Water & pest proof wall studs

KL K
by KL K
I'm replacing wall studs in a sunroom that has termite and water damage. Can I use something besides wood studs? The termite company wouldn't cover the damage bc the wood studs touched the ground. I thought about concrete blocks, but would like a solution that I can do without having to remove the existing wall while trying to hold the roof up. Been searching ... all I found so far are metal studs that are not load bearing.
  7 answers
  • Metal studs can be load bearing if you use the correct ones - generally not a DIY option. You can buy &/or treat lumber to be pest resistant. The biggest item is to make sure your bottom plate is pressure treated & you keep all wood products away from direct ground contact (assuming it is resting on concrete)
  • KL K KL K on Apr 09, 2015
    I should have been clearer ... the sunroom is on a slab. The bottom plate is pressure treated lumber, but when it rains hard water comes in several spots. I'm trying to figure out how to stop this from happening. We've caulked, foamed, silicon-ed, etc, which helps for a little while. It has gutters, but wind-driven rain is common here and defeats our efforts.
  • Richard Richard on Apr 09, 2015
    Use metal studs. You can buy them at home depot. If you need a lot, I would suggest locating a supply house as they would be a little cheaper.
  • Metal studs - AND you often can get a break on homeowners insurance for using metal studs in construction.
  • TwoPlusCute TwoPlusCute on Apr 11, 2015
    If I may add something: besides tackling your studs problem, you must fix the grade. Make it slope away (with inexpensive dirt) and if that is impossible, add french drain. I had water issues and you won't believe the difference it made when I merely fixed the grade. Even a few inches of dirt help.Also, the gutters should end far and at a spot that slopes away from the house.We used extenders (extra pipe) so they release the water 5-6 feet away from the house. The trick is to make sure that where the pipes end, the ground is NOT slopping towards your sunroom but away from it.If your sunroom is ground level or under grade, you will have to install french drain to help with the issue.
  • KL K KL K on Apr 13, 2015
    Thank you all. Richard: Our HomeDepot doesn't have load bearing metal studs, but I'll look around for some at Contractor stores ... Brenda SLS: Originally the bottom plate was pressure treated wood on a slab, but after so many years, it seems the termites didn't mind crossing over that to find tastier studs above. TwoPlus: I had an appt with a french drain guy ... waiting for an estimate.
  • TwoPlusCute TwoPlusCute on Apr 17, 2015
    Good luck! :)