Is there a budget-friendly method to prevent water seepage under the walls of a small garage storage building being renovated into a She Shed on a slab with wood frame and hardyboard panel siding?
Asked by Freja Olsen 
6 months ago
Last Updated: May 16, 2024
I’m thinking about renovating my small garage/storage building into a “She Shed,” but I’m concerned about water seeping under the walls. Do you know of a cost-effective way to prevent this? The building is made of wood frames on a slab with panel siding similar to hardyboard. Thanks in advance!
The most affordable option is to ensure that the soil is lower than the concrete around the perimeter, have the ground slope away from the structure, and install gutters to divert water away from the building.
Starting with these steps could potentially resolve all the issues.
Make sure to check the gutters and slope of the grade first if water is coming in around a foundation.
Yeah, and because it’s only a slab, it should suffice
Since it’s just a she shed, you might also consider caulking around the perimeter, where the sill plate meets the concrete, if possible. It’s not the standard construction method but it’s just a shed, isn’t it?
Just a shed, but it’s a she shed, you might be in for some trouble now for a guy who was correct, ⚠️
Haha true! I really want to insulate it and maybe even install a mini split so I can move my laser out of my husband’s wood shop.
No gutters, there’s a small overhang on the roof but the slope of the ground needs to be leveled. It’s not much higher on one side but I’m aware that’s causing some problems.
It’s over for you, she’s armed with a laser! Pew pew pew
Flashing should be installed under the bottom row of siding, beneath the house wrap, and over the concrete into the ground a few inches.
Right now, the siding is the large 4×8 barn paneling that is mostly in good shape (maybe 2 panels will need to be replaced), so I’m looking for something that won’t require us to take it all down and put it back up… 😁 but I understand it’s best to do it right the first time instead of having to redo it later.
Hey, it would have been better if we did it from the beginning, but it’s a bit of work to do now!
Hey , yeah, that building was already here when we purchased the property back in 2008. It seems to have been constructed sometime in the late 70s or early 80s. Besides the one spot that leaks during heavy rainfall, it’s in pretty good condition.
Hey , this is my specialty 👌
I’m sort of making an educated guess without any visual aids
Pictures
Photos of the foundation