Geekzone: technology news, blogs, forums
Guest
Welcome Guest.
You haven't logged in yet. If you don't have an account you can register now.


EmmaOffshore

22 posts

Geek


#138528 7-Jan-2014 22:22
Send private message

Hello,

I'm renovating a 1900s working man's cottage and have a question about external base boards which I hope that someone might have an insight on.

There are a number of rotten foundation base-boards (in the style hopefully shown in the diagram below) on one side of the house. On the other the weatherboards are buried into concrete which is pretty broken, so we'll eventually rip that side up as well.

We're planning to landscape the side where we're replacing base boards and the dirt will be replaced with paving stones or concrete which will slope slightly away from the house.

It looks like the process for replacing the base boards should be quite straight forward and achievable for a couple of DIYers but due to the age and style of construction I can't find any information online about the best way to repair true to era of the house, to best building practice or a compromise between the two.

The original boards have been partly buried into the soil and there isn't much crawlspace under the house at all.

From what I've read I think my options are as follows:
1. Replace boards down into soil level
2. Fix lowest board into concrete
3. Replace boards leaving a gap above soil level
 
Three seems more sensible, but is there a reason we should consider concreting the bottom in place?

From what I've read it seems we also need to consider ventilation, which I understand can be achieve by spacing the base boards 20 mm apart.

Any advice appreciated.


Thanks!


Create new topic
DarthKermit
5346 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

  #962930 8-Jan-2014 07:15
Send private message

I'd think that you need to leave a gap to promote air flow and to prevent the base boards from being permanently in contact with the damp ground.




Whatifthespacekeyhadneverbeeninvented?




timmmay
20574 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted
Lifetime subscriber

  #962965 8-Jan-2014 08:35
Send private message

On my house (60+ years old) we put in H4 or H5 timber in that situation, to prevent water going under the house, as it had been damp under there. The weatherboards go to 5-10cm above the ground, then there's that timber.

Air flow is good, letting water in not so much.

Is it damp under the house?

Bung
6477 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

  #963004 8-Jan-2014 09:15
Send private message

Nothing wrong with using H4 close to ground but it shouldn't be the main defence against water flow. The ground should slope away from the foundation perhaps into a slot drain. Water up against a plank will just soak in and come up the other side.



wellygary
8312 posts

Uber Geek


  #963012 8-Jan-2014 09:21
Send private message

As built it is unlikely that the base boards were concreted in,

it is likely that over time residents have decided to put down a concrete path/edging and simply lapped it right up to the baseboards.

We came across a similar situation when renovating our place, various owners in the past had laid concrete and almost totally covered up the baseboards, ( the various layers of crap concrete path were up to 20cms thick in some places, but because it was so old a few hours with an electric kango made quick work of it)

your option three is the best.

EmmaOffshore

22 posts

Geek


  #964127 9-Jan-2014 20:53
Send private message

Thanks everyone for your response.

We'll definitely go with the third option with H5 or H4 treated timber

It makes sense that there was originally clearance beneath the last boards - looks like garden rubble and bark has probably been covered over this on this side of the house, and the other side where there is a concrete path has buried weatherboards.

Not significantly damp under the house, but we'll dig out some of the rubble so it slopes away from the house.

This is our first home, so there's a lot to learn, so I appreciate the advice of those who have come before us!


Emma

DarthKermit
5346 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

  #967032 14-Jan-2014 18:42
Send private message

EmmaOffshore: Thanks everyone for your response.

We'll definitely go with the third option with H5 or H4 treated timber

It makes sense that there was originally clearance beneath the last boards - looks like garden rubble and bark has probably been covered over this on this side of the house, and the other side where there is a concrete path has buried weatherboards.

Not significantly damp under the house, but we'll dig out some of the rubble so it slopes away from the house.

This is our first home, so there's a lot to learn, so I appreciate the advice of those who have come before us!


Emma


No worries. Come back if you want any more advice.

There are a lot of people on here happy to help, or point you in the right direction. 




Whatifthespacekeyhadneverbeeninvented?


D1023319
524 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

  #967683 15-Jan-2014 17:35
Send private message

I suggest you set your lowest height for your side weather boards by working backwards from the height of any future concrete path noting your path will require a small nib against the house to direct water away.

You also need ventalation on multiple sides of house for thru draft. One side with vents is not enough.

Create new topic





News and reviews »

Air New Zealand Starts AI adoption with OpenAI
Posted 24-Jul-2025 16:00


eero Pro 7 Review
Posted 23-Jul-2025 12:07


BeeStation Plus Review
Posted 21-Jul-2025 14:21


eero Unveils New Wi-Fi 7 Products in New Zealand
Posted 21-Jul-2025 00:01


WiZ Introduces HDMI Sync Box and other Light Devices
Posted 20-Jul-2025 17:32


RedShield Enhances DDoS and Bot Attack Protection
Posted 20-Jul-2025 17:26


Seagate Ships 30TB Drives
Posted 17-Jul-2025 11:24


Oclean AirPump A10 Water Flosser Review
Posted 13-Jul-2025 11:05


Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7: Raising the Bar for Smartphones
Posted 10-Jul-2025 02:01


Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 Brings New Edge-To-Edge FlexWindow
Posted 10-Jul-2025 02:01


Epson Launches New AM-C550Z WorkForce Enterprise printer
Posted 9-Jul-2025 18:22


Samsung Releases Smart Monitor M9
Posted 9-Jul-2025 17:46


Nearly Half of Older Kiwis Still Write their Passwords on Paper
Posted 9-Jul-2025 08:42


D-Link 4G+ Cat6 Wi-Fi 6 DWR-933M Mobile Hotspot Review
Posted 1-Jul-2025 11:34


Oppo A5 Series Launches With New Levels of Durability
Posted 30-Jun-2025 10:15









Geekzone Live »

Try automatic live updates from Geekzone directly in your browser, without refreshing the page, with Geekzone Live now.



Are you subscribed to our RSS feed? You can download the latest headlines and summaries from our stories directly to your computer or smartphone by using a feed reader.