The shed wall

[J. Clarke]

Behind my garage there is an attached shed. I opened the (plywood) doors a while back and they came off in my hand. Last weekend I planned on fixing them but . . . Turns out the reason they came off was that trim into which the hinges were screwed was rotten. So pulled it off and the T1-11 under it was rotten. So pulled that off and the studs were rotten. So demoed the whole wall preparatory to rebuilding it and the sill plates were not just rotten but an ant farm.

Well, decided to fix it _right_ so I'm not fixing it again in my 90s. Also gave me an opportunity to give it a wider door to fit a modern riding mower. So today's activity was going to be to put down some cinder blocks to raise the sill 8 inches above the ground. Well, turns out that every single beeping one of the sill anchors is on a web of the cinder blocks. Every . . . single . . . blasted . . . one. AAAARRRRRGGGGGGG!!!!!!

Now I'm torn between just putting a few bricks on the ends to shift the webs over or cutting off the anchors and planting new ones. Economic sense says bricks. Lust for an SDS drill says new anchors. Decisions, decisions . . .

[jloomis]

Move the cinder blocks forward or backward to miss the bolts. And then get threaded couples to raise the bolts that much higher? Also pre-drill some anchor so that the new concrete adheres and sticks to the new additions. You can use Simpson Epoxy to set the new steel pins also. john

Behind my garage there is an attached shed. I opened the (plywood) doors a while back and they came off in my hand. Last weekend I planned on fixing them but . . . Turns out the reason they came off was that trim into which the hinges were screwed was rotten. So pulled it off and the T1-11 under it was rotten. So pulled that off and the studs were rotten. So demoed the whole wall preparatory to rebuilding it and the sill plates were not just rotten but an ant farm.

Well, decided to fix it _right_ so I'm not fixing it again in my 90s. Also gave me an opportunity to give it a wider door to fit a modern riding mower. So today's activity was going to be to put down some cinder blocks to raise the sill 8 inches above the ground. Well, turns out that every single beeping one of the sill anchors is on a web of the cinder blocks. Every . . . single . . . blasted . . . one. AAAARRRRRGGGGGGG!!!!!!

Now I'm torn between just putting a few bricks on the ends to shift the webs over or cutting off the anchors and planting new ones. Economic sense says bricks. Lust for an SDS drill says new anchors. Decisions, decisions . . .

[Keith Nuttle]

Your experience sounds so familiar. I don't know how many my project started out with "How difficult can it be to replace a hinge".

How is the rest of the shed. Is it such that you should check other walls for rot and ants and possibly replace the whole thing?

What ever you do I would treat the area under the shed for ants and termites before continue with the project.

[J. Clarke]

"Forward" means that they're sitting in the yard, "backward" means several inches of slab exposed. You have seen a cinder block have you not?

Which means buying or renting the SDS hammer.

One approach.

[HerHusband]

What about building some simple forms and pouring concrete? That would be a lot stronger (especially if you add a piece of rebar reinforcement), and seems like a lot less work.

You didn't mention what kind of floor your shed has, but if it's a wooden floor it might be smarter to just pour a concrete slab for it. Mix-on-site concrete trucks are great for small projects like this. No waste and you only pay for what you need.

Good luck!

Anthony Watson

[J. Clarke]

I should have mentioned--it's slab-on-grade so there's nothing under it really, but spraying the ground around it isn't a bad idea.

The opposite wall I'm not too sure about--it doesn't show any problems from the inside and seems dry. The back wall, which is the only one that is structural (the other structural wall is the garage wall) was new five years ago, with everything within 8 inches of the ground pressure-treated or treated with the old green Cuprinol other than the siding, which is advertised as having been treated to be fungus and rot resistant. There's also aluminum flashing going up 10 inches. I should have put down a row of blocks there when I rebuilt the wall but I didn't think of it.

[J. Clarke]

What, pouring concrete is less work than setting a half a dozen cinder blocks?

And it doesn't have to be particularly strong. The rotwall survived two hurricanes without any ill effects other than getting more wet and more rotten. It's not a load-bearing wall.

I should have mentioned that it's slab-on-grade and the sill anchors in question are the ones that secured the rotted-out sill to the slab.

The whole idea is to get the sills 8 inches above grade as is required by most building codes.

Of coures the cost-no-object "right" fix is to demo the whole thing and start over with proper footings and go from there, but cost is definite object.

[HerHusband]

I guess it depends on what you're more familiar with. It would be a simple matter to set up a couple of forms, pour in some concrete, and level it off. Especially for a job that small.

I know blocks are common in many parts of the country, but I don't care for them and have no experience with them. For me concrete would be a lot easier to work with. With the cinder blocks you'll still need to mix up mortar, try to keep things straight and level, and maybe fill the block cores with mortar.

Are you raising the door too? Unless you're leaving an opening in the block wall for a doorway, won't that complicate getting your mower and other items in and out of the shed?

Is it possible to regrade the area around the shed to gain clearance without having to raise the shed wall?

Another option might be to add an overhang and/or gutter to the roof so water is directed away from the building.

You could also put rock or concrete around the perimeter of the exterior to minimize splashback on the wall. I have concrete pavers in front of our shed with only 3-4" clearance between the siding and pavers. No ill effects in 20 years.

Alternatively, you could simply add a strip along the bottom of the shed that is impervious to water. Metal flashing, PVC or composite lumber, etc. that would let you raise the bottom of the siding up as needed to keep the wood away from the ground. I used that approach on my in-laws garage since we weren't replacing the existing studs.

Finally, what about the other walls of the shed? If they haven't rotted, what is different about them? More ground clearance, roof covering, etc.?

Anthony Watson

[jloomis]

Bolt some good pressure treated 4x6 to the existing bolts and go for it.

Behind my garage there is an attached shed. I opened the (plywood) doors a while back and they came off in my hand. Last weekend I planned on fixing them but . . . Turns out the reason they came off was that trim into which the hinges were screwed was rotten. So pulled it off and the T1-11 under it was rotten. So pulled that off and the studs were rotten. So demoed the whole wall preparatory to rebuilding it and the sill plates were not just rotten but an ant farm.

Well, decided to fix it _right_ so I'm not fixing it again in my 90s. Also gave me an opportunity to give it a wider door to fit a modern riding mower. So today's activity was going to be to put down some cinder blocks to raise the sill 8 inches above the ground. Well, turns out that every single beeping one of the sill anchors is on a web of the cinder blocks. Every . . . single . . . blasted . . . one. AAAARRRRRGGGGGGG!!!!!!

Now I'm torn between just putting a few bricks on the ends to shift the webs over or cutting off the anchors and planting new ones. Economic sense says bricks. Lust for an SDS drill says new anchors. Decisions, decisions . . .

[J. Clarke]

Waiting for a concrete truck to arrive is not in the cards.

Leaving an opening.

Nope. Not a chance. If I did that the slab would be suspended on air.

It's on a side already--water goes over the wall at a right angle.

One has and has been repaired, using the method that you suggest with flashing etc, but I don't really like that as a solution. Code says 8 inches, it's in code for a reason.

In any case the decision is made--cut the anchors and replace them. One is placed so that I can't get a wider opening.

[J. Clarke]

There's a right way, a wrong way, and an Army way. That's the Army (or Seabee) way, and the way my Dad would have done it. I'm looking to do it the _right_ way.

[clare]

Just make sure you use good concrete block, not the cheap lightweight cinder blocks. gasket the sill to the block with something like BluSeal to keep the sill from contacting the concrete. Use good S mortar to bed and lay the block course. (has both lime and portland in it)

[J. Clarke]

Geez, it's an effing shed, not Fort Knox. Cinder block is fine for the purpose.

[clare]

Until they soak up moisture, freeze, and disintigrate. For the difference in cost, use the right materials and do it once. Cinder block just does not stand up to moisture nearly as well as a quality concrete block.

[HerHusband]

For a small job like that you could always mix your own on site, but there's nothing wrong with block if you want to go that route.

??? I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Is there an overhang above the wall you are replacing? If so, how far does it extend from the building,

6", 12", etc.?

It only needs to be 8" on the exterior. They put wood framing in basements afterall.

Actually, the solution jloomis mentioned with a pressure treated timber would be a good option too. If you use PT lumber rated for ground contact it would likely outlast you. Just put down some sill sealer between the concrete and timber before bolting the timber down. You could step up to a

4x8 or larger if you want more ground clearance.

I'm glad you have a solution that works for you. Could you grind the bolt in the doorway below the surface of the slab then patch it for a wider door opening? Or just grind it smooth with the slab, it's just a shed afterall.

Good luck with your project!

Anthony Watson

[jloomis]

I thought the 4x6 pt was a quick easy fix. Yes it would outlast the owner... john

For a small job like that you could always mix your own on site, but there's nothing wrong with block if you want to go that route.

??? I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Is there an overhang above the wall you are replacing? If so, how far does it extend from the building,

6", 12", etc.?

It only needs to be 8" on the exterior. They put wood framing in basements afterall.

Actually, the solution jloomis mentioned with a pressure treated timber would be a good option too. If you use PT lumber rated for ground contact it would likely outlast you. Just put down some sill sealer between the concrete and timber before bolting the timber down. You could step up to a

4x8 or larger if you want more ground clearance.

I'm glad you have a solution that works for you. Could you grind the bolt in the doorway below the surface of the slab then patch it for a wider door opening? Or just grind it smooth with the slab, it's just a shed afterall.

Good luck with your project!

Anthony Watson

[J. Clarke]

Ok, please explain how to identify "quality concrete block" and where one obtains such in Hartford.

[J. Clarke]

If I'm mixing concrete I'd rather mix a little and put down blocks than mix a lot and have to mandhandle wet concrete en masse.

The roof is sloped in a direction that causes the rain to run over a different wall.

However the wall in question is on the exterior, therefore . . .

Yeah, but the siding won't. And I don't trust a piece of tin flashing as the only wall.

If I'm going to cut one anchor I may as well cut them all and not have to fart around with fillers on the ends to get the blocks aligned where they need to be.

[Lew Hodgett]

-------------------------------------------- Try: "concrete blocks hartford" as a search string.

Lew

[Doug Winterburn]

From:

"Blocks are considered heavyweight or lightweight, depending on the aggregate used in their production. A hollow load-bearing concrete block

8-by-8-by-16-inches nominal size weighs from 40 to 50 pounds when made with heavyweight aggregate, such as sand, gravel, crushed stone, or air-cooled slag. The same size block weighs only 25 to 35 pounds when made with coal cinders, expanded shale, clay, slag, volcanic cinders, or pumice. The choice of blocks depends on both the availability and requirements of the intended structure."