Are a few extra holes and gaps in OSB sheathing a concern?
A D
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
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Gaps in house wrap
Comments (30)I don't know what the applicable building code is in your jurisdiction but the 2009 IRC says: "R703.8 Flashing. Approved corrosion-resistant flashing shall be applied shingle-fashion in a manner to prevent entry of water into the wall cavity or penetration of water to the building structural framing components. Self-adhered membranes used as flashing shall comply with AAMA 711. The flashing shall extend to the surface of the exterior wall finish. Approved corrosion-resistant flashings shall be installed at all of the following locations: 1. Exterior window and door openings. Flashing at exterior window and door openings shall extend to the surface of the exterior wall finish or to the water-resistive barrier for subsequent drainage." Unfortunately, this is not a very useful standard for window flashing so unless the contract required the windows to be installed according to the window and/or weather barrier manufacturer's instructions, you will probably be forced to pay for any changes in the work. The basic problem that you have stumbled upon is that decades ago home builders readily accepted the new nail-fin plastic and metal clad windows as essentially "self-flashing" (codes actually exempted them from needing flashing) and adopted the strategy put forth by DuPont, etc. that it was appropriate to seal the windows to a loose plastic weather barrier as a backup to the weathering face of the exterior cladding (brick veneer, siding, etc). This seemed to work until it was discovered that the nail-fin windows tended to eventually leak at the corners so the good builders went back to protecting the wood sill and jamb framing (sill pans, etc.). Of course, this is much more important in wet climates then in dry ones so attempts to develop a national standard to address this issue has so far been unsuccessful. Discussing these issues with a builder is basically telling someone how to do something that they have been doing for a living for decades so it can be a tough negotiation. This is why the installation instructions for windows should be bound into the construction drawing set or referenced by the contract and attached to it. And it doesn't hurt to staple it to a few of the rough jambs before the windows arrive. Good luck Here is a link that might be useful: interesting paper about window flashing...See MoreA few gaps in sheathing OK?
Comments (15)If it is the moisture resistant gypsum wall board made for use in interior damp areas and sometimes called "greenboard", it is not acceptable for use on the exterior of a building by any recognized standard. If you wish to use a gypsum sheathing product many manufacturers make a board specifically designed for use as exterior sheathing. When it has a paper face it is usually dark gray/brown. It is supposed to be water resistant but if you put a sample of it in a bucket of water it will turn to mush so the edges must be very well protected from moisture. All gaps should be sealed before any underlayment or housewrap is installed. A far better material is DensGlass Gold by Georgia-Pacific which has a yellow fiberglass mat instead of a paper face. Who was responsible for designing the exterior wall system?...See MoreRoof Sheathing Lifting After Roof Replacement
Comments (9)Thank you for your resoponses. Yes, something appears amis. This roofer got good ratings in Washington Checkbook too! Replacing plywood is something a roofer should be able to do. Its difficult to examine the roof from the inside. Its a Cape Cod style house, and the majority of the wood was replaced on the portion of the roof that has on the inside only a stud cavity and then drywall for the upstairs rooms. There is insulation in the stud cavity and I think it DOES NOT have a vapor barrier, and I think that is why the wood degraded over the years. I may be able to go behind the knee wall upstairs and view from the inside one of the pieces of plywood that is lifting. I do not think this is a moisture issue, because I noticed it within days of the roof being installed. Also, about 12 years ago the roof was replaced (by the previous owner) and some plywood sheets were replaced. Those replaced sheets are still in great shape and are not lifting a bit. --Nate...See MoreShaw 3/8 engineered glued over osb... ? Cork underlay?
Comments (17)Cork underlay comes in sheets - like a beach blanket. The installer throws down the sheet (large rectangle that is 2ft x 3ft in size) and it SITS THERE. Nothing holds it down. Ok...gravity and the floor on top hold it down...but that's just getting into semantics. The installers LOVE working with floating cork. It takes 10 minutes to get it into place. No nails. No glue. Nothing. Just some shims at the walls to maintain the expansion gap needed for the flooring. Then the wood floor is floated on top. The engineered hardwood (which SPECIFICALLY STATES IT CAN BE FLOATING) is then laid. The installer applies glue to the tongue/groove of the plank (appropriate glue...not just any glue). The wood is NOT attached to the cork. The cork is NOT attached to the subfloor. This is a "floating" floor (floating means there is nothing holding one surface to another). The glue is then allowed to cure (about 1 day). And you have a fully functional floating wood floor. Done. Done. And done. Fix the squeaking of the subfloor FIRST (screws are used to do this...which is what *should have been used to lay the OSB in the first place - but I digress). And then go ahead and lay the cork (it just sits there) and then the wood floating on top. Much cheaper and much faster than laying new sheathing and then gluing/nailing wood over top....See MoreA D
7 years agoA D
7 years ago
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