I found I have a hidden place above the siding line and through the wall into the basement joist space. It appears that the builder either did not allow for shrinkage in the outside boards on the face of the walls or did not butt the wood up tight. Now the only way to get at the space is to reach in between the floor joist and make some sort of patch along the board line. Foam cans do not dispense when held up right and the distance between inside wall and outside board space is too great for the “straw” to reach. Similarly using caulk is difficult at best because of the location and the fact that one has to be able to see what you are doing. In this case seeing is possible but not holding a caulk gun and seeing at the same time. Question is what other ways might one use to close this space? We live in Virginia and hence the bug and other critter issue is a problem. Thanks for any suggestions you may have. – Paul Ries
Chris Marshall: It’s hard to visualize where this hidden place is on your wall without a photo to go along with it. Is the gap under the bottom piece of siding and viewable/repairable from the outside? Is it between the wall sheathing under the siding and the sole plate of the wall? Has the sole plate separated from the rim joist somehow, and that’s where the gap is? You may be better served here by having a licensed contractor or a siding installer evaluate your situation and make some suggestions for repairs. I will guess they would want to pull the siding off and make the repair from outside the wall, but that’s only a guess. Sorry I can’t be of more help, but I think this question falls more on home construction side than woodworking.
