I just read this thread and want to add my question to the original. I am in East Texas. I plan on converting an old woodworking room into a studio. It is 30 years old and was done the same way; i.e., rough plywood sheathing directly over the studs. It is paneled in the cheapest rough particleboard the owner could find (looks like a pile or large wood ships and shreds were simply saturated with resin, then pressed into shape), but the paneling is in good shape and I don't really need to remove it. We though about just adding a vapor barrier, then covering the entire thing with a new layer of paneling or drywall. The questions are: If we add a vapor barrier, where does it go - on the outside of the building with a new layer of siding over that or on the inside with a new layer of paneling over that? And where would the insulation go? Dian

Vycor V40 is just Ice & Water Shield without the non-slip surface (so it can't be used on a roof). The thinner versions are intended for wall and deck flashing and are called Vycor Plus and Deck Protector (same but with non-slip surface). they will will work fine and are available in narrower rolls. I would not use another brand or butyl based flashing. The plywood should be clean and free of contaminants like the preservative suggested by the inspector. For greater adherence brush on WR Grace's WB Primer (water based) and let it get tacky before applying the Vycor and rolling it with a small metal roller (very important step). The flashing will adhere so well that the poly surface will separate from the bitumen if you try to remove it. There is a solvent based primer available if you want to get crazy about this. There is also a vapor permeable liquid flashing called Perm-A-Barrier VP (unless they've changed the name again). The shape of the metal counter-flashing is not important since all it can do is protect the Vycor from UV exposure (and possibly trap water behind it if the bottom is bent inward or sealed). There is no reason to carry any of this additional waterproofing much above the bottom of the stucco but the Vycor could be carried below grade if the primer is used. Of course any of it that is exposed should be covered with something. Any metal counter flashing will eventually corrode and have to be replaced if it is not stainless steel or copper. If the stucco is too close to the ground you should be thinking about how to protect it as well. I would say that the inspector's detail is so expensive and poorly conceived that unless you are allowed to modify it as described above, your only reasonable choice is to lower the grade. Here is a link that might be useful: liquid air/water barrier

The problem with interior bracing is that it usually does not connect with the floor structure as well as exterior sheathing which can overlap and be nailed to the perimeter band joist of the floor framing. Remember, lateral bracing depends more on fasteners than on the strength of the panels and if the forces are not transmitted to the foundation you have achieved nothing. To get effective results from interior panels (5/8" drywall is pretty effective) you need to add tie down brackets at the base of the wall studs (see Simpson catalog). Adding bracing is most effective at the corners where the greatest lateral forces occur. Tie down brackets at the studs near the corners and 5/8" drywall or diagonal steel braces will probably be enough unless you are in earthquake or hurricane territory and, if so, you need to hire an engineer.

I agree with removing the rock. Replacing it with brick, stucco or a more organized stone would be a big improvement. You need a new landscape, too. The existing one looks busy and haphazard. If you need to keep the screening at the entrance, it would look a lot better if the mullions were dark instead of white, so they appear as if camouflaged. The entrance walk is much too narrow. The space there should feel more courtyard/plaza-like. Smothering it up with plants -- so that entering is like threading a needle -- is not appealing. Paving that projects outward, as if to receive, would be helpful. It can't be seen, but I'm sure that walk flanking the garage is too narrow to allow for a nice entrance experience and too close to the house to allow for a decent foundation planting.