How to stop rain splashing onto wooden cabin?

united4ever

See pic. Had a garden office installed. The concrete base is just a bit too big. On two sides the rainwater lands on the concrete base (rather than the grass). This splashes up onto the wood.

What can I do to prevent this? Gravel? Or some other material? It is out of sight 99% so doesn't have to be pretty. Just cheap, easy and effective.

FreeBear

Gravel, to be effective, needs to be relatively deep and slightly below the surrounding area. If you just tip a bag on top of the concrete, it will slowly work its way across the tarmac.. Ideally, you'd want to cut a strip of that concrete out around the edge of the shed (200-300mm wide) and dig down 50mm before putting any gravel in.

For something quick & cheap, you could try a strip of outdoor carpet artificial grass.

Belenus

As it is mostly out of sight, you could put a clear Perspex splash guard covering the lowest section of the garden office. Rain would splash on the Perspex and drip off.

Leave a small gap of a few millimetres between the Perspex and the wood so that water can get out and air can circulate.

GDB2222

What’s the issue with the water splash? Noise, damp penetration, worrying about rot?

Different ways to solve each of those. Possibly a bit of ply at an angle so drips don’t reach the concrete?

united4ever

Yeah, it is worry about rot. It was only installed this week so brand new. I have some osmo oil but it's raining today so will do that tomorrow. 

Cutting a strip into the concrete sounds a bit beyond my capabilities. What tool would you use for that? 

Artificial grass may be ok, will look into it.

Eldi_Dos

Do not know if you enjoy gardening but that concrete strip looks like a good location to construct a cold frame and the perspex lids angled away so splashes do not reach wall.
Sorry it's not really a cheap solution but if there is any timber leftover could be use for it.

Bendy_House

Step 1 is to soak these timbers - especially the lower 1/3rd - in wood preservative. Right into the T&Gs and right into the corner posts/fillets and right up-and-under. More Labour-intensive, but brush it on Liberally and not Conservatively.

Then a good quality protective top coating. Since it ain't going to be seen, then choose protection-over-aesthetics when it comes to choice. (No idea what's best, tho')

Then possibly a silicone-based water repellent coating on the lower 1/3rd, bearing in mind it'll make further top-coats hard to apply, at least until they've weathered for a few years.

And to prevent splashback, a deep-pile artificial grass as mentioned above is probably the best choice. Perhaps sitting on a draining mat or a layer of coarse gravel to prevent water from pooling on it. I don't think much rain will splash up from art-grass as the blades are flexible and absorb the impact.

The most vulnerable parts of the shed are the very bottom edge where water will stop and drip off slowly (or faster, if silicone-repelled), the corner posts with their joints, and the door and window frames.

FreeBear

united4ever said: Cutting a strip into the concrete sounds a bit beyond my capabilities. What tool would you use for that?

Stihl (or similar) petrol driven saw with a diamond blade - Hire one for the weekend. Or a 9" electric angle grinder. A real big heavy sledge hammer or a demolition breaker - Again, hire one for the weekend.

A good quality dust mask, goggles, ear defenders, gloves, and some old clothes. It is dirty work... Maybe stick with the artificial grass.

But what ever you do, the advice on using plenty of wood preservative is essential if you want the shed to last.

casper_gutman

It looks as if the concrete is very flat with no real slope for water runoff. This is ideal for a log cabin, as they don't like being built on a slope - it makes them deform out of square - but ideally the slab should be exactly the size of the cabin base frame if not a fraction smaller, so no water falls on the slab. 

As it is, the base frame will be sitting in the water which is lying on the surface of the slab. This shouldn't cause too many issues for the frame itself, which should be - and looks like it is - pressure treated. It could be more of an issue for the untreated bottom log of the cabin wall if the base frame it's in contact with is permanently damp. Is there a damp-proof membrane between the frame and the cabin wall by any chance?

Forwandert

united4ever said:

Yeah, it is worry about rot. It was only installed this week so brand new. I have some osmo oil but it's raining today so will do that tomorrow. 

Cutting a strip into the concrete sounds a bit beyond my capabilities. What tool would you use for that? 

Artificial grass may be ok, will look into it.

Is usually best to leave any wood treatment till after a few days of really good weather so all the moisture has gone otherwise you can end up sealing it in.

Eldi_Dos

If water does puddle on the concrete strip it's easy enough to put in some drainage slots. A decent angle grinder and PPE, start slot near cabin wall and get progressively deeper out to slabs and make slot through slab,would work I think.
Good eye protection is a must.