Drip Rail

Some woodworking is decorative. Other times, it's just functional.

I made three drip rails the other day to try to stop some invasive water problems. The back of the house faces south, so it gets most of the sun and a lot of the wind. In wet weather, the rain often beats against the doors and windows on that side of the house. And in a couple of cases it's sneaking its way in.

I've caulked and sealed around the doors and windows, but water is crafty stuff. Like ants, but more persistent. So I finally got a clue from other parts of the house and installed drip rails over the affected openings.

They're not super fancy or anything, but they do the job. I modeled these after the drip rails on other parts of the house, particularly the second-floor roof overhang. It's just redwood 2x4 with the edges rounded over and then angled at about 40 degrees -- same as the rest of the house. I put a small kerf cut into the bottom surface to stop the water from wicking up the underside.

A few screws, some caulk, a little paint, and voila! Rain stopper.

The project was not without its complications, though. I almost goofed up and nailed a door shut. One of the doors opens outward, and I was about to install the drip rail so low that it would have blocked the door. Oops. Better raise that one up a few inches, boss.