Expert: Bruce E. Johnson - 10/27/2009

Question
Hi i'm planning renovations to my garage. The garage is insulated and half drywalled. The question that i have is the walls are built on top of the cinder blocks but it looks like there is no barrier covering where the cinder blocks and the wood meet. Is this a problem and if so how can I fix it. Any help you could give would be much appreciated

Answer
Hi miles, it's not a big deal if the wood sill is pressure treated wood or some other decay resistang species such as certain types of cedar or cypress..If it is just plain untreated white wood and it is in good shape you can treat it yourself with copper or zinc coatings found at most big box lumber stores..it is very watery.. you spray it on with a pump sprayer and let it soak in good.  Or you can take sheet metal flashing and slide it under the wall.  You may need to pry the wall up in spots and/or loosen the tie down bolts to accomplish this task..I hope this information helps, feel free to write again regarding this or other matters,sincerely bruce e johnson..bejohnsonconsulting.com