Really bad house design

[1HandyWoman]

I have a house that I swear was designed and built by an idiot. It is now 22 years old and literally falling apart at the seams and everywhere else. The question/problem I have today that I can't figure out is this.

The house is build on a cement slab, the slab extends out from the foundation on two sides (side and back of house) and is level with the foundation. This means that the sill of the house is sitting at the same level as the "outside" slab so when it rains the water runs down the house, hits the slab and rolls under the sill and rots out the sill, the siding, and the trim that have all been installed down to the slab. I hope this is understandable I have added pictures below.

Now I have removed the rotting trim, siding, etc and can see rot of the sill board happening. What can I do BEFORE I replace the siding and trim to keep water from running under the siding and trim and rotting it AGAIN and further rotting out the sill board, etc?

Any idea without just demolishing this whole stinking house? [IMG]

[dpb]

...

Probably best thing is to regrade in front of the slab so the water at least from the surrounding area is diverted. What lands directly on the slab itself there's not much to be done about, unfortunately.

[willshak]

Yeah. Build a short concrete wall outside of that part of the house, but replace all the wet material before doing so. You know, mold and all that. You'are right. That house was built by an idiot. No wooden construction should ever be built at ground level or below, or where water may accumulate. Maybe the GC thought he was building a shed. That would never have passed inspection where I live. Contact the TV show 'Holmes On Homes' (Canadian). Maybe they will fix it for free if they can use it on their show.

[Dean Hoffman]

Some cut.

A moat? A ground level gutter system? Would some sort of roof flashing work? Example here:

Slip part of it under the bottom piece of siding. Use some sort of water sealant under the part on the concrete.

[trader4]

I would cut off the concrete patio from the house and then demolish it. Re-grade so that the wood is 6" min above the soil and so the area outside the house slopes away. Then if she wants, she can replace the patio with whatever she chooses, eg pavers, concrete, stamped concrete, etc. Short of that, it's just a lot of wasted time and money replacing wood that is going to rot again.

[Nate Nagel]

Maybe get a concrete saw and cut the slab away as close as possible to the wall so you can grade the yard down from there?

I didn't look at the pics so I don't know if that is practical or not.

nate

[woodchucker]

You are right about the idiot. There should have been a foundation that puts the wood off the slab.

I would consider the stuff they are using for truck beds... spray some on the concrete around the walls. Re-sheathe the outside after replacing whatever sills need replacing. Then spray the material again and join with the foundation. That stuff is being used in buildings now... while this may seem like BS, I don't see another solution.. to preventing any water intrusion, even if you cut the slab near the foundation, you need to seal it from any water intrusion...

I would consider cutting the slab and creating a boundary... I hope that idiot knew to make the slab drop 1/4" per foot away from the house... that is a basic... but that is just wrong the way it was done.

[Vic Smith]

You have to cut that slab away from the outside of the sills. Yep, it's terrible design. Every sided house/barn/garage I've ever seen has the bottom of the siding shedding water away from the sills and dropping to lower ground. That ground is graded away from the building so water won't pool up higher than the foundation/slab and get to the sills. It's a house, not a boat. Maybe the builder failed at boat making and tried his hand with houses.

[Paul Drahn]

You may have a house that was part of a government program to build low-cost housing that could be purchased by people with limited means. They were designed to last 20 years. I forget the HUD program number. Section 140, or something.

If this is what you have, it has exceeded it's design life time.

Paul

[Tony Hwang]

Hmmm, No wonder I never lived in a old house some one else (had) built. In my life time I had 5 houses built to our liking in the neighborhood we like. If cabin is counted 6 altogether.

[clare]

Mabee just finish the house - build over the entire slab to keep all water off the slab, and grade away from the slab to prevent ground-water from infiltrating.

[dadiOH]

It's SOP to put sill plates on the slab but the slab should have been above grade either via footers and fill or excavation of surrounding area.

[dadiOH]

"1HandyWoman" wrote in message news:12a5c$51fd79a2$cf3aab60$ [e-mail]

I can see four choices:

1. Demolish the slab and grade surface down and away from house.

1. Extend house over outside slab. You'd probably have to install supports - piers? - for the outside slab and you'd still need to grade the perimeter down and way from the outside slab.

2. Cut the oudside slab free and raise the entire existing house and slab (mud jack?)

1. Sell the house.

[Pete C.]

Concrete cutting and grinding equipment is readily available for rent that can cut/grind a reasonable slope into the concrete so water drains away. Most concrete contractors could do the job fairly inexpensively as well.

[Dean Hoffman]

On 8/3/13 11:29 PM, [e-mail] wrote: e

I wonder if the OP would like something like a porch. It's been years since anyone in my area has put one on a house.

[trader4]

.

While option #2 would help, it's not a real solution because it still leaves presumably untreated wood on top of concrete. And from a practicality standpoint, I think only #1 and #4 are viable. How much #1 would cost depends on what is around the house, eg landscaping, sidewalks, driveway and also how the existing natural grade goes.

[Pete C.]

Jack the whole house up (slowly and carefully) and build a single course block wall with grouted (filled) cores under it. A little refinishing inside and your water problem is fixed and you've gained ~8" of ceiling height as well. Also rent a concrete grinder and grind the outside concrete to a reasonable 1/4" per foot slope away from the house.

[dpb]

On 8/3/2013 4:44 PM, 1HandyWoman wrote: ...

...

In least to most order...looked at the pictures; a wide view of the overall layout of the lot, etc., would be more useful, but--

A) cut the slab at the house and about a foot or so back and remove. Dig drainage, install drain tile and gravel, cover w/ decorative rock to ground level

B) cut slab and remove entirely. Regrade lot to level of leaving 8" or so below present grade and re-landscape. Probably practical only if is sloping lot overall which can't tell w/o wider view.

C) separate plumbing and electrical and raise house. Pour or lay block footer to get height. Set back down and reconnect utilities, etc., ...

D) if like the area (and since is unlikely I'd think you'd be able to sell the existing house as is, unfortunately, at least for anything other than give-away), raze it and use the slab (assuming has sufficient footing under it) as base and as in C) pour the footings it shoulda' had to begin with.

E) Or, just rip it all out to bare ground and start over entirely...

[recyclebinned]

Ditto.

[pilgrim]

Two problems:

First, the rotted portions of sill plate, etc., have to be replaced with PT. This won't remedy the problem of rain water running down the wall, getting behind the siding and rotting out the new sill plate, but maybe this minimal (and probably the cheapest) fix will last another 22 years. Maybe the PT will last longer than the original lumber that is in there now. This has to be done, no matter what else is done.

Second, there are two slabs here. First, there was a slab floor (and footings?) that was possibly up to code. Then, later, somebody poured a second slab out in the yard. (You can see in the photos that the yard slab and the floor slab were two separate pours. Maybe the idiot didn't build the house. Maybe the idiot came along later.) It makes sense to rip the idiot's yard-slab out and grade the yard. Doing this might produce a house that is salable. It would be very difficult to finance a sale if this is not done.

Finally, if the second fix, above, is not done, it might be possible to use a concrete saw (while the siding is off) to cut a deep groove in the edge of the yard slab as close as possible to the joint with the floor slab. Poke one edge of a long strip of flashing material that is several inches wide into this groove, then tack the strip of flashing to the (new, PT) studs and/or sill plate. Caulk the groove in the yard slab then complete the repair by replacing the siding, etc. This fix probably won't last forever, but it may last a little longer than the first fix, above. I'm

82; it will see me out. There's a comfort to that.

Good luck,

pilgrim