Schloesser
2021-02-06 12:45:04
- #1
Hello everyone,
first of all: I am absolutely not an expert and therefore sorry if various terms do not sound professional.
In 2015 we built a prefab house (wood frame, panel construction) with a local company that is now insolvent, so there is no one left for questions or warranty. However, my concern below is not about looking for blame or warranty or anything like that, but about help and solutions.
Last year we had a painter here in summer (a local company with a good reputation that still exists) and he pointed out a missing seal between the base slab and the plinth connection. Additionally, he noted that we don't have a real plinth but the exterior wall of the bungalow without a basement simply runs down to the bottom. At that time, we were told that plinths are no longer made. Today I know: we should have done it better... Normally, the gap between the plinth connection and the base slab would be sealed with, for example, a compressible sealing tape, which unfortunately can no longer be done retroactively in our case. As a solution, a rubber was glued externally to the lower edge of the exterior plaster and pulled down like a kind of "curtain" to the outside of the base slab. This was supposed to prevent water from penetrating laterally. It sounded logical to us and even though it didn’t look nice, the main thing was that it was tight. Meanwhile we have learned how important sealing is – unfortunately, back then we blindly trusted the prefab house company.
This winter we now have the feeling that ever since the rubber was applied, MORE moisture is being drawn into the exterior wall. Now we are worried that we may have made it worse instead of better. After days and hours of research online, we are at a loss. The fact is, our terrain is not 15 cm below the lower edge of the exterior wall/plinth connection – we will try to correct that as best as possible with splash protection. Unfortunately, the landscaper did not point that out to us at the time either.
Long story short, the question:
- Is it possible that this rubber is causing more moisture to be drawn upwards? If so, can anyone explain why?
- The lower edge of the exterior wall is "open" – I am attaching a picture where I have basically photographed upwards from the splash protection and you can see the mesh at the lower edge, since the rubber was not there yet. Behind the rubber in black in other pictures it is still so "open" and the rubber is not sealed at the bottom. I keep reading that the mesh draws moisture capillarily. So it must not only be the gap between the base slab and the exterior wall but also the lower edge of the exterior wall? If yes, how? I keep reading about plinth rails, bitumen coating or sealing tape?
- Or does it even have to be open to ventilate everything and the rubber in front is therefore wrong because it prevents air circulation?
- How can we properly solve this without constantly having to fear that the wood fiber insulation behind the plaster soaks up moisture and rots and possibly then the wood itself is also affected?
Of course, we can tear open the entire exterior wall around the whole house, remove the wood fiber boards, put in Styrodur, seal the gap between wall and base slab with compressible tape, apply a proper sealing layer and a proper exterior plaster. That’s what the painter says, of course. If there is no other way, then so be it. Better to spend 5,000 to 10,000 euros now once and have peace than have everything go bad eventually. But of course it would be better if there was a simpler good solution. And I know, everything sucks and it should have been done differently right from the start, but we trusted and all supposed experts back then said nothing to the contrary and we can no longer change those wrong decisions. We can only try to heal it now.
I hope my explanations are understandable and I hope to finally get help. Many thanks in advance!
first of all: I am absolutely not an expert and therefore sorry if various terms do not sound professional.
In 2015 we built a prefab house (wood frame, panel construction) with a local company that is now insolvent, so there is no one left for questions or warranty. However, my concern below is not about looking for blame or warranty or anything like that, but about help and solutions.
Last year we had a painter here in summer (a local company with a good reputation that still exists) and he pointed out a missing seal between the base slab and the plinth connection. Additionally, he noted that we don't have a real plinth but the exterior wall of the bungalow without a basement simply runs down to the bottom. At that time, we were told that plinths are no longer made. Today I know: we should have done it better... Normally, the gap between the plinth connection and the base slab would be sealed with, for example, a compressible sealing tape, which unfortunately can no longer be done retroactively in our case. As a solution, a rubber was glued externally to the lower edge of the exterior plaster and pulled down like a kind of "curtain" to the outside of the base slab. This was supposed to prevent water from penetrating laterally. It sounded logical to us and even though it didn’t look nice, the main thing was that it was tight. Meanwhile we have learned how important sealing is – unfortunately, back then we blindly trusted the prefab house company.
This winter we now have the feeling that ever since the rubber was applied, MORE moisture is being drawn into the exterior wall. Now we are worried that we may have made it worse instead of better. After days and hours of research online, we are at a loss. The fact is, our terrain is not 15 cm below the lower edge of the exterior wall/plinth connection – we will try to correct that as best as possible with splash protection. Unfortunately, the landscaper did not point that out to us at the time either.
Long story short, the question:
- Is it possible that this rubber is causing more moisture to be drawn upwards? If so, can anyone explain why?
- The lower edge of the exterior wall is "open" – I am attaching a picture where I have basically photographed upwards from the splash protection and you can see the mesh at the lower edge, since the rubber was not there yet. Behind the rubber in black in other pictures it is still so "open" and the rubber is not sealed at the bottom. I keep reading that the mesh draws moisture capillarily. So it must not only be the gap between the base slab and the exterior wall but also the lower edge of the exterior wall? If yes, how? I keep reading about plinth rails, bitumen coating or sealing tape?
- Or does it even have to be open to ventilate everything and the rubber in front is therefore wrong because it prevents air circulation?
- How can we properly solve this without constantly having to fear that the wood fiber insulation behind the plaster soaks up moisture and rots and possibly then the wood itself is also affected?
Of course, we can tear open the entire exterior wall around the whole house, remove the wood fiber boards, put in Styrodur, seal the gap between wall and base slab with compressible tape, apply a proper sealing layer and a proper exterior plaster. That’s what the painter says, of course. If there is no other way, then so be it. Better to spend 5,000 to 10,000 euros now once and have peace than have everything go bad eventually. But of course it would be better if there was a simpler good solution. And I know, everything sucks and it should have been done differently right from the start, but we trusted and all supposed experts back then said nothing to the contrary and we can no longer change those wrong decisions. We can only try to heal it now.
I hope my explanations are understandable and I hope to finally get help. Many thanks in advance!