Old Slab New Mudsills

[2manyrocks]

Thinking outside the box for a moment, why couldn't you use a building product like the reconstituted plastic/wood trex material as mudsills instead of the corrosive PT material?

 

[ultrarunner]

I'm guessing Heart Redwood is no longer acceptable?

I was given that option about 15 years ago when I built a garage in Pleasant Hill CA

 

[schmism]

i would add addtional bolts.

drilled holes with epoxy.

 

[smitty9266]

Dave I work for a building supply wholesale location. Thought I saw this product at the manufacturer's warehouse when I was there picking up a load. Did a little looking and here it is, press release: A long, straight sill plate by Trus Joist | Prosales | Find Articles at BNET, Spec sheet:http://www.ilevel.com/walls/w_TimberStrandLSL_sillplates.aspx meets all your requirements.

It is treated and non corrosive....and not cheap but... not really expensive, should do what you need.

Good Luck

Jeff

 

[CurlyDave]

Thanks all.

I feel a little more in control of the situation now.

The way this works around here, and the reason I am trying to get ahead of the problem is that I have to turn in my building plans and ~4 weeks later they tell me what their objections are, I respond to objections, and they tell me if that is OK in another 4 weeks.

If I am pro-active and answer the obvious questions in my initial submittal, maybe I don't get so many objections and I can shave 4 weeks off the whole process.

 

[woodlandfarms]

We had a pipe break in our LA house. 150K in damage (well, the damage would have been a lot less had the San Diego fires not started, leaving no on in LA to look at the damage until all our walls had mold). Our insurer treated us well enough (after a couple of heated calls). But we got jammed up with the check going to the Mortgage company. By the time the check got to them, then back to us, and then the bank released the funds, it took nearly a month. On top of it, as we decided to do multiple parts of the repairs at once, we ran into a huge cash flow issue (mortgage company had to inspect every action to make sure the house was being returned to normal).

But we live through it, took nearly a year, but now the house is complete.

 

[2manyrocks]

Remember how Rod Serling would introduce the Twilight Zone? Even if the borate treated sill product makes good sense, I can just hear a codes inspector saying it's not approved for use in his jurisdiction because he isn't familiar with it as regular corrosive PT lumber. I even started wondering myself how the recycled plastic/wood product would do holding nails or if there would be some unanticipated problem with using this material as sill stock. You never want to be the innovator in using new materials in new ways on a time sensitive project when you have active codes enforcement. Sort of sad....

 

[CurlyDave]

I can just hear a codes inspector saying it's not approved for use in his jurisdiction because he isn't familiar with it as regular corrosive PT lumber.

Fortunately, I have been contacting our inspector (who is a she, BTW) on a fairly regular basis. What I found from building this house the first time is that if I ask first, then I won't have to rework anything.

She is very good about listening and looking into new materials. For instance, I asked about using PEX for plumbing and she said it was approved for use as an alternate material, and she would allow it, but did not recommend it. Woodside is probably the rat capitol of California, and rats like to chew on it. About 3 weeks later, someone on the Fire Dept told me they went out to a flooded house caused by a rat chewing PEX. Scratch that idea and back to copper.

I am familiar with the boron-based wood preservatives and actually had the framing in our house in Oregon sprayed with it during construction. Right now I have this option and my architect and engineer have both agreed to pre-approve the drawing I previously posted with the epoxy or silicone filler material.

Looks to me like I have 3 choices on how to do it

 

[2manyrocks]

Having just done some small epoxy filling yesterday, I'm thinking that it could be a pain because it will tend to run and sag. I had to make a dam out of plumbers putty to keep it in the right location until it set.

I suppose if you are just filling a hole in the sill around the bolt, maybe not too much will run out under the sill. The other consideration is the cost of the epoxy.

 

[CurlyDave]

My first choice is silicone caulk, which has enough body to stay in place.

I was afraid the inspector would reject that thinking it is too elastic, but found out today that if my engineer says it is OK, inspector has to accept it.

Since it will be confined in a constant volume with a washer above and concrete or mortar below, it will be very strong.