not even put into your rules to be a responsibility. The lawncare people should be responsible for repairs for their work damage.

We own our houses and the lot the house sits on. Everything else is "Common area". The HOA did not provide pest control. We had some railroad tie retaining walls. Those were filled with termites and the mulch around homes. Pest control experts told us to NEVER remove those walls and to use pine mulch only. If we removed those railroad ties, the termites would go straight to the houses to eat them.

Had someone who demanded we removed their wall. They then also demanded we pay for pest control once I told them their house would be subject to termites. Our HOA wasn't responsible for pest control and especially when pest control says to keep the walls. As long as the walls were up, the termites would live there.

So be careful about wanting your HOA paying for pests. It's a very slippery slope...

the issue would NOT occur with a PROPERLY constructed structure fit for human occupation

i believe code actually REQUIRES 6+" of vertical clearance above grade for siding

ICC 2009:

R404.1.6 Height above finished grade.
Concrete and masonry foundation walls shall extend above the finished grade adjacent to the foundation at all points a minimum of 4 inches (102 mm) where masonry veneer is used and a minimum of 6 inches (152 mm) elsewhere.