Replies

1. 
   Nails | May 07, 2002 04:42pm | #1

   Great question, one that is usually ignored because because its not worth the effort to find out exactly. I use a slap stappler to fasten the sill sealer to the bottom of the foundation plate to keep it from moving around.  Another question I would like to add to yours is , when using " copper top " rolls of shield, does the copper go up or down? Half say copper up because of weather infiltration, half say down because the copper is the barrier . Maybe it should be called  "coppper down". Thanks for asking a question I often thought about  and never found a source  that I trust to answer it.

2. 
   BossHog | May 07, 2002 08:10pm | #2

   I've also wondered about this, but have not ever gotten a reliable answer. I'm not sure it matters a whole lot.

   One contractor I asked said: "We put the termite shield under the sill sealer - We don't want to give them critters nuthin' ta eat"

   Redneck Extraordinaire

1. 
   caseyr | May 07, 2002 09:05pm | #3

   Having never installed either a sill sealer or a termite shield of course does not deter me from expressing an expert opinion or two on the subject...

   It appears that the purpose of sill sealer is to block air movement through cracks and spaces between the foundation and the bottom of the wall. The area where the mudsill sits on the foundation can get a fair degree of movement and warpage, so a sill sealer that is flexible enough to continue to block air passage in this area is desirable when the area beyond the mudsill/foundation joint is part of the building envelope. My guess would be that you would want to place the sill seal where it would be most likely to block air movement and I would guess that would be between the termite shield and the rough top of the foundation. If you also had a warped or uneven mud sill and you wanted to block as much air passage as possible, it would seem to make sense to also include a sealer between the mud sill and the termite shield. If any air moving past the foundation/termite shield/mud sill simply went into a vented crawl space, I couldn't see any reason to have any sealer material.

   From: http://xnet.rrc.mb.ca/proctor/Construction%20Intro/glossary.htm :

   <i>Sill sealer Usually a polystyrene foam material placed between the sill plate and the foundation to restrict the entry of drafts and insects.</i>

   While the following does show a sketch with the sill sealer below the termite shield, I found the info on this site generally interesting:

   http://www.energycodes.gov/implement/pdfs/lib_ks_found_ins_guide.pdf

   I also found the following interesting. It doesn't discuss termite shields but does give some opinions on types of sill sealers:

   http://www.sipweb.com/Manual/air_sealing.asp

   Now, hopefully, we will hear from someone who actually knows what they are talking about...

1. 
   dvc61 | May 10, 2002 06:10am | #6

   Wow! I'm impressed. Thanks for taking the time to answer my seemingly simple question. It seems that just like most things in carpentry, there are always two ways to skin a cat. The guys I work with seem to go for the sill sealer first, due to the uneven surface of the foundation. I guess that works best for drafts, but as far as termites, and it is called a "termite shield", I always thought you should let the little buggers hit tin first. Hmmmm. Onward!

1. 
   Homewright | May 10, 2002 02:16pm | #7

   You have to consider how edible the termites will find the seal material before they reach the tin.  I concur with the seal first, tin second approach.

3. 
   Nails | May 08, 2002 04:43am | #4

   Your question was on my mind this afternoon , while I was on the job I got to thinking why with a 8 in. foundation block crawl  space  why isnt the sill sealer 8 in. wide?

4. 
   oldjerry | May 08, 2002 09:18am | #5

   My vote says:

   foundation, sill sealer, term. shield, caulk, then plate.

   Jerry