[Mark Harvey]

When I built my house several years ago, I was told that to put up a wall in the basement, it had to have the bottom plate made from pressure treated wood or have a membrane (sill foar or plactic) between the concrete and the wood. I recently ran across a builder who said they have been using non treated wood and no membrane for years (actually said" we've always done it this way"). We are in Canada but I believe the building codes are extreemly similar. Can someone shed some light? Is it code or just a good thing to do. Do builders get special treatment? I wouldn't think so but I've seen this twice in the past year. Thanks.
Mark

 

[MushCreek]

Around here, it is code. The problem is this: Under certain weather conditions, the concrete will get moist, or even sweat. Now you have untreated wood with moisture trapped under it. The next step is rot or mold. Builders get away with a lot of stuff like that; be better than them. How much more could the PT lumber or membrane possibly cost?

 

[del schisler]

When I built my house several years ago, I was told that to put up a wall in the basement, it had to have the bottom plate made from pressure treated wood or have a membrane (sill foar or plactic) between the concrete and the wood. I recently ran across a builder who said they have been using non treated wood and no membrane for years (actually said" we've always done it this way"). We are in Canada but I believe the building codes are extreemly similar. Can someone shed some light? Is it code or just a good thing to do. Do builders get special treatment? I wouldn't think so but I've seen this twice in the past year. Thanks.
Mark

do it right preasure treated wood on concrete , if it is not code ??? i would still do it with preasure treded wood, i built my house and that is what i done , code of not this wood will out last just the plane 2x4's my 2 cents

 

[Windows on Wash]

I would use a capillary break and PT lumber. I have seen some guys do another plate on the bottom out of PVC lumber and then build the regular 2x4 wall (with untreated bottom plate) on top of that.

 

[joecaption]

Spend some time on any DIY site and you'll see dozens of people asking how to replace a rotted bottom plate.
Come look at the way my garage was built long ago, classic example of every way to do it wrong.
And it was built by a so called "contractor".
No pressure treated plate, siding to close to grade, they left a tree stump in the ground in one corner so as it rotted termites got in, slab is to low and driveway slopes toward the doors, no H clips on the sheathing and no gaps left so the roof looks like waves.
The sheathing had a stamp over the grade mark I'd never seen before it said "REJECT".
Must have been the low bidder on this job.

 

[SeniorSitizen]

Come look at the way my garage was built long ago, classic example of every way to do it wrong.

Way too much traffic congestion as it is. So to simplify, how about a picture or two of every way to do it wrong.