My now 23 year old daughter Allison sent me this meme once. I found it quite appropriate for self use when I mentioned a product in yesterday’s article which I had never written about.
From Homework Design, the makers of Plasti-Sleeve® Post Protectors is another innovation towards post frame building longevity – the Plasti-Skirt.
Plasti-Skirt enhances quality and protection for post frame buildings. Rot and decay of skirt boards (aka Splash Planks) can compromise your building structure with serious problems. Many new wood preservatives are evolving in the wake of CCA treatment being phased out for many uses. However most of the new treatment formulas are unproven long term… but plastic is. The HDPE plastic used in Homework Design products is completely resistant to moisture, organic matter, concrete, most chemicals (including wood preservatives), animal wastes, etc. Use Plasti-Skirt and Plasti-Sleeve for total protection and confidence on your new post frame buildings.
Plasti-Skirt is a heavy duty u-shaped plastic cover for skirt boards in post frame construction. With an inside measurement of 1-9/16 inches and 7-1/4 inches tall, it fits ideally over 2×8 skirt boards. Standard lengths are 8’3” and 10’3” to provide adequate overlaps between adjoining members.
While most new generation pressure treating chemical formulations are no longer (or minimally) corrosive to steel trims and siding, Plasti-Skirt does provide a positive barrier between treated lumber and steel trims and siding.
Skirt boards are largely overlooked as being a key structural component of post frame buildings, however they are essential to the proper transfer of wind shear loads to the wall columns and thence into the ground. Plasti-Skirts protect the vital skirt board from ground contact, decay, concrete, moisture, etc.
Quick to install, Plasti-Skirt cuts easily with snips, saw, or knife.
Concerned about premature skirt board decay? Or maybe it is termites you fear? If so Plasti-Skirts might just be the answer you were in search of!
An interesting and insightful posting; thank you!
I’m interested in building a post frame home, but my main concern now is how to keep water/pests from entering since the slab is poured after the building is set. Would a similar process be followed when framing between posts as in a conventional build, like flashing, sill gasket?
Around your building’s perimeter will be a 2×8 pressure preservative treated splash plank. It is set so the bottom of it is at grade (3-1/2″ below top of your concrete slab). Unless you are using closed cell spray foam insulation applied directly to your steel siding, you should have a Weather Resistant Barrier (WRB – Tyvek or similar) between wall framing and siding. We place a steel base trim at bottom of siding with its drip leg four inches above grade. You can order form fitted inside closures from us to seal bottom of steel siding ribs as well. On the inside, it is recommended to use seal sealer, a bead of caulking, or both to seal bottom sill to slab.
So for water to enter, water would need to be more than 7-1/4″ deep outside of your building (to get over the top of the 2×8), get through the inside closures and WRB in order to enter your wall cavity.