Is this exterior cedar cladding installed properly on garden office?

[nmh]

Have recently had this garden office built. I bought the cedar cladding but wondering if builder's installed it correctly. When it rains, water seems to absorb up the bottom of the cladding. Should I worry about this? 

 

Maybe water isn't an issue with cedar but might this lead to the wood rotting? Should there have been a gap between the limestone paving and the cladding - like an expansion gap? Or a gap to stop the water soaking directly into the wood? 

 

I've also noted some black spots on the brise-soleil slats (Siberian larch) - is this an issue?

 

Many thanks for any help/advice. 

[Kelvin]

Yes long term you are likely to have problems. My house is clad in Scottish larch and the supplier specified 150mm between the bottom of the board and ground level to reduce rain splashing back up onto the boards. This also allows air to run up behind the cladding and out the top. Yours is sitting in the wet when it rains hard against the pavers. How does air circulate behind the cladding? 
 

As for the mould it’s likely just surface mould and will clean off.
 

Has the cladding been treated with anything? 

[kandgmitchell]

Well that cladding and the posts are going to stay wet for a good 4 months of the year (although it seems like forever at the moment as it starts raining again...). Even the most robust timber will suffer in time. Not a good detail at all I'm afraid.

[Mr Punter]

You need to either lower the ground or cut the bottom of the cladding.  The posts should be cut down and sat on a metal elevated post base.  There is a fair amount of work to do.

[nmh]

Thanks for the feedback. Hmm. I better get this sorted. Haven't treated the wood with anything because I heard cedar goes a natural silver colour and doesn't need chemical treatment. Is that correct?