Built a 12×16 shed on pillars two feet off the ground. Instead of pressuretreated 3/4inch ply I used 3/4 osb t&g to save a buck. Put 6mil plastic over joists before laying the floor. As usual the rains came and blew part of tarpaper off roof before I could shingle. Water leaked in and I ended up cutting the plastic off from underneath to vent the floor. I know…tyvek. I used the plastic I already had. Anyway, do you think the 3/4 inch osb floor will hold up ok being two foot off the ground with the perimeter open to the wind? Northeast Ohio with snow.
Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
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Assuming the water table is couple of feet below ground level and you have adequate ventilation I think you can expect a long service life out of the flooring and joists. Down here in Florida, where the water table is often higher than a few feet down, I often crawl under houses that are only 18" or so off the ground. Very few of these are built using rot resistant materials or other protection. Many of these were built in the 30s and other than areas near plumbing leaks or have termite damage the joists and flooring are almost always in good condition even after 70 or 80 years.
We have rainy weather that keeps the ground soaked for weeks but very few have any type of barrier on the ground to keep moisture at bay. Most have very good ventilation. Many have no perimeter closure at all. Discounting the brick, block or concrete supports, below the rim joists there is only space or only a loose lattice.
I would suspect that if you are in a heavy snow area it might effect the ventilation but I have no first hand experience of this.
there are lots of 100 year old summer houses (read "cottages" but more like mansions) that are built on cedar posts... all of the framing is in first class repair.. the posts rot off at the ground level... replace the posts and everything is fine..
we have a very humid climate.. with about 33" of rain a year..
so.. i would think you structure will do just fine... cut out all of the poly you can...
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
If your concern is dry rot or other microscopic life forms, painting on Jasco's Termin-8 might help. I've had surprisingly good results with it, even in direct contact with the ground. It's about as close as you can come to retrofitting pressure treatment to an existing structure.
-- J.S.
Thanks all, I used pressured treated on all the deck framing. My main concern was the 3/4 osb flooring. Somehow I just can't bring myself to trust the stuff. Maybe I've just been thinking too hard. Guess it's a better product now than it was back in the 80's.Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
anyone want a deal on some 2x4 foot sheets of 6mil plastic? had an enjoyable time crawling under the shed on my back cutting the plastic off the decking. sunny wet 85 degrees. plastic like new except for a few minor holes. came from using each new piece as a ground cover to slide over to the next bay. the site was recently yard high wild shurbs which I downed with a lawn mower. interesting feeling moving your back over quarter inch stubs. ah, the joys of summer. nothing like spending a dime to save a nickel.
kinda like deciding to save a bit by using the new metal door from your stash without the frame when your short on time. couldn't spring for the hundred and be done with it, no, you gotta paw around and cut, recut, adjust, breakwind sideways, and finally figure out you made 10 bucks an hour for the headache. whatta savings.
course...you know...Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.