Help with Hardie board framing detail
Hello,
I’m GC’ing the build of my own house and I’m having some trouble working out the framing detail on the side of our house.
It is a 2,550 single storey home with a full basement. The front of the home will have hardie board and eldorado stone throughout, however we are not going to continue the stone skirting around the entire home. Aesthetically, we want to have a 3′ stone return on the side (which will be about 2’6″ high), then continue hardie board for the full height of the walls all the way around the home.
I will have a 16″ brickledge for the stone (4″ deep), and I will have 9″ wide poured concrete walls. The siding will need to come down and meet up with the bottom of the stone skirting for it to look proper and this is causing some framing issues. The architect came up with the following suggestions for the siding framing details for this transition:
– where the siding starts on the side (i.e. after the 3′ stone return), pour a full 9′ wide wall. Have the wall framing extend out beyond the rim joists / level of foundation wall 3/4″. On the double bottom plate for the framing, have the bottom plate cut by 3/4″. Under the bottom plate, have felt paper underneath and extend to the outside of the home and down the side wall. Then Ramset a 3/4″ plywood sheet to the side of the foundation wall. The plywood will not be touching the concrete wall since the felt paper will overhang from underneath the bottom plate. This plywood would also be housewrapped, as will all the exterior sheating.
OR
– have a 2″ deep brickledge formed around the entire sides and back of the house. Ramset in 2 x 2 sleepers to the foundation wall in the 2″ brickledge cavity. Extend wall sheating down and nail to 2 x 2 sleepers. Then attach Hardie to the sheating as you normally would.
We also thought of continuing the 4″ deep brickledge all the way around the home, and adding a 2 x 4 psuedo “kneewall” with the similar idea to option # 2 above. However, we were both concerned over the strength of the foundation wall if we are cutting 4″ in and only adding 2 x 4’s for the sheating.
RIght now, we are leaning on the 3/4″ plywood alternative since this should (apparently) be enough material to nail the Hardie board to. Also, we have correct any “wows” in the foundation wall, since the top of the 3/4″ plywood will be nailed to the bottom of the double-bottom plate (in the 3/’4 cavity created by ripping this amount of material off the bottom plate). Then the bottom can be shimed to “level” this 16″ brickledge space to make for easier siding installation.
However, I would really appreciate thoughts / comments / other suggestions for this issue. I apologize for the long-winded email, but it’s kind of difficult to explain in words. If anyone needs clarification, please let me know. Thanks greatly for your help!