Wall design - brick & timber

[onholidays]

I'm rebuilding a non-structural wall under my house (currently asbestos sheets!) and want to run bricks along the bottom to act as a termite/pest visibility border

The attached pic has the details. Concrete slab base, single height row of bricks with galvanised steel ant capping along the top of it. Ankascrew bolted to that will be a piece of timber, which will form the base of the wall studs (timber). The river pebbles will fill out an existing garden bed which I am now digging out, and the pavers are currently the courtyard. All I've got at the moment is concrete slab and pavers. ;) Some work still to do!

I'm leaving the 75mm brick/capping combo at the bottom in case of termites (so I can see their trails) as the slab is already at/below the opposite ground level. The river pebble bed is partly for looks, partly to allow less dirt near the timber and make it easier to see the brickwork.

Is this design sensible? Any better ideas?
(edit: Forgot to mention: by day I'm a humble IT guy, on my 3 week "holiday" starting today I'm working on fixing up my first home in Brisbane. So please forgive my newbieness if I ask lots of questions and the odd silly question!) :D

[bitingmidge]

Wish I were On Holidays!!!

I think the base brick is a waste of time...determined little termite pests will go in through the bottom bed anyway, as will moisture.

All else looks OK, use the flashing as shown, but dig the gravel filled "gutter" a little deeper and drain it so it works like a proper gutter. Desirably you'd have a LOT more height above the outside level, but beggars can't be choosers, get as much as you can, say 100mm min, and make sure all is drained away from the building, wiht the gutter used as a backstop.

Cheers,

P_

[simon c]

If you want to use the gutter as a real gutter - dig it deaper as midge says and place a run of slotted aggi pipe along the gutter. Surround the piep and buildup with crushed rock with you should compact to some extent and then put the pebbles on top of that.

[journeyman Mick]

Like the Midge said, lose the brick at the bottom, it's a waste of time. If you look at your cross section, termites can go through the bottom mortar joint and then up the inside of the wall behind the skirting/plasterboard to get into the timber stud without being visible. You will have to dig your drain deeper and leave the slab edge exposed so that any termite activity can be spotted.

Mick

[onholidays]

Ok so if I lose the brick, then the ant capping sits on the slab and the timber is screwed down straight over the top of it? That's how it is on another wall, just checking to make sure that wall is also done right.

I'm hoping that removing the brick will still leave clearance over the pavers for the doors to swing (the drain beside the house idea was because the slab is a tiny bit below the paver level) The asbestos is coming off as we speak, so I'll get out there with the level and see what the go is. Thanks again for the ideas and feedback, if I could have started with a less complicated project I would have! :)