Manmade "timber" for stud wall sole plate?

[Rorschach]

Looking at building an exterior facing stud wall to block up a garage door opening. The area can see quite a bit of water on the ground as it face the prevailing wind and rain. I think a conventional timber sole plate would quickly rot. Would there be any problem in using the manmade stuff they use for decking? Since it would be plastic it wouldn't rot and even more importantly it wouldn't wick up water into the studs.

Thoughts?

 

[MikeG.]

Put it on a plinth. Two courses of brick and your problem has gone away.

 

[Geoff_S]

Seems like a plan to me. I've just put in some "plastic" decking as the last lot only lasted 15 years, if that.

 

[Rorschach]

Put it on a plinth. Two courses of brick and your problem has gone away.

Not an ideal solution for that area and surely laying two courses of brick is a lot more complicated than what I suggested?

 

[MikeG.]

It's the only thing which will work. The bottom of your proposed stud wall would be wet from bouncing rain, with no way of drying (in that the water can't run off it and drip away). Also, I can't think how your proposal could ever hope to prevent water coming inside the building under the wall. No timber should ever be within 6 inches of ground level. Your only decent answer is a plinth of some sort.

 

[Rorschach]

Water wouldn't come in very far due to the design of the floor and the fact there is an ACO drain as well which stops it from building up. Water does get blown under the current garage door in extreme cases but not enough to cause a problem.

 

[MikeG.]

Your choice, but you're making a mistake.

 

[Rorschach]

Your choice, but you're making a mistake.

I fail to see how but thank you for your input.

 

[Steve_Scott]

If you were building a habitable timber framed building/extension you'd put it on a plinth and keep your timber off the floor but then I look at my log cabin and its sat on a recycled plastic profiles and doing just fine (https://www.tuin.co.uk/Composite-Profil ... Beams.html).

I think my solution would depend upon the intended use for the garage space and then weighing up ease of the proposed solution compared to how annoyed I'd be if I needed to repair the area in the years to come.

I've just framed out the front of my garage in timber... it won't last forever but was easy to knock up quickly and shouldn't be too difficult to repair as and when it becomes an issue. I am however going to add a gulley drain in front of the garage to help move standing water away as currently it runs down the drive and under the framing and I suspect that water lying around will significantly reduce the expected lifespan.

 

[Rorschach]

The wall would be there to provide better weather proofing and airsealing of the garage than the current garage door. Essentially it is to keep the cold air out and the warm air in during the winter.

 

[Steve_Scott]

Sounds to me like your proposed solution probably hits the hassle/price sweet spot. an alternative is fitting a better garage door; you might be surprised when looking at a cost comparison and it lead you the option to open it in the summer.

 

[AJB Temple]

There is almost no point asking for advice and then taking offence when we get it. Brick plinth will take about an hour to lay and will seal permanently against the floor with no risk of water running under. If you cannot lay bricks, put two bits of timber across the opening (cheap gravel board will do) and fill with concrete. Then build your stud on that over a DPC. Honestly, Mike is right. Do it once and do it right.

 

[Rorschach]

There is almost no point asking for advice and then taking offence when we get it. Brick plinth will take about an hour to lay and will seal permanently against the floor with no risk of water running under. If you cannot lay bricks, put two bits of timber across the opening (cheap gravel board will do) and fill with concrete. Then build your stud on that over a DPC. Honestly, Mike is right. Do it once and do it right.

I want it to be easily removable. If I wanted to use bricks I would just brick up the entire opening.

I am not taking offence, bricks or concrete are just not suitable IMO for this situation.

 

[AJB Temple]

Cool. You said it gets really wet, but didn't mention easily removable.

Frankly if you are going to put a plastic beam down you are going to have to make a proper effort to stop water running under it. If you are proposing a stud wall, that is not "easily removable" like say a proper weatherproof door. I can have two courses of bricks across a garage opening in an hour. Should I wish to remove them and the stud above them, that's about ten minutes with a sledge hammer.

 

[Rorschach]

I would bed the beam down on some silicone and that would be more than enough to stop water getting under. It wouldn't be a big deal if a little water did creep under in extreme weather, that's what it does now anyway with the door there. My concern is water soaking up into the wall and rotting it out.

 

[Tim l]

If you really don't want to do 2 courses of bricks and a bit of dpaper. Just make your studwork as normal paint the bottom 2feet with waterproof black paint isoflex or something cheaper put your frame in and fix it with a good expanding foam.when you want to remove it just saw around your foam.

 

[MikeG.]

........ My concern is water soaking up into the wall and rotting it out.

Which, as I explained, is precisely what is going to happen with your proposal.

 

[Tim l]

Treated timber double up with blackjack would last for years he says it's not permanent ,bricks are best but you need some sort of tray and dpc as there isn't a cavity.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

https://inspectapedia.com/BestPractices ... Damage.php

The above gives some simple examples of the kind of thing Mike and others are on about - and why building regs require a DPC at a minimum of 150mm above finished ground level.

Water can get into your new work from:

- windblown rain;
- rain splashup/back (or drips from above e.g. from overloaded/blocked/missing gutters);
- absorbtion and upward capillary movement of groundwater (rising damp);

It can also get into the existing structure 'sideways' from the new work (which is why you see vertical DPCs installed around doors and windows, for example).

If you want this new work to last, you need to have a strategy to deal with all this: prevent it getting in, and allowing it to get back out (when it inevitably does get in) without causing rot/damage.

Why not post a sketch of what you're actually trying to achieve?

Cheers, W2S

 

[Lons]

As a retired builder I agree 100% with Mikes comments and can't really see why a 2 brick high plinth is any more permanent than timber or plastic, it is without doubt the correct and most effective procedure and as said it can be removed in 10 minutes. I'd rather remove a strip of mortar than a horrible mess of silicone if I was reinstating the door at a later date.

Bricks are also likely to be a cheaper option if you have to buy in the plastic decking as you can pick up bricks free or cheaply just check facebook and gumtree where surplus bricks are often given away a bag of cement and some sand maybe a tenner and no water worries.

Anyway it seems that minds are already made up so good luck wit it whatever you do.