sill plate/board

bnrboy775 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 12:36 am

I have noticed on the front of my mobile home that the sill plate looks to be damaged from rot or whatever. Looks like water got under the skirting and into the nails. I have masonite siding and the bottom of it is also rotted. Is there an easier fix for this? I have already considered tearing off the masonite on the from this year and replacing with either newer masonite/ plywood siding or vinyl siding. But what do I need to do about that sill board? What siding do you guys recommend? Is this going to be a pretty difficult fix?

DaveyB · Wed Jun 01, 2011 3:21 am

Hi!

When you think of wood rot, think of the Titanic! Rot is like an iceberg, you only see the top part of it, and the rest is hidden under water (or paint, in your case).

I would certainly approach this from the point of view of everything is rotted, and anything that isn't is a bonus. If water has got under the skirting and into the nails, then you can bet that the nails are rusting all the way into whatever they are nailed into, and that the rot is settling in there too.

From your description, it is impossible to guess the extent of the damage, but if the siding is showing signs of damage also, replacing it is only going to cover up the can of worms. I can't promise it is going to be an easy fix, but if you prepare for the worst, then you may (or may not) be pleasantly surprised. Obviously, the sooner repairs are begun the less damage will be found.

Are you sure that this is from rain damage, and not from condensation or a leaking supply or drainage pipe inside the home? It might be worth pulling back part of the underbelly right behind that sill and see what you find there. It would certainly be very odd to find the siding rotting in one place only while the rest on the same side remained intact, unless you have a major infestation of woodworm or someone has had a field day with a drill!

Hope that helps!

DaveyB

bnrboy775 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 6:57 am

The majority of the damage is under and around the water heater door on the north side of the house. Possibly at some point water heater was leaking and went unnoticed, home was vacant for a period of about 5 years so this is possible. If there is more damage then I can see, what do you think is my best approach for fixing this? Am I looking at more moneythen its worth, my mobile is was built in 1983, so the value of it is not that high to begin with. It doesn't appear to be damaged enough to be affecting the walls as they are not sagging down or anything and in the living room when we remodeled we took th interior paneling off and there was no damage there either.

bnrboy775 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 7:17 am

And just so you know I have changed the water heater and the floor had been replaced in the closet at some point. The bathroom located next to the water heater also has some water damage along the bottom of the wall so that also leads me to believe the water heater just may be the culprit.

Greg · Wed Jun 01, 2011 4:56 pm

Years ago there was a class action lawsuit involving that type of siding. As Davey said there MAY be some major rottage started, the only way to find out is to open things up and get a look.

I would have a plan on new siding before you start and plan for the worst. you may get lucky and be able to just reside but if you plan for more you are prepared.

Greg

bnrboy775 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 5:43 pm

Here was a class action suit filed. Only problem is that you had to file by like 2001 or something to receive any compensation for the siding (anybody correct me if im wrong on that). Now what siding to you recommend? Cheapest/ easiest. And my question still hasn't been answered about how to go about fixing the board.

wsarvis55 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 9:19 pm

We had problems with the siding also and replaced with vinyl siding. Pulling off the old siding found some damage but got to it before it got any worse. Ours was from poor siding and getting wet from the rain. This led to some rotting but better to find out now before more damage. Looks great now and I feel better knowing it's fixed properly.

Greg · Thu Jun 02, 2011 5:00 pm

The cheapest may be T111 plywood. The problem will be that you can usually find 8' sheets and you will need 9-10' so you have to seam it. You will need to make "Z" flashing for the seam to keep water out as well as good quality caulk.

You could use OSB sheeting and vinyl siding also. I think it would look better and last longer.

The class action suit was done years ago, and most likely paid pennies on the dollar anyway.

Greg

bnrboy775 · Fri Jun 03, 2011 1:00 am

Thank you Greg. But what can I do about that sill board. Can I just cut the damaged area out and nail a new board up? Or do I have to get someone to come do it for me. Or just leave it and cover it up and hope more rot doesn't happen?

Greg · Fri Jun 03, 2011 5:44 pm

You should cut it out and replace it. It should not be too hard, but like most repairs it can be time consuming. Doing a "cover up" will not make the problem go away and it will only get worse over time.

If you can get a few pictures we may be able to give you a better idea of what you are up against.

Greg