STOPPING WATER INTRUSION

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rbm328

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i have an outdoor shed that is leaking under the sole plate. the construction is 2x4 walls with outside osb then lap siding hardy plank. there is also a Z strip between the bottom of the slab and osb. i have caulked all along the top and bottom of that Z strip and it still leaks.
My question is, is Flex Seal really good or is there something else thats better?
Thanks y'all!
 
I've never known anyone who had good luck with any of the Flex Seal family of products. The most common descriptive phrase is "watered down".

PPG makes some very good caulks at reasonable prices, if you have a PPG paint store nearby. Their 300xi and 400xi series have tenacious holding power (especially the 400's) and long stretch capabilities. The both are water cleanup and no VOCs. Perhaps one of those would help. (The 300xi is similar to Sashco Big Stretch, but with a stronger grip, longer stretch and is much easier to work with- less runny. The 400 is a ramped up version with extreme holding strength & strength.)

Is there by chance Sill Seal kind of product between the sole plate and the slab? This is a closed cell foam gasket strip. Its job is to stop water from seeping in. Closed cell it the key feature.

If no foam gasket, is there a chance that you can raise the sole plate a bit at a time and tuck some in as a retrofit? You'll have to loosen the j-bolt nuts if any are present. Maybe one person with a Johnson bar or long crow bar prying up while another tucks the foam in place. Rental houses have Johnson bars if needed.

Paul
 

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Is the slab below grade, even at grade or above grade?

Photos are revealing.
 
rbm328 said:
i have an outdoor shed that is leaking under the sole plate. the construction is 2x4 walls with outside osb then lap siding hardy plank. there is also a Z strip between the bottom of the slab and osb. i have caulked all along the top and bottom of that Z strip and it still leaks.
My question is, is Flex Seal really good or is there something else thats better?
Thanks y'all!
Click to expand...

My buddy put Flex Seal on his flat roof because it was cheaper than a proper repair. (Actually, I put it on because he was not comfortable climbing onto his roof) Didn't work.

But wait a minute. Sounds like you are describing your shed is built as sketched below. If it is, I think you have not analysed the root problem properly, or something you are not telling us.
 

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rbm328 said:
i have an outdoor shed that is leaking under the sole plate. the construction is 2x4 walls with outside osb then lap siding hardy plank. there is also a Z strip between the bottom of the slab and osb. i have caulked all along the top and bottom of that Z strip and it still leaks.
My question is, is Flex Seal really good or is there something else thats better?
Thanks y'all!
Click to expand...
 

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Thanks.
Were it I, and it isn't, I would remove the bottom hardi-plank and flash, as in Steves drawing, as cumbersome as that will be.
 
Since the water is coming under the sole plate, we have to figure out where enough water comes from to get under the plate. Your ground certainly is far enough down to not cause ground water from rolling under. (This assumes water is not on top of the sole plate also.)

Can you go inside with a bright light and ladder while someone drenches the roof with a hose? Next, have the person spray the siding, but at a downward angle. (To simulate wind blown rain)


I doubt your water table is high enough that the water is wicking up through the concrete, but it's possible. The rest of the floor would be damp.

Does the dirt around the building slope away from the building? That's important. Water in a heavy rain will roll backwards toward the building, soaking the concrete. Eventually it may soak it enough to make the bottom of the sole plate wet.


I doubt water that gets behind the siding will be sufficient to get the bottom of the sole plate wet enough to notice.
And, I'm not sure that caulking both inside and out is good. It any gets behind the siding, it can't weep out when it gets to the bottom.

Let us know what you find out when water testing.

Paul
 
as for removing the bottom planks, that definitely an option; BUT, if i caulk the seam btwn last plank and metal strip and between metal strip and concrete, what is the difference? that SHOULD have sealed it - Right?
** PBJ12 -
Sentence 1 - agreed
Sentence 2 - haven't done that yet, but good idea. yesterday, i pulled off an interior osb sheet and insulation is dry and so was the TOP of the sole plate.
Sentence 3 - it is not
Sentence 4 - it does, sort of. we just put some dirt in to level out rest of yard. tomorrow i'm planning to remove that dirt. i had a gutter installed thinking that was the problem. it didn't stop it.
Sentence 5 - i was not going to caulk inside.
we'll try the hose trick tomorrow
ps- where do you live in detroit? i was stationed at CG air station at selfridge in the 70's. my favorite hangout was Suits Me Bar at Hall Rd and Gratiot!
 
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rbm328 said:
ps- where do you live in detroit? i was stationed at CG air station at selfridge in the 70's. my favorite hangout was Suits Me Bar at Hall Rd and Gratiot!
Click to expand...
Oooh! You're an east sider. I'm from the west side. We don't go east of Woodward. (Just kidding! Sorta)

You wouldn't recognize Hall & Gratiot these days. It's pure strip malls, trendy restaurants and gas stations all the way from Van Dyke to well past Gratiot. The farms from the 70's are now McMansion subdivisions- from Hall to north of 34 Mile Rd. My parents lived at 33 & Van Dyke in the 80's and you could see nothing but farms from their living room window. Now- All houses.

In the early 70's when I was in Detroit's police academy, we took our driver training at Selfridge. Semi-annual follow-up courses there too. That place is huge!
 
rbm328 said:
as for removing the bottom planks, that definitely an option; BUT, if i caulk the seam btwn last plank and metal strip and between metal strip and concrete, what is the difference? that SHOULD have sealed it - Right?
** PBJ12 -
Sentence 1 - agreed
Sentence 2 - haven't done that yet, but good idea. yesterday, i pulled off an interior osb sheet and insulation is dry and so was the TOP of the sole plate.
Sentence 3 - it is not
Sentence 4 - it does, sort of. we just put some dirt in to level out rest of yard. tomorrow i'm planning to remove that dirt. i had a gutter installed thinking that was the problem. it didn't stop it.
Sentence 5 - i was not going to caulk inside.
we'll try the hose trick tomorrow
ps- where do you live in detroit? i was stationed at CG air station at selfridge in the 70's. my favorite hangout was Suits Me Bar at Hall Rd and Gratiot!
Click to expand...
Since the caulking you've employed, thus far hasn't been successful;.

The idea of the flashing is to create a continuous pan, from the siding over the edge of the slab.

Before you conduct your water test, use a sheet of plastic attached at the lap of the second row of hard-plank and draped over the slab.
 
FOUND THE PROBLEM!! when contractor poured the extra 4" curb, he just poured it on top of existing slab, creating a crease between the curb and slab, which is giving the water a place to leech into my building. i'm going to lay plastic in over seam for now. when it stops raining for a few days, i'll have to get something to seal that seam.updated photo.jpg
 
Great Job of detective work, Rbm328! I'm happy to hear that you found the problem. Sometimes it's hard to find leaks because Water Always Wins!

I think I'd be inclined to try a sheet drain, such as Dimple Board or American Wick Drain. It will form a barrier against the seam and the dirt can be back-filled. It's very durable. You can even get one sided and adhere it to the side of the concrete with a urethane sealant or the special tape that's sold for the purpose.

Or maybe just urethane sealant on the seam would work.

Paul

https://www.awd-usa.com/products/strip-drains
https://www.awd-usa.com/product-data-sheets
 

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i found something called polyguard that i might give a try after i talk with sales. i found it in an article from "journal of light construction" https://www.jlconline.com/magazine/
its a great online mag - very informative
Rich
 
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