Treated bottom plate

[AaronM]

At Chief Academy 2022, users requested that wall bottom plates automatically be marked as Treated if touching concrete when building wall framing. It appears this happens already. There is an issue where CMU walls don't set treated, but besides that, is there another condition that doesn't work as desired?

[Chopsaw]

Just to get you started other conditions to verify would be ICF and boathouse structures.  It might actually be better as some sort of default of manual setting as treated plates are used in quite a few irregular situations as well as renovations when it is such a pain to replace a rotten bottom plate that most contractors would rather not ever repeat the procedure.

 

Thanks for asking.

[Kbird1]

2 hours ago, AaronM said:

At Chief Academy 2022, users requested that wall bottom plates automatically be marked as Treated if touching concrete when building wall framing. It appears this happens already. There is an issue where CMU walls don't set treated, but besides that, is there another condition that doesn't work as desired?

 

Were they asking for it to be "marked" as Treated ( auto-checkbox) or for the Material to actually change and appear in 3D as Treated automatically too?

 

(Sorry was not at the Academy.)

 

Mick.

[robdyck]

If they want to do this it must be an option. In semi-arid climates, where a sill plate is a significant height above grade, there is no need for treated lumber. Rather, a moisture barrier between the concrete and the sill plate is a better method to prevent sill rot and other moisture issues that can develop within the sill / floor cavity. The use of treated lumber can create additional problems like the corrosion and deterioration of fasteners, which is difficult to enforce (with trades persons) and to inspect.

IMO Chief can leave the structural specifications to us and they're mandate should be to provide options.

[AaronM]

20 hours ago, Kbird1 said:

Were they asking for it to be "marked" as Treated ( auto-checkbox) or for the Material to actually change and appear in 3D as Treated automatically too?

 

Perhaps the latter. The request to change the material came up at Chief Academy also.

[robdyck]

On 9/8/2022 at 6:01 PM, AaronM said:

It appears this happens already

As you already mentioned, this already happens. The question is: why? I can't help but wonder if further development of this is warranted or beneficial. This feature seems either too specific or not specific enough. As I mentioned in an earlier post, there is often no need to use treated wood in this condition and this would be based on regional building codes, material availability and builder preferences. Furthermore, there are different grades of treated wood which are used for very different applications. 

Simply marking a board as 'treated' in the materials list / schedules would not provide the Chief user or the end user (builder) with enough information to identify if a particular board should be treated lumber for use above ground, in contact with ground, or below ground (and the resulting different types of materials needed).