Water flowing under bottom plate

[Two Buckets]

I'm looking for suggestions on sealing the bottom plate to the concrete floor on a Versatube metal building. Yesterday I was working on the inside when it started raining and I noticed water coming in from under the steel bottom plate and the floor.
It was pretty bad in a couple of places and only minimal in others but I want to seal/caulk it so no water can enter.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Was the concrete floor/pad poured and the building put on top so there is a sidewalk or apron on the outside of the building ?

 

[doublearon98]

Is the grade level of the ground above or close to the top of the slab?

 

[Bretny]

It sounds like you need to keep water away from the base of the building and not seal up the wall/slab area.
Treat the real problem not what it caused.

 

[KenC]

Same issue here.
My pad was poured first and is a few inches wider than the building. Water running down the sides would creep under the steel. So, Steel wedges made from leaf springs, pry bar. Loosen the holddown bolt, raise one side with wedge/bar. 1/4" is plenty. Squirt gap with good quality caulk, Polyurethane is best. Set back down and tighten bolts.

 

[kbs2244]

Gutters and long downspouts has cured this many times.

 

[larry4406]

Gutters and long downspouts has cured this many times.

As has Z-flashing.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Same issue here.
My pad was poured first and is a few inches wider than the building.

You're not the first and certainly not the last. Why it's built this way still boggles my mind. It's a recipe for disaster from the get go.

 

[Two Buckets]

The slab is above grade (I'm in a flood zone) and, like KenC, the pad is wider than the building. Bad design? I agree now but it is what the manufacturer requires in their plans. I didn't know better at the time but I sure do now.
Polyurethane or butyl rubber caulking is probably going to be my solution.
BTW Thanks for the replies!

 

[428PI]

When Carolina Carports put up their buildings don't they say that you (the owner) can put down some kind of water barrier before they put up the building to prevent this? Didn't you have the chance to put something there originally?

 

[NUTTSGT]

The slab is above grade (I'm in a flood zone) and, like KenC, the pad is wider than the building. Bad design? I agree now but it is what the manufacturer requires in their plans. I didn't know better at the time but I sure do now.
Polyurethane or butyl rubber caulking is probably going to be my solution.
BTW Thanks for the replies!

The inherent problem is people not knowing, but the manufacturer should. Some of the Amish do the same thing with building around here. . . . fine and dandy till you get a driving rain or melting snow. Imagine using the same principle when building a house on a slab foundation ?

Once it's caulked, it'd be nice to get some flashing behind the metal siding like Ken mentions. Gutters and down spouts as mentioned by KBS will help get more water away and be less problematic.

 

[theoldwizard1]

If the outside water level gets up to the level of the bottom of the bottom plate, you will NEVER stop it completely. BTDTGTT Caulk or whatever will slow it down and may work for a few months or years but IT WILL FAIL !

Either re-grade the outside or install a French drain and carry the water some where else.

 

[Two Buckets]

All good suggestions but it looks like I'll take the low budget approach and caulk for the time being. Some additional landscaping, including a french drain, is planned for the yard in that area for next year.

 

[PWC Repair]

Vulkem is an excellent choice for this.

 

[Two Buckets]

I will look into the vulkem. Thanks.

 

[readhead]

I am a Versatube dealer and I have never seen in either the stock details or special concrete details where the slab is poured larger than the building. Their standard detail shows a sheeting notch formed into the slab to avoid the very problem you are having.

The correct solution would be to have some flashing bent up to go under the wall sheeting and out and down over the edge of the concrete. It is a very easy fix. Pull the screws at the bottom of the wall and slide the flashing in from one end. Make sure to caulk the lap joints in the flashing. Put the screws back in and your done.

 

[Two Buckets]

My Versatube user guide clearly shows under foundation requirements that the slab should be building width + 6" and the building length + 3". This is to allow for the hat channel and for the sheeting ledge that my cement guys failed to add. On top of that the slab is 25' x 25' for a 24 x 24 building so there is excess concrete all the way around. If we had poured the slab as directed there wouldn't be a problem.
I do like your flashing idea though. Thanks for the input!

 

[brownbagg]

the slab suppose to have a step down couple inches so the sill plate is lower than the interior slab, if the edge was slope tp outside it helps too

 

[readhead]

You had the correct information, to bad the concrete guy couldn't read plans. Is it possible to get him to at least pay for the material?

 

[KenC]

Just to stress in my caulk recommendation above: The caulk should go under the tube. With that installation it should never fail, as it's protected from the elements and can't lose adhesion to the surfaces above and below.

 

[Radix2]

Just to stress in my caulk recommendation above: The caulk should go under the tube. With that installation it should never fail, as it's protected from the elements and can't lose adhesion to the surfaces above and below.

Water obeys only one rule.

It flows downhill

- any other solution will fail.

(And with wicking, even the downhill can be frustrated if puddling is allowed.)

 

[KenC]

Water obeys only one rule.

It flows downhill

- any other solution will fail.

(And with wicking, even the downhill can be frustrated if puddling is allowed.)[/QUOTE


That's true enough, but his problem isn't that the outside is too high, his slab is above grade but wider than the building footprint, same as mine. At least, that was my understanding of the problem.

Caulk installed between the slab and tube after prying the wall up is much different than just piling it on the outside. It behaves more like a gasket.