Real Estate Investor · Kingsport, TN · Member since 2008 · 10 posts · 1 vote
I have a house that I'm working on that has an addition on a pier foundation. I'm trying to come up with a way to seal in the foundation perimeter, similar to manufactured housing skirting. I'm trying to find out if you can frame in between the piers with treated lumber, covered with treated plywood, add lathing, and then parge the addition and the rest of the house to blend in. I'm trying to find a quality solution to avoid having to pour a footer and install concrete block to seal the perimeter. Ideas? Will the wood and parging solution meet code? Thanks
The governing building department is always the best source for questions like this. Different localities use different codes and have different local conventions of what's OK and what's not. Just call and ask to speak with an inspector.
According to the 2006 IRC (Interantional Residential Code), wood is allowed for foundations. It must be treated and dried in accordance with AWPA U1, commodity Specification A, Use Category 4B and section 5.2. Any cut edges or surfaces must be treated with 2% copper naphthenate until the wood won't absorb any more. Stainless fasteners must be used below grade. Above grade, stainless fasteners, silicon bronze fasteners, copper fasteners, hot dipped galvanized nails or hot tumbled galvanized nails can be used above grade. Electroplated nails cannot be used nor can galvanized staples.
No idea, though, what local variations apply, or whether these rules apply on not, since this is not truly a "foundation".
Call and discuss what you want to do with an inspector. I've never been forced to give my name or the property address for a discussion like this. I've also worked with licensed contractors that also called and had discussions like this.
Hi there, I have been dealing the past few days with a similar situation. I have a house that I am selling which has the post and pier foundation, surrounded by skirting. We have a good offer on the home, but the buyer wants the skirting replaced (we think it is asbestos).
Our City code allows for pressure treated plywood to be used, and it can be run right into the dirt. However, the buyer is using FHA backed financing, and FHA does not allow the pressure treated wood to touch ground (even though it is rated for such) but instead I have to dig a 4 in ditch around the foundation and fill it in with gravel. FHA is okay with the pressure treated wood to touch gravel, but not ground.
So thats what I am doing. I framed the piers with treated 2x4's and then ran the treated plywood around. It hopefully should satisfy both the City and FHA. But as John said, check with your city. Some areas will allow Hardi board (the 4x8 sheets) for skirting (FHA said they would allow this) but since Hardi is not approved for ground contact, my city does not. But maybe your city will.
The only problem I have with the parging over plywood is unless you are building a frame behind the plywood it will be way too flexible and cause the parging to crack. If you want the look of a parged foundation wall, I'd just go the masonry route.
Another option, albeit a totally different look, is PVC lattice. You can get it in a really tight weave and it would be much less expensive than masonry. Then just put some shrubs around the foundation and be done with it. I have done this on several pier/beam additions I've done and it always looks nice.