Thread: sealing a bottom plate

Wrap some 300mm plastic flashing around the bottom and up the sides of the frame, that should help.

Al

The quick way is to run the external cladding down past the bottom plate.

The proper way and to provide termite protection it to install and appropriately folded zincalum metal flashing.

Originally Posted by readnik

I am going to fill in my car port in the next few months, will be using timber and fibro cement, my question is how do you weather proof the bottom plate so water does not get in and rot the wood.

There is an existing cement pad so i was going to build a stud wall then just cover it, but the weather proofing has got me beat

I'm not a builder but using H4 treated pine (or H3 if you're cheap) for the bottom plate would help. H4 is for in-ground use, and H3 is for above ground use. If you use any flashing make sure that rain can't get inside any "bucket" you make with the flashing, otherwise it will be worse than without flashing.

Got a building permit (is it required?) - if so you could ask your building inspector.

You might want to have a look at the series of books by Allan Staines on building. They are available at Bunnings for $30-40.

My old copy of Staines' Renovator's Manual has a section on enclosing verandah's It suggest putting in concrete footings to several inches above ground level (or possibly you could lay a row of bricks), then ant capping, then bottom plate. But the book may be out of date and it depends on your council.

H4 treated pine.

Thankyou for the responses they help me a lot

readnik