LP SmartSide ground contact
I had this house built 2 years ago and put factory painted LP SmartSide on most of the exterior. The siding contractors did a great job overall but there are a couple areas I’m concerned about. They put aluminum flashing at most areas that contact the ground such as the rear stoop and front porch, but the garage jambs and column wraps have no flashing and are showing signs of swelling. How should I maintain these areas? Should I cut 1/8” or 1/4” off the bottoms with a jamb saw?
The other concerning areas are these trim details below the window, which has a ripped horizontal strip. It’s a nice looking detail, but with just caulk/paint keeping water off the tops, you can see cracking and signs of it already failing. Should I just plan to scrape and repaint/caulk these every few years? Is there any other way to mitigate the water damage?