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Rotten Garage (i got wordy, sorry)

2K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  McSweny1103 
#1 ·
I have a detached 2-car garage with wood lap siding, and pseudo brick facade. Due to an improperly installed "decorative ledge" on either side of the front(east face) of the garage on either side of the door(16'x 6'6"), I have massive water damage to the underlying lumber. The ledges tilted back towards the garage itself. Water would sit against the pseudo brick facade during every rain storm since 1963 when the garage was built.

I had a hunch that there was water damage due to this and to my not-so-surprise, all the underlying wood has some sort of water damage from lite mildew, to full out rot and deterioration.

The outside corner (SE facing) is the worst. There are three studs, right in the corner, that are missing the bottom 4-6 inches, the sil plates on both the front (east face) and side(south face) have rotted away at the corner, and are progressively better the farther they move from the corner. Thankfully the door frame 24" away is a 1-piece 4x4 and that is in great shape, I am sure it is supporting the load of the roof that the corner has given up on.

On the East face of the garage, under the plastic, pseudo brick facade on the front was "old-school" 1x4 planks, on studs that are 24"OC. All of those from the ledge level and below are rotten. Above the ledge level they are reusable.

All other sides of the garage are 4" wood lap siding, on 2x4 studs, 24" OC. Most of this lap siding will have to come down at some point. There is no sheathing under it. it appears there was a foil, with thread, reinforced "housewrap" between the lap and the studs. The "housewrap" has deteriorated and basically disintegrates when touched. There are many areas where you can look between the lap and see straight into the garage.

My repair plan for the front is to shore up the roof temporarily, cut out the bad lumber back to the visibly good lumber, and replace with new lumber. All the plastic brick is going away, all the underlying plank will go away, and I will replace with OSB or Plywood sheathing, housewrap, and a Fiber cement panel siding. I will also add studs in between the existing to make it 12"OC.

My long term goal is to replace the lap siding one wall at a time. I will remove all lap siding, add studs to accomplish a 12"OC stud spacing, then apply sheathing, housewrap, and then the fiber cement panel or lap siding. Since the rest of the garage is not rotten at this time, the priority is the front(east face) with the rot issues.

Should I use Treated Lumber for the stud work? I am concerned about shrinkage, but termites are a HUGE issue in this area I am told. probably why all the houses are Brick! I am aware that i have to use Hot dipped galvanized, or SS hardware if I go the Treated Route.

Also, is there anything i am missing, or not taking into account.

I will try to get pictures up later today to help clarify my situation. Any and all help would be appreciated.
 
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#2 ·
McSweny1103 said:
I have a detached 2-car garage with wood lap siding, and pseudo brick facade. Due to an improperly installed "decorative ledge" on either side of the front(east face) of the garage on either side of the door(16'x 6'6"), I have massive water damage to the underlying lumber. The ledges tilted back towards the garage itself. Water would sit against the pseudo brick facade during every rain storm since 1963 when the garage was built.

I had a hunch that there was water damage due to this and to my not-so-surprise, all the underlying wood has some sort of water damage from lite mildew, to full out rot and deterioration.

The outside corner (SE facing) is the worst. There are three studs, right in the corner, that are missing the bottom 4-6 inches, the sil plates on both the front (east face) and side(south face) have rotted away at the corner, and are progressively better the farther they move from the corner. Thankfully the door frame 24" away is a 1-piece 4x4 and that is in great shape, I am sure it is supporting the load of the roof that the corner has given up on.

On the East face of the garage, under the plastic, pseudo brick facade on the front was "old-school" 1x4 planks, on studs that are 24"OC. All of those from the ledge level and below are rotten. Above the ledge level they are reusable.

All other sides of the garage are 4" wood lap siding, on 2x4 studs, 24" OC. Most of this lap siding will have to come down at some point. There is no sheathing under it. it appears there was a foil, with thread, reinforced "housewrap" between the lap and the studs. The "housewrap" has deteriorated and basically disintegrates when touched. There are many areas where you can look between the lap and see straight into the garage.

My repair plan for the front is to shore up the roof temporarily, cut out the bad lumber back to the visibly good lumber, and replace with new lumber. All the plastic brick is going away, all the underlying plank will go away, and I will replace with OSB or Plywood sheathing, housewrap, and a Fiber cement panel siding. I will also add studs in between the existing to make it 12"OC.

My long term goal is to replace the lap siding one wall at a time. I will remove all lap siding, add studs to accomplish a 12"OC stud spacing, then apply sheathing, housewrap, and then the fiber cement panel or lap siding. Since the rest of the garage is not rotten at this time, the priority is the front(east face) with the rot issues.

Should I use Treated Lumber for the stud work? I am concerned about shrinkage, but termites are a HUGE issue in this area I am told. probably why all the houses are Brick! I am aware that i have to use Hot dipped galvanized, or SS hardware if I go the Treated Route.

Also, is there anything i am missing, or not taking into account.

I will try to get pictures up later today to help clarify my situation. Any and all help would be appreciated.
Thete is NEVER a need to use pt for wall framing. The problem has to be fixed so that the water doesn't get in.
 
#4 ·
Post some pictures.
At some point is it really worth fixing?
Why 12" on center?
Hardee plank really needs a solid substrate behind it, like OSB.
If you that worryed about termites just get the area treated.
 
#5 ·
The fix is still cheaper then a $10,000 garage tear down and rebuild.

I prefer 12"OC to 24", Call me crazy, but i think more studs are better then less. Plus the interior walls of my garage are pegboard and paneling. After this exterior is complete, job the peg board, which makes up the upper 2/3rds of the wall will stay, the lower 1/3 which is paneling, will be replaced by a waterproof paneling of some sort. The 12"OC gives me more contact points to attach the pegboard, or any future shelving.

I was thinking OSB or T&G for the substrate, maybe a Rigid foam over that with top with taped seams, but at the very least OSB or T&G ply.

Totally never thought about calling Orkin for the Termites.
 
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