Man Cave/reloading room on hold GRRRRRR!!!!!!

[tufrthnails]

I reload in my shop out back. I'm very blessed to have a 20x30 2 bay shop out back at the house. I had all my reloading gear out there on one wall, but here in FL with it not being climate controlled it makes it really difficult to keep my gear in decent condition. I had decided to wall off one bay and insulate it. Wanted to add a window unit and a dehumidifier. I started ripping the panel off the wall to have clean walls to start framing out the center wall. This is what I found behind the only paneling in the shop.






I knew about termite damage as I had to reframe from the door to the right corner and have the place treated for termites when we bought the place. But has me over the top pissed off is this is the only paneling in the whole shop so instead of fixing it the old owner paneled over it to hid it when we bought the place. there is an old leak up top of the roof from before the lean to was installed I am assuming because it is all dry, so now I got my work cut out for me.


Rant over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LongRange]

i can believe they still use OSB plywood down there...that sucks that a pretty simple project turns into reframing a wall.

[yobuck]

I wouldn't pin the blame on the use of the osb, as it has its place and this is one of them. But I wouldn't agree on its use for roof sheathing which is no doubt why LR has his opinion. Termits start from the ground up not from the roof down. That said moisture caused by leaks seems to attract them. But if they are present they will attact, moisture or no moisture.
The sill plates the wall studs are attached to don't appear to be pressure treated material. If that's the case id be removing a section at a time and replacing those plates with a double plate of treated lumber.
The Florida building code requires that treated lumber be used for all sill plates as well as all other places where wood touches masonry or concrete. It also requires verification of termite treatment at various stages of construction. Chances are this was an under the radar project with no permit and no inspections.
If you were to take a pointed 2x4 stake and drive the pointed end into the ground say 16" within a year the termites will have eaten it. So take note and have the place periodicly checked and treated.
And also watch the gators don't get the dog lol.

[sixonetonoffun]

Bummer! My stuff is setup in an old grainery. Got it cleaned up aand wired decent but tough to get rid of 50 years of oat and rye dust. Not to mention the lovely aroma of rat n mouse urine.

[tufrthnails]

I wouldn't pin the blame on the use of the osb, as it has its place and this is one of them. But I wouldn't agree on its use for roof sheathing which is no doubt why LR has his opinion. Termits start from the ground up not from the roof down. That said moisture caused by leaks seems to attract them. But if they are present they will attact, moisture or no moisture.
The sill plates the wall studs are attached to don't appear to be pressure treated material. If that's the case id be removing a section at a time and replacing those plates with a double plate of treated lumber.
The Florida building code requires that treated lumber be used for all sill plates as well as all other places where wood touches masonry or concrete. It also requires verification of termite treatment at various stages of construction. Chances are this was an under the radar project with no permit and no inspections.
If you were to take a pointed 2x4 stake and drive the pointed end into the ground say 16" within a year the termites will have eaten it. So take note and have the place periodicly checked and treated.
And also watch the gators don't get the dog lol.

I am certain it was under the radar the window is being removed an not reinstalled. The other two windows are not PT either. I have a permit for the pad but not the building from the previous owner. I have been rewiring the place a little at a time most of the wiring is okay but some of it looks like after the fact shody work. I rough wired mobile home for a couple years for Palm Harbor mobile homes so that isn't a big deal.
I also hate OSB, but as you stated it has it's place. I had to have it treated for termites when we moved in which is why I already reframed the door to the corner and the pest guy is slated to come back this year (every three years) to inspect and retreat if needed. I sent him pics so he is going to swing by, but he is fairly sure it is all old damage that was just behind the shelving and paneling.

[LongRange]

OSB isnt good for anything where theres high moisture especially for roofs but also for sheer siding...theres a bunch of big law suits going on in calif just to name one place over the use of OSB...once OSB gets wet...not damp but WET...it will dry rott.
a few years ago before all the issues with OSB came to light there was a building that was sheeted with OSB here local in the winter...it snowed pretty heavy and then slowly melted off over the course of about a week after which it was deemed dry enough to install the metal roofing...two yrs later there were some other issues and the inspectors noticed the bad roof sheeting so the metal roof was tore off and 95% of the OSB roof sheeting was bad enough that you could EASILY push your finger through it...we did not do the original roof but we did do the re-roof...ive seen a lot of bad 3 and 5 ply plywood as well but most of it was 20+yrs old or over VERY high moisture type buildings such as pools old florist shops ect.

[yobuck]

I wouldn't be necessarily blaming the windows either. Chances are they just weren't installed properly.
The siding appears to be vinyl which wouldn't be hard to remove and reuse later. That would give you
a good opportunity to see where any problem areas were, like no flashing above the windows. You could
actually tell that without removing the siding, but removing it would be necessary in order to fix it properly.
It would also give the opportunity to inspect for other possible termite locations not yet visable on the inside.
Chances are they came up behind the siding and chewed their way in. There should be at least 8" and preferably
more distance from the ground to the bottom of the siding in any areas where frame exterior walls exist. That allows
for a more visable detection of termite activity. If you don't have that, id suggest taking a sawsall to the bottom of the wall a section at a time and installing masonry in its place. Fix the problem first, then fix the existing damage.
Same thing as we need to do with the over flowing septic system in our nations capitol.

[tufrthnails]

I'm not doing anything until I get on the roof and fix the rotten spot slash possible leak then I'll snatch the siding off and rip all that OSB off and start reframing. Everything above the window is solid but I'm removing and not reinstalling the window the wall lands in the middle of it so I'm not going to just patch it in I'm gonna reframe it start to finish then deal with the paneling and siding. I was up there and found quite a few smashed rounds (we are in the country stupidity in the form of rounds fired in the air on holidays abounds) in the gulley so its possible one struck the roof causing the original leak, but my money is on the lean to having not been properly installed. the window is siliconed all over on the outside, which should have tipped me off a long time ago, but I never thought much about it.

Edit: The pad 3+ feet around all but one side of the building and that side is around a foot from the ground to the bottom of the stick wall.

[yobuck]

Well weve found the opposite to be true with regard to moisture affecting the osb.
Lay a sheet of sheathing grade plywood on the ground next to a sheet of osb and see
which one hangs together best. Exposure to the elements during the construction process
is a major reason many builders prefer using osb. Plywood will delaminate very quickly when it gets wet.
The main problem using osb on roofs is the shingle nails don't grip as well as they do in plywood.
There are also differences between various manufacturers, and I would suspect that could have caused some problems.
Where the product originated could be the issue also. There have been major problems involving drywall made
in China. Houses have been condemmed as for occupancy due to that issue.

[penna shooter]

Bummer, hope to see finished cave .Good luck.

[tufrthnails]

. There have been major problems involving drywall made
in China. Houses have been condemmed as for occupancy due to that issue.

Yeah I know we had a major problem with Chinese Drywall here in florida a while back I havn't heard much about it since.

[LongRange]

Well weve found the opposite to be true with regard to moisture affecting the osb.
Lay a sheet of sheathing grade plywood on the ground next to a sheet of osb and see
which one hangs together best. Exposure to the elements during the construction process
is a major reason many builders prefer using osb. Plywood will delaminate very quickly when it gets wet.
The main problem using osb on roofs is the shingle nails don't grip as well as they do in plywood.
There are also differences between various manufacturers, and I would suspect that could have caused some problems.
Where the product originated could be the issue also. There have been major problems involving drywall made
in China. Houses have been condemmed as for occupancy due to that issue.

just curios buck are you a city inspector of have a history in the trades?

[Stockrex]

it is likely the window that leaked and let in moisture, and then the termites moved in cuz of the moisture.

maybe you can use treated lumber (like on the holmes tv show),

[tufrthnails]

it is likely the window that leaked and let in moisture, and then the termites moved in cuz of the moisture.

maybe you can use treated lumber (like on the holmes tv show),

I only use PT here in FL. My chicken coop is PT. My sons swing fort thing is PT. As stated before if you stick reg pine in the ground or on the ground for any length of time termites will destroy it.

[fgw_in_fla]

OSB made nowadays uses a water resistant glue so it'll survive moisture better than standard plywood. As for roof sheathing, its stronger than plywood of the same thickness.

As for the pests, do the 'ol "surround & drown" to control them. Home Depot or Lowe's sells the stuff you need. It's about 25 bucks a bottle (about a quart & a half).
A shallow trench around the perimeter and mix the stuff up in 5 gal. buckets. Use 5 gals. per 8-10ft of trench. When it soaks in, fill the trench. Do this once and they're done. You may want to re-treat every 5-6 years to make sure they're gone and / or as an insurance measure.

Been doing it that way since 1985 and have not had any T-Mite trouble since. I even see them swarm from the ground within 10ft of the house but no sign of them in the structure. If I can be of assistance, drop me a line. I did that stuff for 45 years and now retired, I try to stay active in it helping friends & family, etc.

By the way, I'll be up in Hamilton & Suwannee county tomorrow property shopping.

Have fun with your project.

[tufrthnails]

OSB made nowadays uses a water resistant glue so it'll survive moisture better than standard plywood. As for roof sheathing, its stronger than plywood of the same thickness.

As for the pests, do the 'ol "surround & drown" to control them. Home Depot or Lowe's sells the stuff you need. It's about 25 bucks a bottle (about a quart & a half).
A shallow trench around the perimeter and mix the stuff up in 5 gal. buckets. Use 5 gals. per 8-10ft of trench. When it soaks in, fill the trench. Do this once and they're done. You may want to re-treat every 5-6 years to make sure they're gone and / or as an insurance measure.

Been doing it that way since 1985 and have not had any T-Mite trouble since. I even see them swarm from the ground within 10ft of the house but no sign of them in the structure. If I can be of assistance, drop me a line. I did that stuff for 45 years and now retired, I try to stay active in it helping friends & family, etc.

By the way, I'll be up in Hamilton & Suwannee county tomorrow property shopping.

Have fun with your project.

Thanks Frank,

My pest guy (family friend) swung in yesterday and gave it the once over he said their are no living termites, but he went ahead and retreated the ground again (He didn't tell me I just realized the holes in concrete had been drilled out and refilled again) its nice to be owed a favor from time to time. I guess wens or thursday I'll be working my way through the project after I get off this weeks shift.

You looking for a new house, new investment property, or new property to play on. My wife went up to NW Georgia to look at a cabin property a few weeks ago. She is on this retirement property kick right now. I usually just sit back and let her wear herself out on her whims, but I have to say it would be cool to have a little vacation property in N GA or SC.

[yobuck]

just curios buck are you a city inspector of have a history in the trades?

My late uncle was a home builder and I watched him piss a few times.
So I kinda figured hey I can do the same as him and no doubt much better.
But seriously, yes I was in the building business in PA, having started in my fathers masonry business in the early 50s.
When I came to Florida I was 64 but took the test and became a licensed building contractor which helped my youngest son get started here.

As for the strength factor, (good) quality plywood would be better. On a roof with 16" oc rafters you would need clips on the seams between the rafters on the 7/16th osb as opposed to not with good 4 ply 1/2" plywood. Unfortunatly not all is 4 ply plywood. Go to a box store and count the
layers. Don't bother yourself by asking questions.

[fgw_in_fla]

Thanks Frank,

My pest guy (family friend) swung in yesterday and gave it the once over he said their are no living termites, but he went ahead and retreated the ground again (He didn't tell me I just realized the holes in concrete had been drilled out and refilled again) its nice to be owed a favor from time to time. I guess wens or thursday I'll be working my way through the project after I get off this weeks shift.

You looking for a new house, new investment property, or new property to play on. My wife went up to NW Georgia to look at a cabin property a few weeks ago. She is on this retirement property kick right now. I usually just sit back and let her wear herself out on her whims, but I have to say it would be cool to have a little vacation property in N GA or SC.

We just got home from Hamilton & Suwannee Co. looking at 25 to 50 acre plots of mostly woods. We're looking to get a little further north and use it for retirement / camping / hunting / shooting / hunting & retirement.
Did I mention hunting?

Today we looked at a real nice piece of dirt or 30 acres with a small pond in the middle. The wife loves it. I see a mosquito breeder.
One of these times we get up that way I'll try to drop you a line. Maybe we can swing by on the way home.

[tufrthnails]

We just got home from Hamilton & Suwannee Co. looking at 25 to 50 acre plots of mostly woods. We're looking to get a little further north and use it for retirement / camping / hunting / shooting / hunting & retirement.
Did I mention hunting?

Today we looked at a real nice piece of dirt or 30 acres with a small pond in the middle. The wife loves it. I see a mosquito breeder.
One of these times we get up that way I'll try to drop you a line. Maybe we can swing by on the way home.

Sounds like fun and a good excuse to fire up the grill!

One of my buddies has 5 acres with a pond on the hillsborough/polk border and during the summer the skeeters are ridiculous down by the pond. I have a creek that runs across the back of the property and down by it they are really bad in the summer. I love having the creek because it has a lot of fish and a good place to shoot hand guns with a safe backstop, but the skeeters are one of the drawbacks.

[fgw_in_fla]

Skeeters?
Why, I hadn't noticed.

Much.....

[tufrthnails]

Skeeters?
Why, I hadn't noticed.

Much.....

[tufrthnails]

Figured I would update. We got the wall rebuilt and the window sealed in properly. I also got a good start on my Man Cave/ Reloading room. I got a couple of electrical drops to relocate and one junction box that I found to trace out and figure out why in the heck it is there. Then one to painting the floor and building benches and shelves. Also have to tint the window to keep sun out and prying eyes from peeking in my drawers! I'm hoping for a TV for fathers day to hang in the corner. I already got a super comfortable recliner so i'm not sure how much loading will get done, but I can see a lot of naps and movie watching the the peace and quiet.

[243LPR]

I don't care for people peeking in my drawers either! That's why my man cave is in the basement.

[tufrthnails]

Finally got a break from work to work on the cave last week. Got all the electrical figured out. Got the ceiling knocked down and painted. Got the floor painted with the tan two-part garage epoxy from Rustolem. Got all the trim finished except the window. Tinted the window. Now all I got left is to build the benches and shelving. I'll try to get some pictures at some point. I know one thing is for sure I am running out of loaded rounds pretty quick. I got a laundry list of rounds to get built before hunting season between my rounds and the boys rounds. He has been shooting boxed ammo for a few months now.

[tufrthnails]

Got some more work done... Not real sure what happened with the stain, but it didn't seem to take where I used the wood filler. The filler said it was stainable. I like the distressed look and that was what I was going for but it turned out a bit more like abused then distressed.