How to seal metal workshop (2 Viewers)

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arcteryx

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I just built a metal workshop (it's corrugated metal from mueller) and need to seal the bottom where the slab/building meet. to keep out bugs, water etc. What sealant is best? And should this be done from the outside or inside? I ask that because the section that is flush to the metal framing would be difficult to get to if I were to use an expanding sealant and inject in the small area that isn't adjacent to the framing. Sorry for the lack of terminology, I am not a builder. The pic below shows what I mean.

IMG_5031.JPG
 
outside would be best...by the time it (whatever it is) gets to a seal on the inside...it is already kind of "inside"

You need flashing on the outside technically that goes down and laps the side of the slab...would have gone under the siding.

I think to really seal out bugs and water you will have to foam seal it or even a silicone sealant...which would probably take a lot of.


here is what it needed to be like IMO:

DSC001741-938x625.jpg
 
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Thanks, that was what I was thinking too. Oddly, Mueller didn't mention anything about flashing. I suspect this may be too late though. It sits up pretty high though.

I will be doing closed-cell foam insulation but not immediately. Even then, I still want the area where the slab meet metal on the outside sealed.
 
Large backer rod and that grey concrete seam and crack filler that stays somewhat pliable is what I used on a pole barn to keep the mice and bug invasions down but there was a 3ft sidewalk poured around the perimeter of the building.



Post a pic of the desired sealed area to get some better recommend solutions.

Also some backer rod and silicone on the inside where the raised rib is would help before you fill up your shop. But I would focus on the outside first.
 
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For bugs/air: PBR panel inside foam closure strips, no adhesive. Mueller will have or I can send you a box (300 linear feet per box).

image.jpg


The better means to install is to pull the bottom screws out, push the closure in between panel and base angle, then run screws back in.

If that seems daunting, can separate the "highs" out of foam and tuck in. (Make sense when you see them.)

For water:

If you've water coming in where the panel meets the floor, there's nothing that'll seal, it's been incorrectly installed, and should be fixed the right way, now, unless water being inside the shop isn't an issue.

Most metal building floors are 3" wider and longer and have an 1 1/2"x1 1/2" sheet notch for the sheets to recess into.

Some floors are the even footage of the steel and have base trim, like the picture above, the allow the sheets to run past the finished floor 1 1/2".

Have seen these situations numerous times and, if the sheets end at or above the finished floor level, there's no way to correctly seal for the long haul.
 
Most metal building floors are 3" wider and longer and have an 1 1/2"x1 1/2" sheet notch for the sheets to recess into.

This is what we did and and also used a outside base trim. To address the base sealing, I took a 4'x4'x2" thick insulation foam and ripped 4' long strips with the table saw blade angled to match the profile of the high ridge (cross section). Then cut into 2" sections and tucked the individual pieces into each high ridge using a little tool I made of wood. This allowed me to have a snug fit and still push the foam filler piece all the way down to the base (all done from the inside). I followed it up with expanding foam and caulked the outside as well. This was a tedious task but I wanted more than a standard foam closure. I also foamed the entire eve strut/roof sections sealing in the foam closures from the inside as well. I made sure I could not see any light coming through (any where) prior to R-30 insulation install.
We have had plenty hard driving and steady all day rain with no intrusion noted.

The foam pieces are a simple quadrilateral with the shape that resembles a isosceles trapezoid 2" thick.
 
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Ok, here are some pics. Yes,the concrete does have a small ledge on the ends, where the sheetmetal sits, which alleviates leaking. At this point, I think sealing the outside is best, but am unsure what product to use. You can see in the two pics the area I am concerned with. Thoughts?

IMG_5060.JPG


IMG_5058.JPG
 
This is irrelevant, but "leaking" occurs above the finished floor, "flooding" at the finished floor and below.

Flooding shouldn't resolved with sealant, at the bottom of an exterior wall above grade, but in grading around the pad.

Based on experience and knowledge of this climate, my advice is to tuck foam closures in between panels and base angle and call it good.

Until the building is insulated and probably after, the panels may sweat (condensate) and the foam closures are a better product to expose to moisture, since they're closed cell.

If you caulk it, water may pond at the bottom of the sheets which will speed the corrosion process.

My two cents.
 
Thanks Chris. Hmm, I need to think about this more. If I do seal on the outside, any moisture would certainly evaporate. I'll contact mueller and my builder and see what they can do though.
 
My garage/shop is the same setup you have. When we first moved in I thought I needed to seal it up. I haven't had any problems with water getting in. Eventually I might seal it better just for heating purposes while working in the shop on cold days. My main concern is where the roof over hanges. It's not sealed at all and sometimes I get small birds sneaking in.
 

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