Garage grow problems before we start! Construction help needed!

furrycnorm

Well-Known Member
Hey guys, just bought a house and trying to start a grow in the garage. I was out there starting to run the electrical when I noticed some water damage on some of the boards of the wall. Upon closer inspection the inner part of the wall seems like its made of particle board and has been wet and starting to fall apart, a couple pieces are even missing near the top as seen in the pictures. It seems like they used this material for close to half the garage walls and much sturdier plywood for the rest. You can see the transition between the two in some of the pictures. That is the only layer between the air inside and the vinyl siding. What are my options on fixing this? I think I need to adress this wall before I build my room in case I need to bring in professional help. I am not very handy and don't know if I can break apart those particle boards and slide in plywood without removing the siding, and I don't want to have to reside the entire garage. Any help is much appreciated!12181_4064618628473_1830250641_n.jpg417617_4064621428543_492078681_n.jpg374495_4064622348566_1041913732_n.jpg26340_4064635748901_1941087375_n.jpg
 
Did your house come with any kind of guarantee?
None the less, I would seek out the source of moisture and replace those particle boards with plywood.
Siding just snaps together so it's not too hard to remove and replace.
 
Yeah I might have to take the siding off of like 30' of 8' high sections of wall. Think that's something I can do in a day myself with a friend?
 
you have vinal siding and my guess is at some point someone preasure washed it and water got under the siding....dont preasure wash vinal siding

when sears did my my house they used a vapor barrier before the siding went on

If you remove the siding... replace the cheap backer board they used with some 1/4 inch ply...you can reinstall the same siding again.
 
Is there a gutter along the edge of the roof on that side? The reason I ask.. had the same issue on an addition to the place... gutter separated from the outside, and funneled moisture down the inside, partially due to the pitch of the roof that the builder miscalculated, allowing ice to get under the bottom row of shingles due to gutter shift, then do damage.. season after season. Am not sure where you are and if that's at all a possibility.. but figured I'd mention it.
 
Is there a gutter along the edge of the roof on that side? The reason I ask.. had the same issue on an addition to the place... gutter separated from the outside, and funneled moisture down the inside, partially due to the pitch of the roof that the builder miscalculated, allowing ice to get under the bottom row of shingles due to gutter shift, then do damage.. season after season. Am not sure where you are and if that's at all a possibility.. but figured I'd mention it.
This is a definate possibility, I will have to check for gutters tomorrow. I honestly think it's just from moisture in general because the sections of the wall that are plywood are strong and dry.
 
This is a definate possibility, I will have to check for gutters tomorrow. I honestly think it's just from moisture in general because the sections of the wall that are plywood are strong and dry.

Yeah, would just take a quick peek and make sure that the shingle edge hasn't gotten pushed back or taken on moisture that can run down the wall. If you're in a warmer climate, any bit of moisture may have just been sweating due to trapped humidity and lack of ability for the area to 'breathe'. If all else fails, you rule out a potential issue that can develop black mold if it were to continue on, un-noticed.
 
Yeah I might have to take the siding off of like 30' of 8' high sections of wall. Think that's something I can do in a day myself with a friend?
Sure, you can remove it in a day, but if you're not confident of your abilities, then I wouldn't think you would have it replaced in the same day.(leak free)

(Not trying to be a dick, sorry, just don't think you want surprises.)
 
Sure, you can remove it in a day, but if you're not confident of your abilities, then I wouldn't think you would have it replaced in the same day.(leak free)

(Not trying to be a dick, sorry, just don't think you want surprises.)

Good point.
Maybe call a few local contractors for a free estimate and see what they think.
 
they are gunna tell ya that someone should have put a 2x4 where the boards meet :)

Is that rotted wood or solid and is it wet?

Might have been installed that way

12181_4064618628473_1830250641_n.jpg
 
they are gunna tell ya that someone should have put a 2x4 where the boards meet :)

Is that rotted wood or solid and is it wet?



12181_4064618628473_1830250641_n.jpg

Might have been installed that way

It is wet and starting to crumble. It's literally particle board, feels like thicker cardboard lol
 
i do carpentry and i can tell someone got in a big hurry to slap it up thats old masionite board up there it should have been laid out on 16 centers as far as the studs go and they should have cut it to fall on a stud if nothing else if i where you i would just let it dry out check to make sure water is not leaking from eve of house down the wall once you have the leak fixed just insulate the walls and let it ride long as its just a small part of the wall that was effected youll be ok but if you do deside to remove the effected boards start at the top of the vinly sideing under the house boxing to remove it and work your self down its easely removed and very easy to put back up long as you have some one on the ground marking each peaice you remove with a number system from left to rigth 1 2 3 4 5 6 and so on so you want be scratching your head trying to figure out how to put it back up lol but do check for a leak on roof looks like it may be leaking down into the boxing from the edge o roof maybe a cracked or missing shingle because the vinly sideing has the wall protected so got to be something on the roof causeing it but it could be if you didnt see the missing board that fell out of that spot that the jack legs that did put it up just threw it up there like it is wouldnt suprize me seeing how they didnt care if it landed on a stud
 
Hey guys, just bought a house and trying to start a grow in the garage. I was out there starting to run the electrical when I noticed some water damage on some of the boards of the wall. Upon closer inspection the inner part of the wall seems like its made of particle board and has been wet and starting to fall apart, a couple pieces are even missing near the top as seen in the pictures. It seems like they used this material for close to half the garage walls and much sturdier plywood for the rest. You can see the transition between the two in some of the pictures. That is the only layer between the air inside and the vinyl siding. What are my options on fixing this? I think I need to adress this wall before I build my room in case I need to bring in professional help. I am not very handy and don't know if I can break apart those particle boards and slide in plywood without removing the siding, and I don't want to have to reside the entire garage. Any help is much appreciated!View attachment 2549200View attachment 2549201View attachment 2549202View attachment 2549203

Dude I used to be a contractor before I went back to college. If you don't know how to, or have never hung vinyl siding then I highly recommend you get someone wih experience, cuz if you don't "sretch" it, it will fall down in the middle of your grow (vinyl siding will expand and contract with cold and heat), and you will be fucked...and that's masonite under that siding, it shoulb be OSB or a 3 ply, and then covered in Tyvek or some vapor barrier...if you need some advice, you can PM me and I'll be happy to help..
 
i do carpentry and i can tell someone got in a big hurry to slap it up thats old masionite board up there it should have been laid out on 16 centers as far as the studs go and they should have cut it to fall on a stud if nothing else if i where you i would just let it dry out check to make sure water is not leaking from eve of house down the wall once you have the leak fixed just insulate the walls and let it ride long as its just a small part of the wall that was effected youll be ok but if you do deside to remove the effected boards start at the top of the vinly sideing under the house boxing to remove it and work your self down its easely removed and very easy to put back up long as you have some one on the ground marking each peaice you remove with a number system from left to rigth 1 2 3 4 5 6 and so on so you want be scratching your head trying to figure out how to put it back up lol but do check for a leak on roof looks like it may be leaking down into the boxing from the edge o roof maybe a cracked or missing shingle because the vinly sideing has the wall protected so got to be something on the roof causeing it but it could be if you didnt see the missing board that fell out of that spot that the jack legs that did put it up just threw it up there like it is wouldnt suprize me seeing how they didnt care if it landed on a stud

Man where are you building at??? Not to put you down, cuz I always do what the customer asks for expense purposes, but with that said... "Masonite" is used for an immitation T1-11 cedar (to be placed over the plywood or OSB) and for concrete forms...never as support skin to keep walls plumb...always OSB or 3-ply, and never leave a leak anywhere it causes black mold, and then lung disease (not to mention what it will do to plants) I've built in Florida, Virginia, and recently in Southwest Missouri after the F5 hit Joplin as a contractor, and in my professional opinion "do not leave the masonite, and fix the leak before you do anything!!!"
 
I think Rinkenstine has it right. You should find the leaking problem before you go any further. You don't want to be in week 6 of flower and have moisture problems or having a contractor come and trying to fix something with a room full of plants. There should be tyvek in between the vinyl and studs or sub sheeting. When you get that handled I would recommend insulating those walls and then covering them with tyvek. Cheap and easy and it's also reflective
 
Man where are you building at??? Not to put you down, cuz I always do what the customer asks for expense purposes, but with that said... "Masonite" is used for an immitation T1-11 cedar (to be placed over the plywood or OSB) and for concrete forms...never as support skin to keep walls plumb...always OSB or 3-ply, and never leave a leak anywhere it causes black mold, and then lung disease (not to mention what it will do to plants) I've built in Florida, Virginia, and recently in Southwest Missouri after the F5 hit Joplin as a contractor, and in my professional opinion "do not leave the masonite, and fix the leak before you do anything!!!"

yup he is right replace that brownboard that stuff is shit. I also agree w/someone else who said hire it done, If you have never hung siding.
 
first-

find the leak. it may have been an old leak from previous siding. more than likely you are having a drip flash/gutter problem.

then, install a vapor barrier, inside the garage. install it the smae as it would be ont he outside, letters out. then sheet the wall with osb, making sure to use glue. this will stiffen up the wall until you get around to redoing the vinyl.
 
Thank you all for the great advice. Since it is in a part of the garage that I won't be growing in I have decided to leave it until we have warmer weather. It has been in the 30's and I feel like the siding will break if I start bending it too much. Once we get into spring and the temp gets above 50 I might spend a couple nice days outside taking off the siding and doing it right.
 
TRIVIAL, put plastic sheeting up and get your grow on ima builder [before i was a grower] and thats no a leak otherwise it all be swollen fast, its a tiny amount of wind driven rain or moisture dont turn a mole hill in to a mountain that will last years, the amount of times iv sed to customers "it doesnt need doing" dont waste money on shit get fuking growing
 
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