I'm slightly concerned about the deck skirting on the elevated side and
back decks, since it clearly violates the wood/ground contact rules.
It's just 1/4" plywood and I don't care too much if it rots out and
needs to be replaced periodically, but if it's a significant termite
issue then I'd like to consider some alternative design.

To the extent reasonable I'd like to cat and rodent-proof it, because
the deck crawlspaces and the house crawlspace are contiguous. (You can
see some tunneling has been going on to the left of the steps.)

So what are the usual (or even unusual) approaches to this issue? I can
think of a few home-brew concepts but there must be some standard ways
of dealing with it.

http://members.cox.net/prestwich/deck4.JPG
http://members.cox.net/prestwich/deck3.JPG

FWIW, the house is in California's central valley, was originally built
in 1930, added onto twice, and completely remodeled just prior to our
acquisition 18 months ago. I have no idea how old the decks are.

On Aug 9, 12:06*pm, Smitty Two wrote:
it clearly violates the wood/ground contact rules.
It's just 1/4" plywood and I don't care too much if it rots out and
needs to be replaced periodically, but if it's a significant termite
issue.

It is. Get some Talstar One (shop ebay for the best $) and spray 1'
up and 1' out every 90 days, according to the label directions. I'd
probably use a 1/2 strength concentration.

To the extent reasonable I'd like to cat and rodent-proof it,

I think I'd stack a row or 2 of decorative stone/brick along it.
They'll protect the Talstar from UV at the same time.
-----

- gpsman

On Aug 9, 12:06*pm, Smitty Two wrote:
I'm slightly concerned about the deck skirting on the elevated side and
back decks, since it clearly violates the wood/ground contact rules.
It's just 1/4" plywood and I don't care too much if it rots out and
needs to be replaced periodically, but if it's a significant termite
issue then I'd like to consider some alternative design.

To the extent reasonable I'd like to cat and rodent-proof it, because
the deck crawlspaces and the house crawlspace are contiguous. (You can
see some tunneling has been going on to the left of the steps.)

So what are the usual (or even unusual) approaches to this issue? I can
think of a few home-brew concepts but there must be some standard ways
of dealing with it.

http://members.cox.net/prestwich/dec...wich/deck3.JPG

FWIW, the house is in California's central valley, was originally built
in 1930, added onto twice, and completely remodeled just prior to our
acquisition 18 months ago. I have no idea how old the decks are.

You asked about the plywood, but what about the corner trim?

It looks like regular wood from here, so isn't that as much of an
issue as the plywood?

One thought is to cut the plywood a couple of inches above ground
level and "hang" a piece of Azek vinyl trim to bring it back down to
the ground.

Azek comes in flat stock of various widths and thicknesses. You could
even replace the corner trim with Azec to match - and for longevity.

Assuming you can get into the deck crawlspace, you could screw through
the plywood into the back of the Azek so the fasteners wouldn't show.

As far as the rodents, can you bury chicken wire (again, from inside
the crawlspace) down a foot or so?

"Smitty Two" wrote

I'm slightly concerned about the deck skirting on the elevated side and
back decks, since it clearly violates the wood/ground contact rules.
It's just 1/4" plywood and I don't care too much if it rots out and
needs to be replaced periodically, but if it's a significant termite
issue then I'd like to consider some alternative design.

I'd use a fine latice work on at least the sides if not all parts. Current
structure invites damp with no drying out. That can rot out the deck faster
than termites may eat it (despite inviting termites). Chicken wire behind
it in a fine grate can inhibit rodents and other things.

On Aug 9, 5:00*pm, "cshenk" wrote:
"Smitty Two" wrote

I'm slightly concerned about the deck skirting on the elevated side and
back decks, since it clearly violates the wood/ground contact rules.
It's just 1/4" plywood and I don't care too much if it rots out and
needs to be replaced periodically, but if it's a significant termite
issue then I'd like to consider some alternative design.

I'd use a fine latice work on at least the sides if not all parts. Current
structure invites damp with no drying out. *That can rot out the deck faster
than termites may eat it (despite inviting termites). *Chicken wire behind
it in a fine grate can inhibit rodents and other things.

I use plastic lattice, with chicken wire behind it. The chicken wire
is hot-glued to the back of the lattrice every few feet to keep it
taught.

hr(bob) wrote:
On Aug 9, 5:00 pm, "cshenk" wrote:
"Smitty Two" wrote

I'm slightly concerned about the deck skirting on the elevated side and
back decks, since it clearly violates the wood/ground contact rules.
It's just 1/4" plywood and I don't care too much if it rots out and
needs to be replaced periodically, but if it's a significant termite
issue then I'd like to consider some alternative design.
I'd use a fine latice work on at least the sides if not all parts. Current
structure invites damp with no drying out. That can rot out the deck faster
than termites may eat it (despite inviting termites). Chicken wire behind
it in a fine grate can inhibit rodents and other things.

I use plastic lattice, with chicken wire behind it. The chicken wire
is hot-glued to the back of the lattrice every few feet to keep it
taught.

I busted mine out and threw it away- the lattice didn't keep leaves and
debris, or animals, out. It made it impossible to rake the crap out from
under there that caused water to pond on the (slightly frost-heaved)
buried concrete patio, and leak down into the basement.

If I get around to reskinning or rebuilding deck before I sell and move,
it will have several drop-in deck sections for access to below, like
above the dryer vent, and above the inside- corner downspout I need to
add. (No, a 40-foot run of gutter needs more than one 3x5 downspout
after all, you idiot of a Previous Owner...) Right below the deck, the
downspout will transition to 6" pvc with a steep slope out past the deck
footprint.

--
aem sends...

On Mon, 09 Aug 2010 09:06:57 -0700, Smitty Two
wrote:



FWIW, the house is in California's central valley, was originally built
in 1930, added onto twice, and completely remodeled just prior to our
acquisition 18 months ago. I have no idea how old the decks are.

Can you ask the neighbors or the mailman how long they have been like
that?

On Mon, 09 Aug 2010 09:06:57 -0700, Smitty Two
wrote:



FWIW, the house is in California's central valley, was originally built
in 1930, added onto twice, and completely remodeled just prior to our
acquisition 18 months ago. I have no idea how old the decks are.

That is, I worry about termites too, but maybe they've been like that
for 20 years with no termites.

In article
,
says...
I'm slightly concerned about the deck skirting on the elevated side and
back decks, since it clearly violates the wood/ground contact rules.
It's just 1/4" plywood and I don't care too much if it rots out and
needs to be replaced periodically, but if it's a significant termite
issue then I'd like to consider some alternative design.

To the extent reasonable I'd like to cat and rodent-proof it, because
the deck crawlspaces and the house crawlspace are contiguous. (You can
see some tunneling has been going on to the left of the steps.)

So what are the usual (or even unusual) approaches to this issue? I can
think of a few home-brew concepts but there must be some standard ways
of dealing with it.

http://members.cox.net/prestwich/deck4.JPG
http://members.cox.net/prestwich/deck3.JPG


They do make treated plywood. I wonder how one of the cement board
products, like Hardiebacker, would work in this situation? Hardiebacker
is smooth, unlike many other cement boards. It is made in 4x8 sheets,
although I have only seen 3x5 at the home centers.

--
DT

In article ,
"cshenk" wrote:

"Smitty Two" wrote

I'm slightly concerned about the deck skirting on the elevated side and
back decks, since it clearly violates the wood/ground contact rules.
It's just 1/4" plywood and I don't care too much if it rots out and
needs to be replaced periodically, but if it's a significant termite
issue then I'd like to consider some alternative design.

I'd use a fine latice work on at least the sides if not all parts. Current
structure invites damp with no drying out. That can rot out the deck faster
than termites may eat it (despite inviting termites). Chicken wire behind
it in a fine grate can inhibit rodents and other things.

Fine lattice? The only stuff I see around here is about 1" slats with 1"
spaces. Is that what you're talking about?

In article
,
"hr(bob) " wrote:

On Aug 9, 5:00*pm, "cshenk" wrote:
"Smitty Two" wrote

I'm slightly concerned about the deck skirting on the elevated side and
back decks, since it clearly violates the wood/ground contact rules.
It's just 1/4" plywood and I don't care too much if it rots out and
needs to be replaced periodically, but if it's a significant termite
issue then I'd like to consider some alternative design.

I'd use a fine latice work on at least the sides if not all parts. Current
structure invites damp with no drying out. *That can rot out the deck faster
than termites may eat it (despite inviting termites). *Chicken wire behind
it in a fine grate can inhibit rodents and other things.

I use plastic lattice, with chicken wire behind it. The chicken wire
is hot-glued to the back of the lattrice every few feet to keep it
taught.

A couple of clear advantages to the plastic, so thanks for that. Is it
paintable?

On Aug 10, 8:12*am, DT wrote:
In article
,
says...



I'm slightly concerned about the deck skirting on the elevated side and
back decks, since it clearly violates the wood/ground contact rules.
It's just 1/4" plywood and I don't care too much if it rots out and
needs to be replaced periodically, but if it's a significant termite
issue then I'd like to consider some alternative design.

To the extent reasonable I'd like to cat and rodent-proof it, because
the deck crawlspaces and the house crawlspace are contiguous. (You can
see some tunneling has been going on to the left of the steps.)

So what are the usual (or even unusual) approaches to this issue? I can
think of a few home-brew concepts but there must be some standard ways
of dealing with it.

http://members.cox.net/prestwich/deck4.JPG
http://members.cox.net/prestwich/deck3.JPG

They do make treated plywood. I wonder how one of the cement board
products, like Hardiebacker, would work in this situation? Hardiebacker
is smooth, unlike many other cement boards. It is made in 4x8 sheets,
although I have only seen 3x5 at the home centers.

Instead of HardieBacker, which is intended as an interior tile
substrate, how about HardiePanel (or HardiePlank), intended to be
exterior siding? ;-)

http://www.jameshardie.com/homeowner...panelSiding.py

In article
,
DerbyDad03 wrote:


You asked about the plywood, but what about the corner trim?

It looks like regular wood from here, so isn't that as much of an
issue as the plywood?

One thought is to cut the plywood a couple of inches above ground
level and "hang" a piece of Azek vinyl trim to bring it back down to
the ground.

Azek comes in flat stock of various widths and thicknesses. You could
even replace the corner trim with Azec to match - and for longevity.

Assuming you can get into the deck crawlspace, you could screw through
the plywood into the back of the Azek so the fasteners wouldn't show.

As far as the rodents, can you bury chicken wire (again, from inside
the crawlspace) down a foot or so?

Yeah, the trim boards are an issue too, and I don't know what to do with
them either. I'll look up Azek, never heard of it.

I agree that burying the chicken wire is probably the only way to make
it rodent proof, but it would surely be a major PITA to dig there
without tearing out the whole deck. Maybe this is a case of let it rot
for while and rebuild the whole shebang at once.

Something did die under the house a few months back, and there is so
much damn dirt and debris under there that I couldn't find it. But it
must have been small, because the smell didn't last too long. I guess my
level of commitment to this is going to be based partly on how often
that happens, or how often the rats chew through a wire and start the
house on fire.

In article ,
DT wrote:

In article
,
says...
I'm slightly concerned about the deck skirting on the elevated side and
back decks, since it clearly violates the wood/ground contact rules.
It's just 1/4" plywood and I don't care too much if it rots out and
needs to be replaced periodically, but if it's a significant termite
issue then I'd like to consider some alternative design.

To the extent reasonable I'd like to cat and rodent-proof it, because
the deck crawlspaces and the house crawlspace are contiguous. (You can
see some tunneling has been going on to the left of the steps.)

So what are the usual (or even unusual) approaches to this issue? I can
think of a few home-brew concepts but there must be some standard ways
of dealing with it.

http://members.cox.net/prestwich/deck4.JPG
http://members.cox.net/prestwich/deck3.JPG


They do make treated plywood. I wonder how one of the cement board
products, like Hardiebacker, would work in this situation? Hardiebacker
is smooth, unlike many other cement boards. It is made in 4x8 sheets,
although I have only seen 3x5 at the home centers.

Thanks, good suggestions.

In article ,
mm wrote:

On Mon, 09 Aug 2010 09:06:57 -0700, Smitty Two
wrote:



FWIW, the house is in California's central valley, was originally built
in 1930, added onto twice, and completely remodeled just prior to our
acquisition 18 months ago. I have no idea how old the decks are.

Can you ask the neighbors or the mailman how long they have been like
that?

Indeed I could do that. By all appearances, the decks are far older than
the house remodel. They got a fresh coat of paint but they sure don't
look new.

In article
,
keith wrote:



Instead of HardieBacker, which is intended as an interior tile
substrate, how about HardiePanel (or HardiePlank), intended to be
exterior siding? ;-)

http://www.jameshardie.com/homeowner/products siding hardiepanelSiding.py

Your link is broken, but I found my way there. Great idea. And they make
trim boards to match. I'm glad you're a google grouper whom I had
whitelisted. I'll spend some more time on the site, but so far this
looks like the way to go.

On Aug 10, 11:46*am, Smitty Two wrote:
In article
,

*keith wrote:

Instead of HardieBacker, which is intended as an interior tile
substrate, how about HardiePanel (or HardiePlank), intended to be
exterior siding? *;-)

http://www.jameshardie.com/homeowner/productssiding hardiepanelSiding.py

Your link is broken, but I found my way there. Great idea. And they make
trim boards to match. I'm glad you're a google grouper whom I had
whitelisted. I'll spend some more time on the site, but so far this
looks like the way to go.

We have HardiePanel siding on our house. I haven't painted it yet,
but it should be fine. If there was a choice I wouldn't use Google at
all.

On Tue, 10 Aug 2010 09:12:31 -0400, DT
wrote:

In article
,
says...
I'm slightly concerned about the deck skirting on the elevated side and
back decks, since it clearly violates the wood/ground contact rules.
It's just 1/4" plywood and I don't care too much if it rots out and
needs to be replaced periodically, but if it's a significant termite
issue then I'd like to consider some alternative design.

To the extent reasonable I'd like to cat and rodent-proof it, because
the deck crawlspaces and the house crawlspace are contiguous. (You can
see some tunneling has been going on to the left of the steps.)

So what are the usual (or even unusual) approaches to this issue? I can
think of a few home-brew concepts but there must be some standard ways
of dealing with it.

http://members.cox.net/prestwich/deck4.JPG
http://members.cox.net/prestwich/deck3.JPG


They do make treated plywood. I wonder how one of the cement board
products, like Hardiebacker, would work in this situation? Hardiebacker
is smooth, unlike many other cement boards. It is made in 4x8 sheets,
although I have only seen 3x5 at the home centers.

Blue-Wood is extremely termite resistant, if not termite-proof.

On Tue, 10 Aug 2010 09:21:35 -0700, Smitty Two
wrote:

In article
,
"hr(bob) " wrote:

On Aug 9, 5:00Â*pm, "cshenk" wrote:
"Smitty Two" wrote

I'm slightly concerned about the deck skirting on the elevated side and
back decks, since it clearly violates the wood/ground contact rules.
It's just 1/4" plywood and I don't care too much if it rots out and
needs to be replaced periodically, but if it's a significant termite
issue then I'd like to consider some alternative design.

I'd use a fine latice work on at least the sides if not all parts. Current
structure invites damp with no drying out. Â*That can rot out the deck faster
than termites may eat it (despite inviting termites). Â*Chicken wire behind
it in a fine grate can inhibit rodents and other things.

I use plastic lattice, with chicken wire behind it. The chicken wire
is hot-glued to the back of the lattrice every few feet to keep it
taught.

A couple of clear advantages to the plastic, so thanks for that. Is it
paintable?
I just redid my front "deck" with Trex Transcend - and used their
fascia board for the skirt. We'll see how it works. I had 1X6 PT fence
boards as "soil boards" for the last 20 years, and they were still
fine - while the 24-26 year old cedar deck was DONE.

On Aug 9, 11:06*am, Smitty Two wrote:
I'm slightly concerned about the deck skirting on the elevated side and
back decks, since it clearly violates the wood/ground contact rules.
It's just 1/4" plywood and I don't care too much if it rots out and
needs to be replaced periodically, but if it's a significant termite
issue then I'd like to consider some alternative design.

To the extent reasonable I'd like to cat and rodent-proof it, because
the deck crawlspaces and the house crawlspace are contiguous. (You can
see some tunneling has been going on to the left of the steps.)

So what are the usual (or even unusual) approaches to this issue? I can
think of a few home-brew concepts but there must be some standard ways
of dealing with it.

http://members.cox.net/prestwich/dec...wich/deck3.JPG

FWIW, the house is in California's central valley, was originally built
in 1930, added onto twice, and completely remodeled just prior to our
acquisition 18 months ago. I have no idea how old the decks are.

I used 1" lattice on mine and love it. My dogs were digging by the
house under the deck in the middle and i have a 12" to 18" space
between the deck and ground so I couldn't get in there and fill the
holes by my foundation. After I put up the lattice problem solved.