I have a wood framed wall with OSB sheathing where I plan to install fiber cement lap siding. I plan to install a PVC water table / starter strip at the bottom of the wall (similar to Versatex Stealth skirt board). I’d like to install the board so that it extends below the wood framing and laps the top edge of the concrete slab about 2″. However, there are several places along the wall where the edge of concrete slab extends outward about a 1/2″ beyond the face of the sheathing. This prevents the board from extending down, unless I angle the bottom of the board out to account for the concrete slab – which I’m worried will create a noticable wave in my board and siding above.
What is the best way to handle this situation?
Replies
Door
Can you rabbit the bottom back of the pvc to cover the concrete yet not jut out causing the wave you don't want?
Well, I know you can, but will the thickness of the watertable allow it?
It's only 3/4" board, so
It's only 3/4" board, so there's not a lot left after rabbiting for the concrete. But maybe a 1/4" pvc is enough??? I can't imagine any scenario that would cause it to break.
I could thicken up the board, but then I'd be forced to thicken up all my corner boards as well... which seems like a waste of money.
Door
Since it's too late to build the wall to accommodate the water table, then marginal methods need to be dreamt up to cover the error. Maybe rabbit a bit and wave a bit-done so that the wave isn't abrupt, will fool the eye.
It's called dicking around to make it look good. Can't make money off of it, but the end result could be rewarding.
Maybe it is because the foundations around here were mostly rubble stone and uneven, but the standard is to place shims behind the WT. Just grab some scrap stock and rip up 1/2" x 7" ( or whatever size works for the WT size) and tack them on all around verticaly at 16" OC, rain shield style, over the housewrap or TP, and then install the WT over the shims. Then the angled cap above that and then the siding
WT was never common in the south or the west when I worked there, so here is my only experience with it. Realy can't recall seing it applied directly. I assume doing it that way would let you just place a metal cap strip and hen siding. That looks flat in my mind's eye.
Some bigger places have the angled cap hang over enuf that there is a cove or scotia trim mold under it too
If he's dealing with the stock PVC parts............
then his options are limited as far as he can push it out w/o doing something above to go with it.
Another answer might be to lay one furred out the half inch, cap that, run his stock WT and drip cap w/the raised back edge, then siding.
Could perhaps look goofy for the syle he's got, don't know..............can't see it.
My Plan...
My plan was to end up with something similar to the Versatex Stealth Skirt Board (http://www.versatex.com/stealth-skirtboard.php). I was going to take 1x8 PVC trim board and use a table saw to cut the top like the Versatex, then flash the top edge and install siding directly above. If I'm forced to shim the board out I won't be able to install siding directly above. I think I'll try to rabbit out a portion of the board on the lower back side and see if that will fit over the concrete and allow the board to remain unskewed. If that doesn't work, I'll have to come up with another system.
Thanks for the help and suggestions!
If you're still stumped after checking.
Post a picture of what you got and what the rest of the place looks like, maybe someone can come up with a timely idea.
Best of luck.
Many older homes around here actually have the water table installed at a angle to the wall so that water coming down doesn't run directly down to the foundation. If you like that detail you could easily hide the uneven foundation by ripping an angle on a backer strip thatsuits your taste and covers the errors.
It's PVC -- wave a torch at it and bend it to fit.
I almost always install WT with shims behind it, anywhere from 1/2" to 1-1/2" depending what is most appropriate for the house style/design
I almost always install WT with shims behind it, anywhere from 1/2" to 1-1/2" depending what is most appropriate for the house style/design