Winnie Pretty Good House-Working with Huber’s Zip-R Sheathing

As builders and designers, we have so many ways we can improve the performance of a wall assembly.  Deeper wall cavities will allow for more insulation, double wall construction gains you the ability to move the air and/or vapor control to the middle of the wall leaving the inner framing cavity free for mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) equipment.  Then there’s Building Science Corporation and Dr. Joe Lstiburek’s perfect wall, with the right ratio of continuous exterior insulation to interior cavity insulation that lessens the worries of vapor control.  Continuous exterior insulation can be designed in several ways, foam-based products, ridged mineral wool, wood fiber insulation, or nail base products.  And then there’s Huber’s Zip System R-sheathing, what we call on the jobsite, Zip-R.

Zip-R isn’t new, I first became aware of the product back in 2014.  What makes this product unique is that the continuous insulation layer is located between the exterior wall sheathing and framing.  This location simplifies the installation of CI and wall sheathing compared to the traditional location of the insulation, which is exterior of the wall sheathing.  And to add to the advantages of the product, in most applications, it is still a structural sheathing product when installed per Huber’s manufacturer’s instructions.  (Consult a structural engineer if there are any questions or concerns on a specific design or building location.)

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A Crash Course on the Four Control Layers

This post first appeared on the Andersen Windows ProViews Blog.

Shelter is a human necessity.  A place to be warm and dry.  A place to be safe and healthy.  These are the main purposes for every new home that gets built.  As our species has moved out of caves and into, first, stone structures, then concrete and mass wood structures, and finally to what we live in today, our expectations for health and comfort have increased.  We want our homes to stay dry, but not too dry.  Temperatures are expected to be comfortable, and sometime consistent with little variation throughout the home.  The quality of the indoor air should be healthy to breathe.  And we want our investment to last for a long, long time.  A newer expectation is that we do not want to spend a lot of time, effort or money maintaining the structure.

This new, solid stone home has a much different longevity expectation than the traditional wood framed home. Then again, both the cost (about $10,000,000 and time to construct (3 years) are much different than the typical home we build today.

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Where to Locate the WRB when using Continuous Insulation-Inside or Out?

This post first appeared on the Green Building Advisor Website.

Right now, there’s a lot of interest in the residential construction market around continuous insulation (CI) strategies.  CI adds a layer of complexity to a build, and with it, questions.  How much insulation do I need?  How to fasten the insulation?  How to fasten the cladding?  How to integrate windows and doors?  What about vapor control?  And, this question, should the water resistive barrier (WRB) be at the sheathing layer or outboard the insulation?  The answer, it depends, but you have a lot of choices.

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Roofs and Water-Where Leaks Occur

I recently began writing blog posts for several manufacturers.  This specific post was written for Sashco, a sealants manufacturer (Big Stretch and Lexel are two of their product lines).  They also produce a line of log home stain and finishing systems.  I recently visited their facility near Denver, Colorado and was blown away by their values and company culture.  Learn more about Sashco at www.sashco.com.

There are four control layers to every home, water, air, vapor and thermal, but none are more important than water.  If we can’t keep water out of our building assemblies, none of the other control layers matter.  Water management starts on the roof.

Design has a lot to do with how a roof will shed water.  Simple roof designs with steeper pitches and large overhangs are much more effective at protecting the rest of the structure than minimally pitched (flat) roofs with no overhangs.  Down, out and away rules the day.  Dormers and skylights will add natural light to the home but will also add a layer of complexity to how we approach water management.  Chimneys, plumbing vents and electrical masts, exhaust fans and roof ventilation products may need some sort of hole through the roof.  All these require well thought out flashing and sealing strategies.

This log home with its steep pitch and large overhangs is good at managing the water from rain and snow events. The roof intersects, different planes, dormer and chimney all add a layer of complexity.

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