Need help on sheeting a garage.

[Industrial Toys]

I know little about carpentry or common practices.

I am sheeting the interior of my 2x4 studded garage a little at a time. It is not unheard of to have water in the garage from ice and weather conditions being just right. But not more than 1/2 inch or so. I notice the 8 foot height is very tight from concrete floor to under the trusses.

Should I cut a bit off, to get the 1/2" plywood off the concrete? Maybe half the 2x4 plate thickness?

Should I seal the bottom edge of the plywood? With What?


On another matter, has anyone mounted a 72 Bin, 8x9 bin, Bolt Bin to a 2X4 wall? If you could put ten pounds in a compartment, that is a lot of weight.

Thanks

 

[clemsonfor]

Does the bolt bin also stand on the floor? Depends on if you grab a few studs with a horizontal piece if the bin itself won't grab 3 or four. As long as the bin can support its own weight and you use lag bolts and all the mounting points I don't see why it wouldn't work. I don't know what it is right now to quote but the breaking strength of a 2x4 is huge. And if your standing in the floor and bolted to multiple studs with the correct fasteners it should be good.

As far as the sheeting. Yes I would not let the sheeting even touch the bottom plate if it were me. You want those wall voids to breathe. I would assume the bottom plate is treated...I think it's code that it is in a slab. But that wood will wick that water up so the bottom plate and studs will soak up water depending on how long that HALF INCH of water is in there. And it may get the sheeting we if you trim two inches off even. But I would not want to seal up that wall void if there is a chance moisture will be trapped in there, that's how mold will start .

 

[Diggin It]

I might consider using vinyl J channel trim at the floor to set the plywood in to keep it off the floor. I would NOT leave an open gap at the floor which could allow insects in. If venting were necessary, I'd drill holes at the top and cover them with screening. Maybe another set a foot or so above the floor.

Plywood should be 1/2' or so LESS than the wall height to allow for expansion however.

 

[RNeumann]

I would keep the sheeting off the floor. The bins can hang off the wall. If you are worried you can double the plywood or add horizontal 2x material behind it.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Thanks. I am insulating the wall with R14 Roxul. Man, it's now the second time I got burned buying this stuff from Home Hardware. It just falls apart in your hand. You are hard pressed to hold it vertically without it ripping apart! The first time I bought it, years ago, they assured me they had changed it, but alas the same thing.

I realize 96" won't fit in the space anyway, so I have to rip it off. My biggest worry around here is mice. For fire reasons.

The bolt bin will hang on the wall and not be supported on the bottom. I might put bolts through the 2x4s to the outside board and baton to hold a 3x3 or so angle iron for the bottom edge of the bin to sit on. Then lag it good and strong where ever I can catch a stud.

Back to the plywood, it is marked exterior. Is there a good side and bad side. One side opposite the writing has more knots.

 

[teejk]

Thanks. I am insulating the wall with R14 Roxul. Man, it's now the second time I got burned buying this stuff from Home Hardware. It just falls apart in your hand. You are hard pressed to hold it vertically without it ripping apart! The first time I bought it, years ago, they assured me they had changed it, but alas the same thing.

I realize 96" won't fit in the space anyway, so I have to rip it off. My biggest worry around here is mice. For fire reasons.

The bolt bin will hang on the wall and not be supported on the bottom. I might put bolts through the 2x4s to the outside board and baton to hold a 3x3 or so angle iron for the bottom edge of the bin to sit on. Then lag it good and strong where ever I can catch a stud.

Back to the plywood, it is marked exterior. Is there a good side and bad side. One side opposite the writing has more knots.

Exterior plywood mainly refers to the glue. It might or might not be pressure treated (markings or color will tell). Regardless I'd keep it off the ground. As stated by others lumber "wicks". Side of plywood? Here in the states plywood is graded based on appearance. E.g. "cdx" means grade "c" (ok but not cabinet grade) on one side, grade "d" (uglier than grade c) on the other (the "x" means exterior grade glue). Really doesn't matter which way you install it other than something you might have to look at.

 

[/pine]

FWIW...The overall wall units will be a little stronger if the plywood is run perpendicular to the framing...i.e., horizontal...
It might be worth while to add some deadwood blocking where you will be lagging the bin to the wall...it offers a bigger target than just a 1.5" stud etc..!

 

[downsizingnow48]

I would want to stop the water.

 

[Chris616]

Tom,

I agree with Pat. I would not insulate and sheet anywhere close to the floor if you occasionally get standing water in the building. Right now the sill plate and exterior sheathing can dry out after they wick in water, but that won't be the case if you sheet the interior down to the sill plate (or close to it). And I wouldn't have insulation in contact with the sill plate, because it takes forever to dry out if it wicks water into it. And you can't really leave the insulation and interior sheeting with a 6 inch gap at the bottom because the mice would love to set up house in the insulation. You could cover that gap with hardware cloth, but that's starting to get to be a lot of trouble. Based on the info that you've given us, maybe just stay with uninsulated studs in the garage? Pay more to heat in the winter if you're in there working and stay out in the heat of the summer.

You didn't say how many studs the bolt bin would span, but the bin isn't going to extend very far from the wall, so it isn't going to put much torque on the 2X4s to dislodge them from the top plate. I'd reinforce that connection, though. If it's spanning at least three studs I wouldn't worry about the studs. The bolts holding up potentially 720 lbs will be the critical thing. For that much weight I'd build something underneath to transfer the load to the concrete floor. You wouldn't want that thing to break free and land on your toes when you load something new into it.

Chris

 

[Rustyiron]

I might consider buying a few sheets of rigid (blue or pink) foam to fill the stud bay where it may see water, maybe 6" or so and then switch to your Roxul. Then using a pt 5/4 (1x6) for an exposed base board (on the farming, no plywood) then start your plywood on that with a good exterior caulking to the floor @ the 1x6.
Like Pat said, stop the water.

 

[Deere Dude]

A lot of people use OSB for sheathing garage walls and ceilings and works nice even for painting later.
Are you sure the bottom sill 2x4s are treated? I would make sure the plywood or OSB is definitely above the water level, even if it means putting 2x4 spacers above the sill plate and get the plywood 1-1/2 above the floor. Then I would possibly silicone the gap below the plywood so water doesn't go into the sill plate.

I am in kind of the same boat. The garage is set firmly on the floor. Luckily for me is it stays dry, except when I spray water around. Why builders do that, I sure don't know. It would have been minimally extra to raise it a few inches with concrete.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I'm having a tough time. Eight hours and I have not done eight feet of wall. Cramped quarters and limited ceiling height on account of a low garage door and lights.

Makes no sense to me. Studs are nice and plumb yet one truss is out of level by 3/4" to the next one.

I certainly never considered the aspect of not allowing the plate to dry out once sheeted and insulted. Can't one maybe calk it to prevent water from getting underneith?

 

[Diggin It]

If there is indeed water getting deep enough to 'stand', I'd be doing something about that. If nothing else, the bottom 3-4 inches would be something water can't damage, like Hardie board or cement tile backer board couple with water proof caulk to seal it to the floor.

 

[Industrial Toys]

No, it's just maybe a quarter to half an inch. Another job I am putting off has probably created the worst of it. I need to bury a new water line as I changed the grade of the parking lot and removed cover from the old water line. That and cleaning the parking lot, caused the line to freeze. So lately, I have not been clearing snow close to the garage which this spring caused a little flooding in the building.

But back to the sheeting. How does one measure to make sure that when one gets the sheeting into place, it fits, and isn't too big or small. Seems an almost impossible task, for me anyway!

 

[Deere Dude]

But back to the sheeting. How does one measure to make sure that when one gets the sheeting into place, it fits, and isn't too big or small. Seems an almost impossible task, for me anyway!

I would figure the height off the floor you need and push a board that thickness against the sill. Measure from that to the ceiling joists and cut the plywood.

Either that, or measure to the concrete and subtract 3/4" or whatever length you need. Then either set the plywood on the temporary base board or use a small pry bar and pry the plywood up to ceiling and nail in. Either way works well, but may take another pair of hands.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I was alone, and that wasn't easy, but maybe for the best! Long drawn out problematic projects are often best handled alone. No need to torture anyone else.

I would still like to know why the trusses are sitting nicely atop the double 2x4 top plate and out in level by 3/4" from one to another!

 

[JK22]

No, it's just maybe a quarter to half an inch. Another job I am putting off has probably created the worst of it. I need to bury a new water line as I changed the grade of the parking lot and removed cover from the old water line. That and cleaning the parking lot, caused the line to freeze. So lately, I have not been clearing snow close to the garage which this spring caused a little flooding in the building.

But back to the sheeting. How does one measure to make sure that when one gets the sheeting into place, it fits, and isn't too big or small. Seems an almost impossible task, for me anyway!

Something like this might help. I’m going through a similar process. But I’m still finishing electrical...

Diversified Tools Pocket Kicker - Drywall Panel Lifter + Edge Rasp + Scraper - Door Hanging Tool - Versatile Drywall Installation Tool. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004TRCC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_gnTuDb8V9W2TT

 

[Industrial Toys]

I used a wonder bar but found that putting plastic shims under the sheet once I got it raised worked better. The wonder bar was too wonky side to side. Here, a second person (with patience) would have helped. If it was easy, to take the sheet back outside to make adjustments, that would have been a different story.

 

[JPRambo]

this is how I hope to eliminate the water on floor soaking into the wall covering.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I see that more and more in new house construction. Great idea!