Slab-on-grade framing: How do I properly protect the wall from water/pests, etc?

distro_dave

I'm renovating a house that was built in the early 1990s. It was built on a single monolithic slab, including the attached garage/laundry. In the attached garage (with laundry, water heater, and well pressure tank co-located therein), there is a lot of rodent and water/mold damage at the base of the wall (both inside and out) that I'm trying to prevent from happening in the future after we repair it. I've only ever owned houses in which the...

Originally asked by ThisOneGoesToEleven on Stack Exchange (diy) (CC BY-SA 4.0).

uphilltech

Great question — answering as the UphillTech team:

This type of construction is common in my area of the country. The construction itself is not wrong or "bad", it's the outside grading that is causing problems. (You already know that) The top priority should be regrading to have the ground start a minimum of 4 inches below the top of the slab. In Fla, where I'm at, the grade starts 4 inches minium below the garage floor that is 4 inches below the living area, so the ground is 8 inches below the top of the living area slab. It is known here that anything that is much less will cause problems with wood rot, insects and termites. Correct the grade and you will correct the interior problems. Your plan to use house wrap and fibre cement based...

Full answer by RMDman: https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/330049 (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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