Really bad house design

[1HandyWoman]

I have a house that I swear was designed and built by an idiot. It is now 22 years old and literally falling apart at the seams and everywhere else. The question/problem I have today that I can't figure out is this.

The house is build on a cement slab, the slab extends out from the foundation on two sides (side and back of house) and is level with the foundation. This means that the sill of the house is sitting at the same level as the "outside" slab so when it rains the water runs down the house, hits the slab and rolls under the sill and rots out the sill, the siding, and the trim that have all been installed down to the slab. I hope this is understandable I have added pictures in album "siding rot" but can't figure out how to include it with this post (first post on this forum).

Now I have removed the rotting trim, siding, etc and can see rot of the sill board happening. What can I do BEFORE I replace the siding and trim to keep water from running under the siding and trim and rotting it AGAIN and further rotting out the sill board, etc?

Any idea without just demolishing this whole stinking house?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Untitled

• 1HandyWoman
• 3 Aug 2013
• 1

Untitled

• 1HandyWoman
• 3 Aug 2013
• 1

Untitled

• 1HandyWoman
• 3 Aug 2013
• 1

 

[cjard]

To show images in your post, first upload to an album like you have done, then:

see where it says "show my images" under the box you write in? Click that then click any image. words like [ NET] .... [ /NET] will appear in the box at the position of the cursor
This will become a picture when you hit Submit

 

[tony1851]

pics of the house taken from further back would be helpful.

 

[jeds]

Is that external concrete structural (i.e. part of the foundation) or is it just hard standing that could be broken up and lowered - or just removed altogether?

 

[noseall]

Buildings that are constructed with a raft/slab type foundation have to be designed with a bit of thought, so as to avoid this very problem.

Often diy'ers look at raft/slab and think that it is simple to do, so why not. There are currently a trillion concrete sectional garages that leak at the concrete toe/wall junction mainly due to this design fault.

 

[jeds]

But is do you reckon that external bit is part of the structural slab? Why would the slab extend several feet beyond the external wall? Looks like it might be just a concrete path butting up to me.

 

[noseall]

Why would the slab extend several feet beyond the external wall? Looks like it might be just a concrete path butting up to me.

Butting (at floor level) is bad enough!

 

[jeds]

Yes but if it is just a path I'd break the thing up and remove it.