I used this methodology of installing a rain shield/screen without even knowing that this was a thing. I noticed that the air gap also helps insulate the house. The veneer also lasts a lot longer like Matt said. That air gap makes a HUGE difference in everything. Great video!
We’re building a cabin this summer and I spend so many hours on your channel learning the do’s and don’ts of building. Thank you so much for your dedication, I really learned (and still learning) with your videos.
My Uncle's house was built in 1950 in New York state and sided with redwood lap siding (wedge cross-section). He had a constant headache with paint peeling and blistering. He discovered that the back side had never been painted and the siding was placed directly on the ship-lap sheathing. To shorten the story he removed the original siding, painted the back side, and built an equivalent rain screen to this here. It has been 40 years and it still has the paint from 1980 when he completed the redo. That is hard to beat. The siding and wood trim has no rot any where.
Thank you Matt! I have been in this industry since 1977 (carpenter from MN) and thoroughly enjoy learning about best practices, the latest technology, and new products to help improve the efficiency and longevity of homes!
As an architecture student learning about the importance of rain screens (the open cavity between siding and insulation) I really enjoyed the content. I also appreciate the effort that you make to share good building practices and insights!
I need to make a few corrections. Not everyone is going to have 6” of exterior insulation. The reason that you don’t want hardiplank touching the wall, not even the moisture barrier. The hardy plank is 4 times denser than wood, it’s insulation capability is lower than wood as a result on very cold days where warm moist air comes in the cement boards are going to have condensate build up on the inside, the material itself with water will cause nails to rust (insect excrement, dust, acid rain,and other variables can also contribute) water will run behind the water proofing. Most houses have significant overhang that rain is not going to be much of the problem most of the time, but that moisture condensation, the moisture only evaporated slowly during certain times of the year. This is a particular problem on the north facing side of houses or houses with a lot of nearby trees or shrubs where sunlight is a premium. This is why if you live near the coast or where humidity is higher you can expect some moisture to condense behind the cement board. Thus you need a breather zone even if your overhang is 6 feet. The 4’ x 8’ panels have somewhat of a less problem but need to be caulked and painted frequently. The plank is a particular problem because of the rate moist air can blow between the gap. The other problem, that 3/4 inch gap ‘moisture shield’ is large enough for mice to crawl into, there supposed to be screen at bottom and top, and it should be metal, because they will gnaw through softer materials. The rodents can just gnaw right through the asphalt paper, so if they can get behind the hardiplank your moisture guard is toast. I know this for fact, the house I’m working on, his pipes in the kitchen froze because the rats chewed right through the asphalt paper and they were using it to build nests with, that 11 degree wind was blowing through the walls like nothing was there. If rats reach your insulation it’s R value goes down quick as they make it look like Swiss cheese. Not only that field mice can gnaw through a small hole in Sheetrock, they are in your house. There the critter screen, not just for bugs should also be able the keep rodents out. General rule is, if the gap is bigger than the minimum diameter of a mouses skull, then a mouse can get in, say goodbye to your moisture shield. If the material is softer than a mouse’s tooth, then they can gnaw right through it. A forth problem, if you buy the nails for hardiplank and don’t use the shield, then don’t use the 2.5 + inch nails. A stud wall, minimally, is 3.5 inches wide, that hardiplank is less than a half inch thick, if you fire a 3 inch nail into a wall, blind, you can hit a pipe or wire. I have a fault in one house I need to find, and pretty sure the stupid contractor, who did not use a shield and used 3 inch nails shot a wire through. Electricians are not careful about centering wires in studs nor do they use strike plates routinely when they don’t center the wire, and frankly, the velocity that a pneumatic nailer fires, it doesn’t matter if the wire is plated at the stud or not, if he misses the stud it will go right through a non-centered wire near the exterior of the wall. This house is particularly problematic because it’s got an FPE main panel, and breakers of that make will only throw once, then fail to subsequently trip, so that combo is a recipe for a house fire. As Matt has already shown in another video, careless contractors can fire through pipes, with copper the nail will seal the copper and it won’t leak for a few months, long after the contractor has his money and is gone, I see this alot. So it’s a good idea they are using the appropriate fastener for the task, and that extra 3/4 on the 1 x 4 (really Matt 1x2 is good enough) will also protect the wires and pipes in the walls. Cement board installation contractors are a dime a dozen, do some research and find one that knows what they are doing.
i'm planning with full ICF walls and appreciate all your info - the condensation & rodent aspects are eye-openers. i've got to build with best value in-mind, not throw money at everything like Matt does here, lol... so i don't think i'll be able to afford an ICF roof system. might have to go with normal open-truss & maybe add an airgap/radiant barrier (double sheathing with furring strips to ridge vent), to attain a partially conditioned attic for HVAC/ducts. for outside walls; lookin at 1x2, radiant barrier sheathing, & stucco (in NM), with metal mesh wrapped lower breather made of plastic. my next concern is how the furring strips/sheathing/airgap may negatively affect fire-resistance.
I'm on east coast and never used the actual "rain screen " other then house wrap with build in rain screen (1/8") , never had an issue , even with houses within few miles of the ocean
@@baldthebuilder2588 Even 1/8th inch is better than nothing. Hardiplank I think recommends 1/2 inch on stud walls and 1.5” on masonry walls. Since I exclusively work on sick houses I tend to see the bad. Yes, there is a particular problem with rotting of the bottom plate, but I have seen rotting around windows in areas with a lot of foliage. So down here in Houston several times a year we have warm fronts that back over very cold nights. Any exposed cement, be it a open garage floor, hardiplank, parking garage you have large accumulations of surface moisture. This peak humidity can lasts for days. Most houses here have negative pressure because the AC system (and leaks) is in the attic. As a result the moisture is drawn into the house. Some moisture will accumulate on the moisture barrier but since it is thin, it’s heat capacity per unit area is low. However where the two planks lap each other, the lower piece touches the house and can wick water to holes in the barrier. I have been a site manager, and it’s damn hard to keep the contractors from beating up the barrier before the sheathing is put on. That’s given that many barriers aren’t worth ****. Even asphalt paper breaths where two pieces overlap. Typically, if you start on a 10 ft section of wall, clearing out from inside to outside you will see, from the inside maybe two or three easily visible holes or cracks in the moisture barrier. In some cases the builder does not place barrierboard (a cheap contractor fiberboard) down to the bottom plate. In other cases the OSB board that reaches the bottom is has swollen and is disentegrating before the house gets its occupancy certificate. Paying attention to the detail of keeping that bottom plate dry and covered until that sheathing is up. Making sure downspouts and drip lines are not throwing water in the direction of the bottom plate. I see the result of bad construction after 30 to 40 years, but it does not take that long, I’ve seen very expensive homes essentially trashed (I.e stucco on housewrap - major structural rot). Hardiplank is better than stucco, but still, you need for that masonry board to breathe completely. Although, if you don’t, I make my money out of jacking up walls, replacing the bottom plate, splicing wall joists, removing insulation, spraying mold, replacing Sheetrock, killing rats, lol. For myself . . . . .brick.
I should add to this, I have have seen rot under the sheathing in where hardiplank is used over a roof, meaning a section of wall that butts into a roof. Typically you get dry rot on the sun exposed side, but similar decomposition under roof areas covered by trees were dead leaves and twigs can back up against the siding for long periods. In one instance the rot was so bad the hardiplank had fallen off.
I created a similar assembly for a 2nd story cantilevered bedroom bay in 2017, for an investment property I renovated. This was a 110 year old rowhome that had no insulation.The difference was I used 2.5" Rockwool comfortbatt with pressure treated battens, finished with square edge 1"x6" cedar siding. I also used Coravent which I had to explain to my carpenter how to install along with a video and pdf instructions, as it was unheard of at that time. This assembly continued under the bay, sides and roof of bay for complete insulation on all exterior locations of the bay. Interior was insulated with R-15 Rockwool for a total of R-25.
this is more than just a draining plain. a drainage plain is concerned only with bulk water. the ventilated raincreeen also achieves keeping the cladding and wall assembly dry.
I have been building energy efficient houses over forty years. The rain screen has been around for long time. Most builders including yourself install foam insulation on the outside when it should be installed on the inside. The reason being is that moisture from cooking and bathing with the foam insulation on the inside and taped and plastic sheathing prevents water from getting in the wall and rotting the framing. I was told I was crazy actually I think everyone else was trying to eco friendly but were just saving money on sheathing. 20 years after I built the house the way I stated, I did an addition to the house, which required exposing areas of the original framing. All the area I exposed were dry no signs of dampness or mold. There were other items I did to save energy and prevent heat loss. About a year later a guy called saying the floor in his townhouse was collapsing. I knew of the builder all the units were built on crawlspace with floor trusses and foam sheathing on the exterior, it was the only sheathing. We went into the crawlspace and right away you could see the trusses had wet rot, we then pulled up carpet and removed some drywall , the wall framing also hat wet rot. The crawlspace space had a rat slab and was dry. I told the owner he had serious problems and there was no way I could give him fixed price to repair the problem and certainly without doing more demolition. He hired someone with a pick and that the last I heard from him. 45year after building the house I first mentioned the owner sold it. He told me the inspector had never seen a house framed and insulated like that before and though it was different he could find nothing wrong except the heat pumps were dated and should be upgraded.
I think the sheathing used in this build has its own foam facing inwards in the house if that makes a difference. I think the product is called zip sheathing.
Our home was built in 1938, which led me to seek your kind of channel. I'm so glad I found you. Thanks for your expertise and all the help you provided. Now we know what to ask for and look for when hiring businesses to update our exteriors. You've gained a new loyal subscriber. Thanks again!
Did you hire an architect to help you? If not, well, there may lie your problem. Lots of contractors out there, but unfortunately very few understand building or construction technology.
@@GAMP-b2s Having said all this, not all architects are created equal. Some have institutional experience only, and couldn't tell a 2x4 if it hit them on the head, but some residential architects couldn't tell a lead-lined partition if it fell on them. So, you choose an architect who is experienced in what you want to get done.
Never done a rain screen before but would like to start. Was curious if you could do another video on rain screening around windows? How to flash your trim? Building out the window for the nailing flange?
Also a recommendation in Scotland, that siding flashing over lintels and suchlike should channel water from the inside to the outside. Confuses many builders coming up from England who just seal on the outside... and then the water comes in.
Excellent closing comments! Helping the client/owner understand the value they get from building this way and the time, effort, and resources it takes to do so. Well done.
@@MisterBoy316 The six biggest sawmill companies in the United States jacked up their prices by a greater percentage than any of the home improvement stores, lumberyards, truckers, distributors, or any other businesses involved in handling lumber did during the pandemic, and that explained why consumer and contractor cost for lumber went up so high.
This is the content that I enjoy most from this channel. Thank you for all the information. On the other hand, that wire liquid flashed directly into the Zip made me cringe. Put it in a conduit pipe. Then, when it inevitably craps out on you, replacing it is a snap
Has anyone measured heat loss from liquid flashed conduit vs straight wire? Conduit might still be the right option, but I assume it's going to be substantially more.
@@hostelofmaine5057 I'm sure some official lab has. they've also measured the heat retention on wires sealed in with sprayfoam. never, ever put more than three cables into a single hole and pack it with sprayfoam.
I agree; the loose wires will move around too easily, and eventually break the liquid flashing. It should be a rigidly mounted conduit. Put the liquid flashing around the outside of the conduit, and an appropriate product inside the conduit to stop airflow there.
The battens will provide soundproofing too, the way whisper clips do on interior wallboard. Rain and wind pelt the Hardy and only the battens transfer sound
Enjoy your Aquor hose bibs. I got them on our Harvey rebuild home two years ago and was really glad during the Feb freeze! I still had to protect the water incoming line to the house/garage that was exposed. But no worries on my 5 hose bibs!
Best practice is actually to build another house on the outside of that house, like a shield in front of the shield. You can never have too much protection and it ups your R value a little bit. 😅
I actually had a customer years ago that had a nice double wide in basically a massive carport and it worked really really well it had been there for 30+ years and even the roof was in great shape still 😊it made all the sense to me like living in a massive porch no real volume of water or sun to deal with
Thanks for the video. I live in a high fire risk zone in the San Diego mountains. The air gap is definitely not best practices in this setting. In case of a fire, the Hardie panel is not going to burn, but it will get extremely hot. That heat plus an air gap can cause gases from the other building materials to flash. That, plus the air gap below proving oxygen is not a good situation in a fire zone. A lot of "code" is based on certain assumptions of risk (fire, water intrusion, energy loss, etc.), best practices highly depend on where you build.
So timely! I'm in the process of residing my house. I am using Prosoco MVP , Joint and Seam Sealer, and Fast Flash and doing a rain screen. It has been a bit of a challenge getting the subs on board. Today I had to agree to pay them more for doing the battens and Cor a vent. Once they got more money for the extra work they are liking the concept. They have never done this before. They now see what I'm doing and agree that it is a worth while process. Of course I learned about the rain screen from "The Build Show". Thanks Matt for teaching about the best practices! Oh, I have to say that Fast Flash is a mess! I'm here in central Texas also!
Matt, up here in the northeast we call those wooden battens by another name -- thermal bridges. You are about a month ahead of me in construction. I'm just starting my rain screen siding now. I'm using a product from Armatherm which is described as a Z-girt. It is a z-shaped fibre glass strip that holds the insulation down while providing a nail bed (or in my case a screw bed) for the siding. These have the advantage of not serving as a thermal bridge, which probably does not matter as much in Austin as it does in Boston. The miscalculation on my part was how hard this installation has turned out to be. The siding I chose is installed with aluminum clips that provide the air-gap that makes it a rain screen. The installation is incredibly labor intensive. It looks great and will last forever, but not very economical.
Jacob - the battens are NOT a thermal bridge. The Z-girt is good, especially fiberglass at preventing thermal bridging. The screws that anchor the wood battens and the wood battens do not encourage thermal bridging. I'm 5 years ahead of you both you. I'm in NH. I have (3) layers of reclaimed EPS 8.25" total on the exterior walls, and (5) layers (2) polyiso in contact with the roof, and (3) layers of reclaimed EPS on top of that to keep the poly-iso from thermally degrading 15" of roof insulation held down with 2x4's and 18" timber framing screws. Once you build it though, you won't build it again. No electric bill, no heat bill, no hot water bill here, and we love it.
I’ve been doing siding for 20 years in the northeast, Always used a good vapor barrier, never dealt much with a rain screen but I definitely like the idea. The biggest problem I see is the quality of the siding materials themselves. So many different types and problems with everything. Quality installation is always key.
Air space is key to good, durable construction whether you are using siding or brick or stone veneer or anything else. water is the biggest enemy of construction, and air space is your best friend.
A lot of older houses (pre WW2) were built with the idea that they would leak. Check out the video that Matt did in a 1930s house where the wood was water stained but dry. There was no rain screen, but builders took water ingress into account.
@@ckm-mkc Older houses and building leaked like a sieve. Lots of air movement inside and outside. The problem began when we started sealing houses (vapour barrier, air barrier). Sudenly, not enough air moved through the walls and roofs. So, then we began to have problems with moisture, mould, rot...
Maybe it wasn't available when you did this, but Coravent makes a vent that will replace the vertical and horizontal boards with just a horizontal coravent product that can be nailed or screwed through. When you explain it and what I saw and relearned from Building Science courses, it becomes so obvious that the rainscreen will work better than ever expected. Thank you for the videos, Matt.
Make sure to use "hardware cloth" over the vinyl screen or just the hardware cloth by itself. Vermin will chew thru the vinyl screen, and hang out in your ventilated rainscreen area.
Awesome explanation here. I'm about starting a little project and this video was a must see for me. I'm not constructor, and I haven't done anything like it. So, I feel more prepared to get the job done. Thank you so much for all the details.
Really enjoyed this video. Back to basics, less product placement for high end homes (I get you need to make a living) but this video applies really well to a medium cost home as well. For once living in the North is an advantage... I can air seal on the inside hehe.
I worked in the Portland Oregon area as well..Brick Mason. We did the same thing with Culture Stone. Before installing the stone..we used wood strips vertically and then installed the Hardie sheets. Then the stone.
Great job Matt! Being new to Texas and starting another home inspection business it’s vital for me to find, follow and learn the absolute best construction practices for a specific region. Your videos are easy to understand but yet highly educational. Appreciate the time and effort you took to creating this video and following your passion! I’m looking forward to hiring you in the future! Until then, take care. - Kevin Ninnis
plywood would not meet irc requirements in the US, so risinger used the right material for the furring strips. if plywood is acceptable where you live, then i guess things are different in canada.
I would love to see a detailed video about your window awnings! Looking to install some for water and sun protection but I can't find anything I want to buy.
Yes sir!!! We’re doing the exact thing to our home, our Hardie Plank just arrived yesterday. No some years ago we renovated an 1800s home in Fredericksburg Virginia, and after we replaced some corner 4x6 post sections, and rotten sill on a balloon framed house the homeowner didn’t want to pay the extra $ putting furring strips, instead we wrapped everything in metal, tyvec on the whole house incl a new addition, Azek pvc wrap on posts ect, and then that was it. But I learned my lesson, no sense in going cheap and skipping a major step that could save you tons of $ and maintenance down the road.
It will make also some sun and heat protection. The siding will be heated by the sun but ventilated from inside. This channels behind of siding works like chimney: because of hight and temperature difference air inside of them goes up with some speed.
Hi Matt. I hope you're well buddy. Until now, I was always excited to watch your videos. Now I'm super excited to watch & learn how you would install cladding. It's most important part of the any construction i believe. Waiting for next broadcast.
yip in nz we use "cavity batten" on mostly all new builds and renovations, there are some exemptions. we use a treated 2x1 batten and a fluted batten for vertical cladding 👍 great details as always matt!!!!!
Very nice Matt but recessing those structural screws for your 1x4 to support your Hardie is not necessary if placed just before the overlap of siding. That’s how I do mine just because of the extra effort of recessing for the screw head. Using a story pole for siding, it’s very easy to determine where to place the screws, then start the screws on a bundle of 1x4’s, snapping a chalk line and pre screw them where they go and then install on the wall. With 2x6 and 2” rigid foam with a rain screen, awesome high energy wall assembly. I prefer the “innie” windows install for that depth look. Your videos have taught me a lot. 👍
Hey Matt, Whats your thoughts on installing a nice big 1x4 or 1x6 trim around all your windows? My thought is to do it this way for future window replacement if needed. When its time to replace the windows, you simply need to remove the big trim & pull the window. This will prevent tearing off a bunch of siding. Also gives room to reseal the new window.
Actually thats the right way to do it cause when you trim the window all the way around with 1x4 or x6 you can alsu add z flashing and like you said it very easy to replace a defective window or an old window,however you can still do it like that and using a grinder you can cut the sidding to remove both sidding and window I do that for a living and i know alot of ways to do it here in texas
@@gtghighlights2881 nothing really, it has minor faults, but why would you put in high end materials in the interior, windows and for the high end roof, then skimp out on the siding.
Not that you'd have to worry about sun in Finland, but in hotter climates it seems like it would set up an air current to transfer heat up behind the siding and out the top which would reduce cooling costs. Not sure what it would do to heating, but that is mostly handled by the insulation on the inside.
Two questions for you about house building practices there: 1. What type of exterior insulation is used there the wood fiber type of insulation board? 2. The type of siding product wood or fiber cement. Thanks
Like everything but the idea of mounting elec panels outside the house. Mount meter outside but run one feed wire thru the envelope to interior distribution panels.
In our area you are required to have an emergency shutoff on the exterior of the house where the electrical service enters the house, many builders opt to combine the panel with the shutoff. The reason for the shutoff is when the fire department responds to a house fire, the first thing they are going to look for is the panel, after that shutoff they will punch a hole in the roof and ceiling to let the heat out while flooding that area. For that reason they want the power out before water goes into the house. Having said that I have seen many houses without this, presumably they were built in a rural area an annexed by the city.
@@Darisiabgal7573 NEC 2020 mandates exterior shutoffs now, it also relates to solar panels, where you now have a 2nd source, one external disconnect doe sit all...2020 NEC, if adopted in your area, requires external disconnects now...and AFCI and GFCI on most everything in a residential setting, even electric stoves are now on GFCI, etc...i can see the kids playing with the disconnects as pranks, but if you lock them out, the firemen have to use bolt cutters to release?
@@cengeb in many cases that will require panel replacement to get GFCI, or hardwiring neutrals into each GFCI breaker. I just contracted a panel replacement on one clients house, a QO, has a built in neutral strip for GFCI breakers. You can use zip ties, easily cut if needed.
Very well done and informative videos. Love the attention paid to airtightness. Every detail is cared for. My only caution - and full disclosure, this comes from someone in the insulation industry making a competing product (and all contractors and even architects fall victim to this lack of disclosure by the polyiso makers) is the overstatement of R values. They can really pump it up for their ASTM test results, but once shipped the dropoff can be considerable with rapid off-gassing. Even taking into consideration the LTTR as the design value, there is plenty of third-party testing on in-situ values far below what is printed on the panels and less than their LTTR statement. The R6 or R6.5 claimed is never realized in the field. I know the National Roofing Contractors Association has done extensive studies, replicated in other studies done in B.C. and Massachusettes concluding "NRCA has revised its design in-service R-value recommendation to 5.0 per inch thickness in all climate conditions". Expecting R6 and getting R5 performance is a 17% miss. Not insignificant. It's EPS for me, especially if the vapor barrier is on the interior side of the assembly which is the norm in cold climates. Known, stable, and permanent R-value for life with great water vapor transmission. I'll take the R4.05 per inch when it's the best R-value per dollar there is and it never lowers.
Coravent would not support the nails for the siding. The battens are screwed with long screws into studs to provide a strong nailing base and the siding is nailed with short nails to the battens.
So crazy to make all of those electrical circuit penetrations when you could have just put the box on the inside of the house! Oh, yeah reduce penetrations for air sealing.
I second that. I cringe when he shows that exterior electrical panel. I don't want anything outside the home where miscreants can mess with it. Compressors should live in a locked enclosure as well. By the way... I want to see how the air leakage from the dryer vent is handled... big hole there.
I feel like every build i have seen in Texas has the electrical panel outside. Perhaps its a code requirement? I really don't see how consistent changes in temp and humidity can be do anything but decrease the reliability and lifespan of the breakers.
Very interesting. I live in Minnesota. All I see is houses being wrapped with TyVek for moisture sealing. The siding is installed directly on the moisture barrier (TyVek).
If i were to redo my siding and add housewrap (currently doesnt have any) and add those 1x4 boards, would i need to redo all my windows and doors bc everything will now stick out further by 3/4 of an inch? And out even more if i wanted to add outside insulation like the poly-iso. House built in early 80s and coastal.
You could but don’t have to - if the windows stay on the sheathing plane then they can be shadowboxed with metal roll flashing bent on a brake for the top and side, with the trim installed as a picture frame. This assumes you still have a sill that slopes down and away from the window or build one proud of the sheathing plane to provide drainage away from the window.
@@brad-yo7jb right that’s an important point - flashing needs to be addressed - I’d find a picture of a known good flashing detail diagram and use that to communicate to subs - green building advisor and fine Homebuilding have each run pictures of options to flash and trim effectively.
By installing all of the pine with screws through the insulation aren't there a bunch of holes from those? I realize it may be minimal but it seems like all those holes would add up if you're looking to completely seal the house?
I was wondering the same thing..... Screws are making penetrations in the air sealing...... or is that not really that much to be an issue....## Matt Risinger , please reply
I’ve worked for contractors like him. It’s nice to work for soMe one that cares and knows what their talking about. There are piles of building science grads that couldn’t build a birdhouse.
Matt, question unrelated to siding. I'm curious why you would mount electrical panel box outside and run all those lines through the wall, instead of one entrance cable and the panel inside? I haven't ever seen this done before. I'm not a builder or electrician.
Oklahoma also put electrical panel boxes outside. I thought that was the norm. Taking the flashlight outside in the dark, on a cold night to reset that breaker box.sucked 10 azzes!!. I never heard of anyone getting electrocuted as a result though, but maybe they never lived to tell🤔
Great vid, Matt! Thanks for sharing the knowledge! One topic I'd love to see - I'm getting ready to build in north Texas, and I'd love to see you examine fireplace options that can still get good blower-door scores, and really be a positive energy source in a home instead of an energy sink. Best!
There are sealed options available. One pipe divided in half for intake/exhaust. Mine is a superior unit, the glass has a gasket material around the door and spring type hinges to keep it tight and sealed.
Water hasn't touch my garage's sheathing in the 25 years since I built it. Proper planning and understanding of what you're doing is how you ensure water never gets it. It's really not that difficult.
@@kenbrown2808 That's probably because "they" don't think. None of the windows in my home rely on caulking to keep water out. It's only there to seal against air infiltration.The water management system is 100% mechanical due to the way the different components are installed. This is how homes should be built but unfortunately the majority of builders don't do it right. And yes part of a good system is having a route for water to exit should it ever get past the barriers.
Water can enter into the airspace behind the siding, and it can easily escape out at the bottom due to the vents. But, if the water ever got behind the air barrier, you are then fooked! Simple as that. So, the idea is to stop it at the air barrier or peel and stick exterior surface. Water can come from the inside, not just the outside. A broken plumbing line can, and does major damage from the inside. You don't leave weep holes every 24" o/c on the inside of the walls to let the water out when a pipe bursts. So, that's part of living, and learning from mistakes. In the case of plumbing lines, you make damn sure they don't leak or burst by getting frozen. Like I said, if they do, you are screwed, and no amount of air space, air barrier, peel and stick membrane or vapour barrier will help you there.
There was no siding inspection in Seattle once you had the house wrapped. I just put Hardi planking nailed straight to the studs. The Hardi web instructions didn’t call for a rain screen . It only talked about butt joint flashing. I mean the whole idea of siding is to keep water out.
I too was wondering how much water is he expecting to get behind the siding. And this is Hardie siding not wood… If flashed properly there shouldn’t be any water getting back there. Brick is porous so it is vital to have the air gap and a way for the water to get out. But I too was under the impression that Hardie siding installed correctly should be a good water shield. You can apply a liquid applied weather barrier to water proof your OSB or plywood sheathing as well if you are worried about any water that may get back there.
As long as there’s fresh air flowing through the cavity mould won’t form as it’s not as if the rain screen battens are getting constantly wet, similar concept to attack space and the underside of the roof sheets, airflow keeps them dry and mould free.
If you live in an area with enough rain (>20” per year) to warrant considering installing a rainscreen, then you should also consider using treated wood furring. Pine is not naturally decay resistant. If the point of a rainscreen is to drain and dry the wall from rain that gets past the siding, you should also use a more durable furring to hold up to that moisture over time. Oregon code requires wood furring to be naturally decay resistant wood (cedar, redwood, etc.) or treated wood.
The pricing for this sounds very high. Granting that the price of lumber is currently outrageous, I would be very surprised if the labor portion was more than $.75 / sqft on the high side of things. Also, for gods sake, slope ALL penetrations. There is no excuse for drilling the whole at a 90 degree when you can just as easily slope the whole downward to the outside. Gravity is your friend.
Installed and taken off lots of siding the last 30 years. And ive seen leaking issues that this method would have helped, And i totally agree, this is a good way to do it , that being said its a total waste of money and time if you are an expert installer . If your good, you dont have the issues that would require this extra process
That's what I was waiting for, a mention of a bug screen at the bottom of the Coravent material because the first thing I thought of was how wasps would love those "prefab" homes to live in and you don't want any critters migrating from the outside to the inside of your exterior wall.
@@JeepWranglerIslander I wasn't even thinking about mice getting in behind the siding, but I guess if they want to, they only need a hole as large as their head to get into anywhere they can chew through. This siding job is getting more complicated by the minute but basically, let the air and any moisture flow through and keep the critters out. Got it!
Yes but the cost of the rigid insulation by itself + the zip system is less expensive than just the zipr12? He’s also sponsored by ZIP so I can’t imagine cost being the reason for not using the insulated sheathing
@@adamc9687 You would need to use 4" long nails with ZipR12, then still long screws to fasten the battens anyway. Not sure it would really be much faster. If it would let you use shorter screw on the battens and only screw into the sheathing, that would be worth it, but I don't think code allows that unless the sheathing is 3/4" or better.
ZIP R is only structurally rated to shear up to 2" I believe, but you have to use Doug Fir with ZIP R to get that rating. Plus Zip-R, isn't exterior insulation.
Hi Matt, I love the idea of this rain screen. In our 1970s somewhat Scandinavian looking house in Baltimore MD we now have a vertical 6x1 tongue and groove cedar plank siding. Lots of leaks. A local contractor (lets call them F* brothers) forgot to put flashing over the windows that they installed all around the house. Also our roof has very little overhang. No soffit. We want to redo our siding, starting with the insulation, weather proofing, and then the best siding we can fit with the limited roof overhang ( or.. we need a new roof at the same time ) What puzzles me is how we can attach anything, including the rain screen, without creating water entry points in the wrap or boards that provide the water and air shielding behind the siding. In the video we can see the big screws going through the 1x4s. How deep do they go through the insulation into the house frame? Are they all targeting framing or randomly into boards mounted on the framing? I would like to see a video highlighting those aspects. Regards Ronald
I DIY top and bottom vents using bug net on top of tight weaved galvanized steel fencing stapled onto the furring strips; I added a short vertical strip in between the vertical one for added rigidity; works well and quite cheap
@@tominglis9690 Seems to me that an air source heat pump should be put inside. It’s essentially free extra cooling and dehumidification in the summer, and during the winter it would just “hitch a ride” on your house’s heating system.
@@marcob1729 We’re talking about the water heater, not the HVAC. I don’t specifically know if Matt is really using an air-source heat pump as his water heater; they’re pretty rare in the US. But if that’s the case, what it would do is move heat from the air somewhere (wherever its evaporator coil is) to the hot water tank (which is where its condenser coil would be). As a result, it will heat the water and cool the air. My point is that using the inside air for this is great during the summer, and really not that bad in the winter either, since you’ve presumably already chosen an efficient way to heat the house.
Great video as usual Matt. I really appreciate the detail you described on the siding installation and rain shield. Here in Canada we install 1 inch outer polystyrene, taped and then have those wood boards to allow for airflow and help dry the siding. 2 inch boards will be even better, well done.
@@cpbmw99 assuming you are in the Northern insulation code area, the vapour barrier is on the inside of the building. The plastic installed is typically on the underside of the gypsum board and goes tight up to the frame of the window. The space between the house framing at the window and the nice window frame is shimmed and foamed. The trim goes over that and it should be caulk sealed to prevent air leaks. Hope this answers your question. Obviously Matt has more beefed up ways around windows but it will cost more to install.
I'll never understand why anyone would want an OUTDOOR load center. You gotta get out in the elements every time a breaker trips. I know breakers aren't normally supposed to trip, but when they do, it's often at a very inconvenient time. Going outside during an electrical storm to reset a breaker is a horrible idea, and you end up encouraging it when you put a breaker box outside. People gotta have their lights or whatever back on, so they're going to expose breakers to rain while touching the breakers with wet hand while standing in a puddle of water. Outdoor breakers invite death!
@@reality150tv yes, i thought, he was merely showing us the placement, and that a large 'shed' or garage was yet to be built. if not that, then something of an additional room/space for storage, and that is quite a necessity for patio cushions and gear like lawn game equipment. also summertime things like extra chairs and portable furnishings or maybe tents: such as for use in celebrations w/ decorations/lights. and 'theme' paraphernalia. 😎
In Arizona it's standard to have our meter and breakers together, I assume Texas is the same. The meter has to be accessible to the power company so unless you do something custom your breakers are as well. That means outside and in the front most of the time. I am considering moving mine to the garage though, it would be much easier to add batteries and solar then later as well. But yeah, I don't think anyone wants it, it's just not an option on tract housing.
@@robertcrowley9677 Your breakers are your property so they don't have to be available to your power company. There's nothing in the breaker panel they need to access anyway. Our breaker panel is actually located behind the meter on the inside of the house, but it's not required by any means. I live in Oklahoma.
Hi Matt, as the screws go through the rain screen though the insulation and then into the stud, isn’t that creating a bridge that the cold air or hot air can use to get into your house.
The thermal bridge is minimal. Using a self sealing WRB will prevent that. The hole is minimal too. Never hurts to use a intelligent interior VB though
As a Northerner, and an older one at that, it boggles my mind that you would be putting your main (and secondary) electrical panels _OUTSIDE_ the house. I can definitely understand having the ATS for the generator outside next to the meter, but to have to go outside to reset a breaker if it trips? Not to mention the added cost of having a weather (and bug) tight electrical panel. When I first saw the Coravent on the house I was thinking _wasp habitat !_ but then you showed one side has screen and you're adding a _SECOND_ layer of screening as well. Great tips Matt! Pricey of course, but you have three options. Fast, Cheap or well constructed. Pick _ONE_!
At eye level you should shim your furring as needed to straighten the inconsistencies in the wall framing. You know when you have crowned and reversed crowned studs next to each other. Run a 6 to 8' straightedge across the furring and shim or plane the furring's as needed.
Given that it’s Texas, those straps should hold up a long time. In other rain-heavy climates, that durability gets put into question for sure. Local industry practice may also mean that architects/engineers/inspectors only accept treated straps.
Fig yes you can, I would personally run some zip tape behind the batton. That way when you nail or screw it to the sheathing the tape will hopefully seal the hole penetrating the zip. Or think of a way to seal the battons. In my opinion there is no reason to invest a ton of cash in zip, seal everything and then screw holes into it. This is just my opinion, I am sure someone will say I am wrong haha :) best of luck
Hey Matt, this is amazing info. We're installing siding on my folks bungalow this week. The question is how is air flowing on top, do you leave a gap of 1/4" between the top layer of siding and the roof eaves (no soffit), so the coravent on top has a 1/8" gap from the roof's wood? My neighbor's siding along the roof was caulked, so I notice they only have opening air on bottom, we just got confused since you see if seen done so many ways. Thanks for your great videos. Best, B
I worked at an awning shop in norcross ga, the ones we made were tig welded aluminum. We used a custom extrusion that let's you staple the upholstery directly into a groove, letting you easily add an edge bead and hide the staples and joints. Then they would either get heavy weight uv stabilized fabric put on them standing seam metal, or powder coated and then covered
@@benadams5557 Way cool. I've been in stately old homes that have black & white photos showing the house with cloth awnings that are long gone. They looked great. Nice to know they do exist.
Please consider doing a video addressing condensation and insulation for building out a van. You could address it in the respects of your recently acquired camper. There are so many contradicting ideas out there I don't know how to address this for my first van build.
Sure for some that will be true. Until this high building standard becomes an expected and demanded quality, as it is in many European countries. It may result in some choosing to build smaller homes with very high levels of comfort and increased building structure longevity, resulting in healthier happier people who leave a smaller environmental footprint too. Sounds like all pluses to me. Build it and they will come.
I don't like the fact that people are forced to pay such high prices for land and homes. It's not right or moral to force someone to go in debt for 30 years just to hav3e a place to live. But, paying on a mortgage is in reality a high interest savings account too!
@@jamesramirez9814 The "free" money that is currently available from banks definately doesn't help. Borrowing money is so cheap right now that everyone is doing it which means builders can set prices at whatever they want. A lot of people are going to find themselves underwater with their mortgages the next time the market crashes.
Also. This is his personal house. A GC. and a smart one at that. He’s building the very best for him and his family. With his channel operating as a vehicle to showcase these methods. Good advertising. Good build. Most clients will not care about this stuff.
I think a rain screen would even be useful in a hot dry climate where it almost never rains like the south west region. Having the exterior finish material lifted off the wall will greatly reduce the overall contact area for conductive heat transfer. Also, as the exterior finish heats up from the sun beaming on it all day, it will radiate heat off the backside of the material, but because there is an air gap, as the airspace heats up, the air will want to rise, and it will go out the vent at the top. Best case scenario, it might create a convection current behind your siding, constantly drawing in cooler air at the bottom vent near the ground and blowing hot air out the top vent.
you are correct; a ventilated rainscreen can help keep the interior walls cooler. however, the manual j models do not capture this effect. this effect is even greater if you use insulation with higher thermal mass.
The one item I would suggest you change in future homes is mounting main service panel w/breakers on exterior. The only electrical on exterior should be metered entrance, the main service breaker panel should be on interior wall opposite that metered entrance. While you obviously don’t live in snow country which severely obstructs access to a breaker, it’s just more convenient having interior access to all breakers. We generally have a dedicated mechanical room for this but a laundry room or even garage can perform same. An additional advantage of interior over garage or exterior placement, we have just a single penetration through vapor-air barrier for 4/0 wire, not 25+ holes to seal required for each circuit. While most solar integrated systems from relay safety switches to inverters, junction boxes and battery systems are rated for exterior fitment, having those items in a mechanical room or even garage is also better for management, servicing and monitoring. Nice details, especially that vertical siding porch. Gonna be a nice home for your family 👍
Huh? Isn't he putting a reverse cycle heater/ cooler where you need a temperature differential? Cooling with a garage based unit would not work well. He was talking Freon lines ..
Awesome and insane amount of product. You are on top of your game but curious, what was the cost per square foot on your house build if delivered to consumer? At time of construction.
Why not just have Yeti build you a 2700 sq ft cooler and cut a hole in it for a door. What ever happened to fresh air. Ive torn into 75 year old houses with no house wrap, no insulation panels, no artifical wood or plastic. Siding nailed directly to studs. Corner braces and no wood sheathing panels...also, no rotten wood. Just good old fashioned carpentry. Houses that have survived decades of storms, tornados, hurricanes, torrential sideways rain. Although fun to watch and learn new technology, there's still something to be said about just good sound construction techniques, and a few air leaks for some fresh air.
my house is exactly as you describe, all the cracks and openings create air flow that is why there is no rotting, problem is, it also creates airflow into the house, which its makes it far from ideal in winter.
Interesting point on your siding (cladding in the UK) is it isn't really supposed to stop water getting through. You can even use "open cladding" where boards don't overlap but have small gaps. As long as you have good run-off and ventilation it's totally fine for a bit of rain to get in there - just not being driven in. I'd never thought of it that way, but it's way more important to have ventilation & drainage than to make the sidings waterproof.
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I used this methodology of installing a rain shield/screen without even knowing that this was a thing. I noticed that the air gap also helps insulate the house. The veneer also lasts a lot longer like Matt said. That air gap makes a HUGE difference in everything. Great video!
We’re building a cabin this summer and I spend so many hours on your channel learning the do’s and don’ts of building. Thank you so much for your dedication, I really learned (and still learning) with your videos.
My Uncle's house was built in 1950 in New York state and sided with redwood lap siding (wedge cross-section). He had a constant headache with paint peeling and blistering. He discovered that the back side had never been painted and the siding was placed directly on the ship-lap sheathing. To shorten the story he removed the original siding, painted the back side, and built an equivalent rain screen to this here. It has been 40 years and it still has the paint from 1980 when he completed the redo. That is hard to beat. The siding and wood trim has no rot any where.
Thank you Matt! I have been in this industry since 1977 (carpenter from MN) and thoroughly enjoy learning about best practices, the latest technology, and new products to help improve the efficiency and longevity of homes!
As an architecture student learning about the importance of rain screens (the open cavity between siding and insulation) I really enjoyed the content. I also appreciate the effort that you make to share good building practices and insights!
Thumbs up to your nerdiness... i watched yours videos a few years ago and got so many excellent ideas from you that i incorporated in own my house...
I need to make a few corrections. Not everyone is going to have 6” of exterior insulation. The reason that you don’t want hardiplank touching the wall, not even the moisture barrier. The hardy plank is 4 times denser than wood, it’s insulation capability is lower than wood as a result on very cold days where warm moist air comes in the cement boards are going to have condensate build up on the inside, the material itself with water will cause nails to rust (insect excrement, dust, acid rain,and other variables can also contribute) water will run behind the water proofing. Most houses have significant overhang that rain is not going to be much of the problem most of the time, but that moisture condensation, the moisture only evaporated slowly during certain times of the year. This is a particular problem on the north facing side of houses or houses with a lot of nearby trees or shrubs where sunlight is a premium. This is why if you live near the coast or where humidity is higher you can expect some moisture to condense behind the cement board. Thus you need a breather zone even if your overhang is 6 feet. The 4’ x 8’ panels have somewhat of a less problem but need to be caulked and painted frequently. The plank is a particular problem because of the rate moist air can blow between the gap.
The other problem, that 3/4 inch gap ‘moisture shield’ is large enough for mice to crawl into, there supposed to be screen at bottom and top, and it should be metal, because they will gnaw through softer materials. The rodents can just gnaw right through the asphalt paper, so if they can get behind the hardiplank your moisture guard is toast. I know this for fact, the house I’m working on, his pipes in the kitchen froze because the rats chewed right through the asphalt paper and they were using it to build nests with, that 11 degree wind was blowing through the walls like nothing was there. If rats reach your insulation it’s R value goes down quick as they make it look like Swiss cheese. Not only that field mice can gnaw through a small hole in Sheetrock, they are in your house. There the critter screen, not just for bugs should also be able the keep rodents out. General rule is, if the gap is bigger than the minimum diameter of a mouses skull, then a mouse can get in, say goodbye to your moisture shield. If the material is softer than a mouse’s tooth, then they can gnaw right through it.
A forth problem, if you buy the nails for hardiplank and don’t use the shield, then don’t use the 2.5 + inch nails. A stud wall, minimally, is 3.5 inches wide, that hardiplank is less than a half inch thick, if you fire a 3 inch nail into a wall, blind, you can hit a pipe or wire. I have a fault in one house I need to find, and pretty sure the stupid contractor, who did not use a shield and used 3 inch nails shot a wire through. Electricians are not careful about centering wires in studs nor do they use strike plates routinely when they don’t center the wire, and frankly, the velocity that a pneumatic nailer fires, it doesn’t matter if the wire is plated at the stud or not, if he misses the stud it will go right through a non-centered wire near the exterior of the wall. This house is particularly problematic because it’s got an FPE main panel, and breakers of that make will only throw once, then fail to subsequently trip, so that combo is a recipe for a house fire. As Matt has already shown in another video, careless contractors can fire through pipes, with copper the nail will seal the copper and it won’t leak for a few months, long after the contractor has his money and is gone, I see this alot. So it’s a good idea they are using the appropriate fastener for the task, and that extra 3/4 on the 1 x 4 (really Matt 1x2 is good enough) will also protect the wires and pipes in the walls.
Cement board installation contractors are a dime a dozen, do some research and find one that knows what they are doing.
i'm planning with full ICF walls and appreciate all your info - the condensation & rodent aspects are eye-openers.
i've got to build with best value in-mind, not throw money at everything like Matt does here, lol... so i don't think i'll be able to afford an ICF roof system. might have to go with normal open-truss & maybe add an airgap/radiant barrier (double sheathing with furring strips to ridge vent), to attain a partially conditioned attic for HVAC/ducts. for outside walls; lookin at 1x2, radiant barrier sheathing, & stucco (in NM), with metal mesh wrapped lower breather made of plastic.
my next concern is how the furring strips/sheathing/airgap may negatively affect fire-resistance.
You seem to know your stuff! I liked reading this follow up information! Thank you. I'm a new contractor, who is eager to learn as much as I can.
I'm on east coast and never used the actual "rain screen " other then house wrap with build in rain screen (1/8") , never had an issue , even with houses within few miles of the ocean
@@baldthebuilder2588 Even 1/8th inch is better than nothing. Hardiplank I think recommends 1/2 inch on stud walls and 1.5” on masonry walls. Since I exclusively work on sick houses I tend to see the bad. Yes, there is a particular problem with rotting of the bottom plate, but I have seen rotting around windows in areas with a lot of foliage. So down here in Houston several times a year we have warm fronts that back over very cold nights. Any exposed cement, be it a open garage floor, hardiplank, parking garage you have large accumulations of surface moisture. This peak humidity can lasts for days. Most houses here have negative pressure because the AC system (and leaks) is in the attic. As a result the moisture is drawn into the house. Some moisture will accumulate on the moisture barrier but since it is thin, it’s heat capacity per unit area is low. However where the two planks lap each other, the lower piece touches the house and can wick water to holes in the barrier. I have been a site manager, and it’s damn hard to keep the contractors from beating up the barrier before the sheathing is put on. That’s given that many barriers aren’t worth ****. Even asphalt paper breaths where two pieces overlap. Typically, if you start on a 10 ft section of wall, clearing out from inside to outside you will see, from the inside maybe two or three easily visible holes or cracks in the moisture barrier. In some cases the builder does not place barrierboard (a cheap contractor fiberboard) down to the bottom plate. In other cases the OSB board that reaches the bottom is has swollen and is disentegrating before the house gets its occupancy certificate. Paying attention to the detail of keeping that bottom plate dry and covered until that sheathing is up. Making sure downspouts and drip lines are not throwing water in the direction of the bottom plate.
I see the result of bad construction after 30 to 40 years, but it does not take that long, I’ve seen very expensive homes essentially trashed (I.e stucco on housewrap - major structural rot). Hardiplank is better than stucco, but still, you need for that masonry board to breathe completely.
Although, if you don’t, I make my money out of jacking up walls, replacing the bottom plate, splicing wall joists, removing insulation, spraying mold, replacing Sheetrock, killing rats, lol.
For myself . . . . .brick.
I should add to this, I have have seen rot under the sheathing in where hardiplank is used over a roof, meaning a section of wall that butts into a roof. Typically you get dry rot on the sun exposed side, but similar decomposition under roof areas covered by trees were dead leaves and twigs can back up against the siding for long periods. In one instance the rot was so bad the hardiplank had fallen off.
I created a similar assembly for a 2nd story cantilevered bedroom bay in 2017, for an investment property I renovated. This was a 110 year old rowhome that had no insulation.The difference was I used 2.5" Rockwool comfortbatt with pressure treated battens, finished with square edge 1"x6" cedar siding. I also used Coravent which I had to explain to my carpenter how to install along with a video and pdf instructions, as it was unheard of at that time.
This assembly continued under the bay, sides and roof of bay for complete insulation on all exterior locations of the bay.
Interior was insulated with R-15 Rockwool for a total of R-25.
Also called a drainage plain. The way you're supposed to install sliding but it is rarely done. Great job!!; from a fellow contractor.
this is more than just a draining plain. a drainage plain is concerned only with bulk water. the ventilated raincreeen also achieves keeping the cladding and wall assembly dry.
@@paperwait9611 Probably does a good job protecting the long term integrity of your vapor barrier too, right?
I have been building energy efficient houses over forty years. The rain screen has been around for long time. Most builders including yourself install foam insulation on the outside when it should be installed on the inside. The reason being is that moisture from cooking and bathing with the foam insulation on the inside and taped and plastic sheathing prevents water from getting in the wall and rotting the framing. I was told I was crazy actually I think everyone else was trying to eco friendly but were just saving money on sheathing. 20 years after I built the house the way I stated, I did an addition to the house, which required exposing areas of the original framing. All the area I exposed were dry no signs of dampness or mold. There were other items I did to save energy and prevent heat loss. About a year later a guy called saying the floor in his townhouse was collapsing. I knew of the builder all the units were built on crawlspace with floor trusses and foam sheathing on the exterior, it was the only sheathing. We went into the crawlspace and right away you could see the trusses had wet rot, we then pulled up carpet and removed some drywall , the wall framing also hat wet rot. The crawlspace space had a rat slab and was dry. I told the owner he had serious problems and there was no way I could give him fixed price to repair the problem and certainly without doing more demolition. He hired someone with a pick and that the last I heard from him. 45year after building the house I first mentioned the owner sold it. He told me the inspector had never seen a house framed and insulated like that before and though it was different he could find nothing wrong except the heat pumps were dated and should be upgraded.
I think the sheathing used in this build has its own foam facing inwards in the house if that makes a difference. I think the product is called zip sheathing.
Ok is it necessary to air gap vinyl siding I could see if I hang the vinyl correctly it already has like an 1/8” air gap naturally.
Our home was built in 1938, which led me to seek your kind of channel. I'm so glad I found you. Thanks for your expertise and all the help you provided. Now we know what to ask for and look for when hiring businesses to update our exteriors. You've gained a new loyal subscriber. Thanks again!
My house is almost 1 year old now and I could cry thinking about everything I wish I had asked to be done after watching this renovation.
Did you hire an architect to help you? If not, well, there may lie your problem.
Lots of contractors out there, but unfortunately very few understand building or construction technology.
@@apscoradiales this is true. No sir, no architect. But duly noted to seek one on the next huge build we do.
@@GAMP-b2s Having said all this, not all architects are created equal. Some have institutional experience only, and couldn't tell a 2x4 if it hit them on the head, but some residential architects couldn't tell a lead-lined partition if it fell on them.
So, you choose an architect who is experienced in what you want to get done.
@@apscoradiales Best to watch everything the contractors do and stay with them! I have stopped a lot of "mistakes"
@@Doodad2 I don't disagree, but sometimes you don't have the time to "hold the hand".
Never done a rain screen before but would like to start. Was curious if you could do another video on rain screening around windows? How to flash your trim? Building out the window for the nailing flange?
Also a recommendation in Scotland, that siding flashing over lintels and suchlike should channel water from the inside to the outside. Confuses many builders coming up from England who just seal on the outside... and then the water comes in.
Excellent closing comments! Helping the client/owner understand the value they get from building this way and the time, effort, and resources it takes to do so. Well done.
I was quite surprised how much the battening costs as it seems simple (and timber is cheap in the USA) but then it is a pretty big house.
@@MisterBoy316 The six biggest sawmill companies in the United States jacked up their prices by a greater percentage than any of the home improvement stores, lumberyards, truckers, distributors, or any other businesses involved in handling lumber did during the pandemic, and that explained why consumer and contractor cost for lumber went up so high.
This is the content that I enjoy most from this channel. Thank you for all the information.
On the other hand, that wire liquid flashed directly into the Zip made me cringe. Put it in a conduit pipe. Then, when it inevitably craps out on you, replacing it is a snap
...next time!
glue the conduit into the penetration, and duct seal it.
Has anyone measured heat loss from liquid flashed conduit vs straight wire? Conduit might still be the right option, but I assume it's going to be substantially more.
@@hostelofmaine5057 I'm sure some official lab has. they've also measured the heat retention on wires sealed in with sprayfoam. never, ever put more than three cables into a single hole and pack it with sprayfoam.
I agree; the loose wires will move around too easily, and eventually break the liquid flashing. It should be a rigidly mounted conduit. Put the liquid flashing around the outside of the conduit, and an appropriate product inside the conduit to stop airflow there.
The battens will provide soundproofing too, the way whisper clips do on interior wallboard. Rain and wind pelt the Hardy and only the battens transfer sound
no they don't.
I agree, that is the correct way to install siding today with the material that’s produced today.
When you screw the batons to the exterior insulation, do the holes the screws not create ingress points for moisture down the road?
Enjoy your Aquor hose bibs. I got them on our Harvey rebuild home two years ago and was really glad during the Feb freeze! I still had to protect the water incoming line to the house/garage that was exposed. But no worries on my 5 hose bibs!
Best practice is actually to build another house on the outside of that house, like a shield in front of the shield. You can never have too much protection and it ups your R value a little bit. 😅
I actually had a customer years ago that had a nice double wide in basically a massive carport and it worked really really well it had been there for 30+ years and even the roof was in great shape still 😊it made all the sense to me like living in a massive porch no real volume of water or sun to deal with
@@JMoney-ne3toA pot farmer did basically that to prevent thermal recognition.
@@JMoney-ne3to that’s what I was thinking!!!!
Here at west coast customs we put a car in your car so you can drive while you drive. 😂
And I think he can upgrade his roofing shingles to rubber coated king size cool gel memory foam mattresses.
Thanks for the video. I live in a high fire risk zone in the San Diego mountains. The air gap is definitely not best practices in this setting. In case of a fire, the Hardie panel is not going to burn, but it will get extremely hot. That heat plus an air gap can cause gases from the other building materials to flash. That, plus the air gap below proving oxygen is not a good situation in a fire zone. A lot of "code" is based on certain assumptions of risk (fire, water intrusion, energy loss, etc.), best practices highly depend on where you build.
So timely! I'm in the process of residing my house. I am using Prosoco MVP , Joint and Seam Sealer, and Fast Flash and doing a rain screen. It has been a bit of a challenge getting the subs on board. Today I had to agree to pay them more for doing the battens and Cor a vent. Once they got more money for the extra work they are liking the concept. They have never done this before. They now see what I'm doing and agree that it is a worth while process. Of course I learned about the rain screen from "The Build Show". Thanks Matt for teaching about the best practices! Oh, I have to say that Fast Flash is a mess! I'm here in central Texas also!
Keep the denatured alcohol handy! The Prosoco stuff is soooooo bomber!
Matt, up here in the northeast we call those wooden battens by another name -- thermal bridges. You are about a month ahead of me in construction. I'm just starting my rain screen siding now. I'm using a product from Armatherm which is described as a Z-girt. It is a z-shaped fibre glass strip that holds the insulation down while providing a nail bed (or in my case a screw bed) for the siding. These have the advantage of not serving as a thermal bridge, which probably does not matter as much in Austin as it does in Boston. The miscalculation on my part was how hard this installation has turned out to be. The siding I chose is installed with aluminum clips that provide the air-gap that makes it a rain screen. The installation is incredibly labor intensive. It looks great and will last forever, but not very economical.
How is the siding base board a thermal bridge when it is outside the insulation?
Jacob - the battens are NOT a thermal bridge. The Z-girt is good, especially fiberglass at preventing thermal bridging. The screws that anchor the wood battens and the wood battens do not encourage thermal bridging.
I'm 5 years ahead of you both you. I'm in NH. I have (3) layers of reclaimed EPS 8.25" total on the exterior walls, and (5) layers (2) polyiso in contact with the roof, and (3) layers of reclaimed EPS on top of that to keep the poly-iso from thermally degrading 15" of roof insulation held down with 2x4's and 18" timber framing screws.
Once you build it though, you won't build it again. No electric bill, no heat bill, no hot water bill here, and we love it.
I’ve been doing siding for 20 years in the northeast, Always used a good vapor barrier, never dealt much with a rain screen but I definitely like the idea. The biggest problem I see is the quality of the siding materials themselves. So many different types and problems with everything. Quality installation is always key.
Air space is key to good, durable construction whether you are using siding or brick or stone veneer or anything else.
water is the biggest enemy of construction, and air space is your best friend.
A lot of older houses (pre WW2) were built with the idea that they would leak. Check out the video that Matt did in a 1930s house where the wood was water stained but dry. There was no rain screen, but builders took water ingress into account.
@@ckm-mkc Older houses and building leaked like a sieve. Lots of air movement inside and outside. The problem began when we started sealing houses (vapour barrier, air barrier). Sudenly, not enough air moved through the walls and roofs. So, then we began to have problems with moisture, mould, rot...
@@ckm-mkc They also didn't install a plastic air barrier, and minimal insulation so the house could breath and dry.
Maybe it wasn't available when you did this, but Coravent makes a vent that will replace the vertical and horizontal boards with just a horizontal coravent product that can be nailed or screwed through.
When you explain it and what I saw and relearned from Building Science courses, it becomes so obvious that the rainscreen will work better than ever expected. Thank you for the videos, Matt.
Make sure to use "hardware cloth" over the vinyl screen or just the hardware cloth by itself. Vermin will chew thru the vinyl screen, and hang out in your ventilated rainscreen area.
Awesome explanation here. I'm about starting a little project and this video was a must see for me. I'm not constructor, and I haven't done anything like it. So, I feel more prepared to get the job done. Thank you so much for all the details.
Really enjoyed this video. Back to basics, less product placement for high end homes (I get you need to make a living) but this video applies really well to a medium cost home as well. For once living in the North is an advantage... I can air seal on the inside hehe.
Mice, bees, lizards...
I worked in the Portland Oregon area as well..Brick Mason. We did the same thing with Culture Stone. Before installing the stone..we used wood strips vertically and then installed the Hardie sheets. Then the stone.
Great job Matt! Being new to Texas and starting another home inspection business it’s vital for me to find, follow and learn the absolute best construction practices for a specific region. Your videos are easy to understand but yet highly educational. Appreciate the time and effort you took to creating this video and following your passion! I’m looking forward to hiring you in the future! Until then, take care. - Kevin Ninnis
Yes cause Texas Construction sucks bad
3/4" PT Ply ripped down is what I use in Vancouver, gotta have pressure treated so your fasteners don't rot out the boards
Zac Chadderton How wide do you make your strips? 3-1/2" ?
@@btbinnovationsllc6815 2-3 inches
Great idea
plywood would not meet irc requirements in the US, so risinger used the right material for the furring strips. if plywood is acceptable where you live, then i guess things are different in canada.
@@paperwait9611
What a great screen name.
So do you know why plywood strips would not be appropriate or acceptable?. Just curious.
I would love to see a detailed video about your window awnings! Looking to install some for water and sun protection but I can't find anything I want to buy.
Following… love the look of those awnings.
Yes sir!!! We’re doing the exact thing to our home, our Hardie Plank just arrived yesterday. No some years ago we renovated an 1800s home in Fredericksburg Virginia, and after we replaced some corner 4x6 post sections, and rotten sill on a balloon framed house the homeowner didn’t want to pay the extra $ putting furring strips, instead we wrapped everything in metal, tyvec on the whole house incl a new addition, Azek pvc wrap on posts ect, and then that was it. But I learned my lesson, no sense in going cheap and skipping a major step that could save you tons of $ and maintenance down the road.
It will make also some sun and heat protection. The siding will be heated by the sun but ventilated from inside. This channels behind of siding works like chimney: because of hight and temperature difference air inside of them goes up with some speed.
Hi Matt. I hope you're well buddy. Until now, I was always excited to watch your videos. Now I'm super excited to watch & learn how you would install cladding. It's most important part of the any construction i believe. Waiting for next broadcast.
yip in nz we use "cavity batten" on mostly all new builds and renovations, there are some exemptions. we use a treated 2x1 batten and a fluted batten for vertical cladding 👍 great details as always matt!!!!!
Very nice Matt but recessing those structural screws for your 1x4 to support your Hardie is not necessary if placed just before the overlap of siding. That’s how I do mine just because of the extra effort of recessing for the screw head. Using a story pole for siding, it’s very easy to determine where to place the screws, then start the screws on a bundle of 1x4’s, snapping a chalk line and pre screw them where they go and then install on the wall. With 2x6 and 2” rigid foam with a rain screen, awesome high energy wall assembly. I prefer the “innie” windows install for that depth look. Your videos have taught me a lot. 👍
Matt kicks the James Hardie siding and says, "This is Sparta!" 300 flash back.
My insurance was a 8' wrap around porch. Rain only hits the hardie in severe storms.
Wish i would have done a 12' porch lol we love the porch
Hey Matt, Whats your thoughts on installing a nice big 1x4 or 1x6 trim around all your windows? My thought is to do it this way for future window replacement if needed. When its time to replace the windows, you simply need to remove the big trim & pull the window. This will prevent tearing off a bunch of siding. Also gives room to reseal the new window.
Actually thats the right way to do it cause when you trim the window all the way around with 1x4 or x6 you can alsu add z flashing and like you said it very easy to replace a defective window or an old window,however you can still do it like that and using a grinder you can cut the sidding to remove both sidding and window
I do that for a living and i know alot of ways to do it here in texas
He does something like this in another video
@@ivanaguilar8314 Do you have any sketches/pictures of this method (or links to a website showing such) that you can share?
These are nice details. Air Gap is key 25 psi polystyrene is continuous and the batterns are nice and wide for fastening over it. 👍
Subcontractors must be like “what is he asking for now 🙄”
after all that $$$$ he put into the interior and windows, matt goes with hardi plank on the outside???????? smh...
As long as it's detailed on the plans
@@kilo3-186 what's wrong with hardie ?
@@gtghighlights2881 nothing really, it has minor faults, but why would you put in high end materials in the interior, windows and for the high end roof, then skimp out on the siding.
@@kilo3-186 what would you suggest is not “skimping”? What would you have installed instead?
Exactly! Someone finally did this right. That air gap allows any potential water to drain and moisture to dry out.
In Finland its normal to use those strips behind siding, it really works and saves the siding from rot
Not that you'd have to worry about sun in Finland, but in hotter climates it seems like it would set up an air current to transfer heat up behind the siding and out the top which would reduce cooling costs. Not sure what it would do to heating, but that is mostly handled by the insulation on the inside.
Two questions for you about house building practices there: 1. What type of exterior insulation is used there the wood fiber type of insulation board? 2. The type of siding product wood or fiber cement. Thanks
your cost benefit analysis is off the charts
Like everything but the idea of mounting elec panels outside the house. Mount meter outside but run one feed wire thru the envelope to interior distribution panels.
In our area you are required to have an emergency shutoff on the exterior of the house where the electrical service enters the house, many builders opt to combine the panel with the shutoff. The reason for the shutoff is when the fire department responds to a house fire, the first thing they are going to look for is the panel, after that shutoff they will punch a hole in the roof and ceiling to let the heat out while flooding that area. For that reason they want the power out before water goes into the house.
Having said that I have seen many houses without this, presumably they were built in a rural area an annexed by the city.
@@Darisiabgal7573 NEC 2020 mandates exterior shutoffs now, it also relates to solar panels, where you now have a 2nd source, one external disconnect doe sit all...2020 NEC, if adopted in your area, requires external disconnects now...and AFCI and GFCI on most everything in a residential setting, even electric stoves are now on GFCI, etc...i can see the kids playing with the disconnects as pranks, but if you lock them out, the firemen have to use bolt cutters to release?
@@cengeb in many cases that will require panel replacement to get GFCI, or hardwiring neutrals into each GFCI breaker. I just contracted a panel replacement on one clients house, a QO, has a built in neutral strip for GFCI breakers.
You can use zip ties, easily cut if needed.
Very well done and informative videos. Love the attention paid to airtightness. Every detail is cared for.
My only caution - and full disclosure, this comes from someone in the insulation industry making a competing product (and all contractors and even architects fall victim to this lack of disclosure by the polyiso makers) is the overstatement of R values. They can really pump it up for their ASTM test results, but once shipped the dropoff can be considerable with rapid off-gassing. Even taking into consideration the LTTR as the design value, there is plenty of third-party testing on in-situ values far below what is printed on the panels and less than their LTTR statement. The R6 or R6.5 claimed is never realized in the field.
I know the National Roofing Contractors Association has done extensive studies, replicated in other studies done in B.C. and Massachusettes concluding "NRCA has revised its design in-service R-value recommendation to 5.0 per inch thickness in all climate conditions". Expecting R6 and getting R5 performance is a 17% miss. Not insignificant.
It's EPS for me, especially if the vapor barrier is on the interior side of the assembly which is the norm in cold climates. Known, stable, and permanent R-value for life with great water vapor transmission. I'll take the R4.05 per inch when it's the best R-value per dollar there is and it never lowers.
Did you compare the cost of just running corravent as the rain screen battons ilo pine?
Coravent would not support the nails for the siding. The battens are screwed with long screws into studs to provide a strong nailing base and the siding is nailed with short nails to the battens.
Liked very much the professionalism of your projects...wish we had more people like you here in the Rio Grande Valley 👍
So crazy to make all of those electrical circuit penetrations when you could have just put the box on the inside of the house! Oh, yeah reduce penetrations for air sealing.
I second that. I cringe when he shows that exterior electrical panel. I don't want anything outside the home where miscreants can mess with it. Compressors should live in a locked enclosure as well. By the way... I want to see how the air leakage from the dryer vent is handled... big hole there.
WTF Risinger! So close
@@Crusader1815 he’s doing a ventless dryer.
I feel like every build i have seen in Texas has the electrical panel outside. Perhaps its a code requirement? I really don't see how consistent changes in temp and humidity can be do anything but decrease the reliability and lifespan of the breakers.
2020 nec requires an exterior electrical shutoff for emergency responders. Not sure why you’d want your panel outside though...
Very interesting. I live in Minnesota. All I see is houses being wrapped with TyVek for moisture sealing. The siding is installed directly on the moisture barrier (TyVek).
If i were to redo my siding and add housewrap (currently doesnt have any) and add those 1x4 boards, would i need to redo all my windows and doors bc everything will now stick out further by 3/4 of an inch? And out even more if i wanted to add outside insulation like the poly-iso. House built in early 80s and coastal.
You could but don’t have to - if the windows stay on the sheathing plane then they can be shadowboxed with metal roll flashing bent on a brake for the top and side, with the trim installed as a picture frame. This assumes you still have a sill that slopes down and away from the window or build one proud of the sheathing plane to provide drainage away from the window.
No you don't. You can have a window that is an "innie". It can make the flashing details hard, but doable.
@@brad-yo7jb right that’s an important point - flashing needs to be addressed - I’d find a picture of a known good flashing detail diagram and use that to communicate to subs - green building advisor and fine Homebuilding have each run pictures of options to flash and trim effectively.
Good video. Window taping also is a good product. Creating the passive house is the way to go.
By installing all of the pine with screws through the insulation aren't there a bunch of holes from those? I realize it may be minimal but it seems like all those holes would add up if you're looking to completely seal the house?
I've wondered that too. It goes through the insulation and into the Zip, which is also an air barrier that now has hundreds of holes in it
matt's head just exploded. he's now going to coat the entire house in 1/4" of liquid flash
I agree, but still fewer than if siding was directly attached...
I was wondering the same thing..... Screws are making penetrations in the air sealing...... or is that not really that much to be an issue....## Matt Risinger , please reply
I’ve worked for contractors like him. It’s nice to work for soMe one that cares and knows what their talking about. There are piles of building science grads that couldn’t build a birdhouse.
Matt, question unrelated to siding. I'm curious why you would mount electrical panel box outside and run all those lines through the wall, instead of one entrance cable and the panel inside? I haven't ever seen this done before. I'm not a builder or electrician.
From watching Matt’s and other videos, this seems to be a common practice in Texas. Seems crazy to me, too.
Oklahoma also put electrical panel boxes outside. I thought that was the norm. Taking the flashlight outside in the dark, on a cold night to reset that breaker box.sucked 10 azzes!!. I never heard of anyone getting electrocuted as a result though, but maybe they never lived to tell🤔
This is standard practice throughout the southwest. In 35 years as an EC in California, this is all we installed.
Great vid, Matt! Thanks for sharing the knowledge!
One topic I'd love to see - I'm getting ready to build in north Texas, and I'd love to see you examine fireplace options that can still get good blower-door scores, and really be a positive energy source in a home instead of an energy sink. Best!
There are sealed options available. One pipe divided in half for intake/exhaust. Mine is a superior unit, the glass has a gasket material around the door and spring type hinges to keep it tight and sealed.
the secret to weatherizing a house: make sure the water can get back out, because there is nothing you can do that will keep it from getting in.
Water hasn't touch my garage's sheathing in the 25 years since I built it. Proper planning and understanding of what you're doing is how you ensure water never gets it. It's really not that difficult.
@@OU81TWO I've heard that before. it never ends they way they think it will.
@@kenbrown2808 That's probably because "they" don't think. None of the windows in my home rely on caulking to keep water out. It's only there to seal against air infiltration.The water management system is 100% mechanical due to the way the different components are installed. This is how homes should be built but unfortunately the majority of builders don't do it right. And yes part of a good system is having a route for water to exit should it ever get past the barriers.
@@OU81TWO yep, that's what "make sure the water gets back out" means.
Water can enter into the airspace behind the siding, and it can easily escape out at the bottom due to the vents. But, if the water ever got behind the air barrier, you are then fooked! Simple as that. So, the idea is to stop it at the air barrier or peel and stick exterior surface. Water can come from the inside, not just the outside. A broken plumbing line can, and does major damage from the inside. You don't leave weep holes every 24" o/c on the inside of the walls to let the water out when a pipe bursts. So, that's part of living, and learning from mistakes. In the case of plumbing lines, you make damn sure they don't leak or burst by getting frozen. Like I said, if they do, you are screwed, and no amount of air space, air barrier, peel and stick membrane or vapour barrier will help you there.
There was no siding inspection in Seattle once you had the house wrapped. I just put Hardi planking nailed straight to the studs. The Hardi web instructions didn’t call for a rain screen . It only talked about butt joint flashing.
I mean the whole idea of siding is to keep water out.
I too was wondering how much water is he expecting to get behind the siding. And this is Hardie siding not wood… If flashed properly there shouldn’t be any water getting back there.
Brick is porous so it is vital to have the air gap and a way for the water to get out. But I too was under the impression that Hardie siding installed correctly should be a good water shield. You can apply a liquid applied weather barrier to water proof your OSB or plywood sheathing as well if you are worried about any water that may get back there.
Hey matt, Would it make sense to have treated pine battens externally to prevent mould?
As long as there’s fresh air flowing through the cavity mould won’t form as it’s not as if the rain screen battens are getting constantly wet, similar concept to attack space and the underside of the roof sheets, airflow keeps them dry and mould free.
If you live in an area with enough rain (>20” per year) to warrant considering installing a rainscreen, then you should also consider using treated wood furring. Pine is not naturally decay resistant. If the point of a rainscreen is to drain and dry the wall from rain that gets past the siding, you should also use a more durable furring to hold up to that moisture over time. Oregon code requires wood furring to be naturally decay resistant wood (cedar, redwood, etc.) or treated wood.
I can’t tell if I love or hate your cameraman lmfao
Depends a lot on climate. We rarely do rainscreen here in Alberta but it’s very dry
I can second this, I would never side a house without a rain screen.
Upthe road 🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱 iui it u if our records of iiiiiiuiiuuiiuiuiiiiiiiiisuuu it uuiuuuuuu is uuu it is uuuuuu it is uu uh uuuuuu
Hi I just tear down my interior wall and found out there is no sheathing and no water barrier behind the siding😵
Great video. I saved this with about 10 other videos that you have done for reference when I build my new house
The pricing for this sounds very high. Granting that the price of lumber is currently outrageous, I would be very surprised if the labor portion was more than $.75 / sqft on the high side of things. Also, for gods sake, slope ALL penetrations. There is no excuse for drilling the whole at a 90 degree when you can just as easily slope the whole downward to the outside. Gravity is your friend.
Agreed, I calculate $7000 on the high end.
Installed and taken off lots of siding the last 30 years. And ive seen leaking issues that this method would have helped, And i totally agree, this is a good way to do it , that being said its a total waste of money and time if you are an expert installer .
If your good, you dont have the issues that would require this extra process
With lumber prices today......might be a tough sell
Telling your customer the paint and siding won't last long might be a hard sell too.
Just slice those boards in half in a table saw.
That's what I was waiting for, a mention of a bug screen at the bottom of the Coravent material because the first thing I thought of was how wasps would love those "prefab" homes to live in and you don't want any critters migrating from the outside to the inside of your exterior wall.
Needs to be a metal bug screen wrapped around outside otherwise the mice might chew their way in through the plastic.
@@JeepWranglerIslander I wasn't even thinking about mice getting in behind the siding, but I guess if they want to, they only need a hole as large as their head to get into anywhere they can chew through. This siding job is getting more complicated by the minute but basically, let the air and any moisture flow through and keep the critters out. Got it!
Why wasn’t Zip R12 insulated sheathing used with the 2” insulation already integrated? Saves an install step.
It's awesome, but it's not free.
Yes but the cost of the rigid insulation by itself + the zip system is less expensive than just the zipr12? He’s also sponsored by ZIP so I can’t imagine cost being the reason for not using the insulated sheathing
@@adamc9687 You would need to use 4" long nails with ZipR12, then still long screws to fasten the battens anyway. Not sure it would really be much faster. If it would let you use shorter screw on the battens and only screw into the sheathing, that would be worth it, but I don't think code allows that unless the sheathing is 3/4" or better.
ZIP R is only structurally rated to shear up to 2" I believe, but you have to use Doug Fir with ZIP R to get that rating. Plus Zip-R, isn't exterior insulation.
For my battens In a retrofit on a 150yo farm house I plan on using 4" strips of 3/4 plywood to reduce cost.
Imagine all this hard work and innovation for Matt's house and the ants still find a way in 😂
@AmericoRivas - Ohhhhhh ... you are SOOOOO funny !! (Not!)
Hi Matt,
I love the idea of this rain screen. In our 1970s somewhat Scandinavian looking house in Baltimore MD we now have a vertical 6x1 tongue and groove cedar plank siding. Lots of leaks. A local contractor (lets call them F* brothers) forgot to put flashing over the windows that they installed all around the house. Also our roof has very little overhang. No soffit.
We want to redo our siding, starting with the insulation, weather proofing, and then the best siding we can fit with the limited roof overhang ( or.. we need a new roof at the same time )
What puzzles me is how we can attach anything, including the rain screen, without creating water entry points in the wrap or boards that provide the water and air shielding behind the siding. In the video we can see the big screws going through the 1x4s. How deep do they go through the insulation into the house frame? Are they all targeting framing or randomly into boards mounted on the framing?
I would like to see a video highlighting those aspects.
Regards
Ronald
Matt, what about ants attracted to the wood, or wasps climbing through the air flows.... Annnnnnd he gets to the "bug screen". :D
So Matty with doubled-up bug screen. 😉 But now that you mention wasps...Eek! Double that up is right!
I DIY top and bottom vents using bug net on top of tight weaved galvanized steel fencing stapled onto the furring strips; I added a short vertical strip in between the vertical one for added rigidity; works well and quite cheap
Why external water heater? Even the garage would be better. Freezing is clearly a possibility in Texas!
I believe it's an air source heat pump (like an AC in reverse). The external unit is supposed to work even down to crazy low temps.
@@tominglis9690 Seems to me that an air source heat pump should be put inside. It’s essentially free extra cooling and dehumidification in the summer, and during the winter it would just “hitch a ride” on your house’s heating system.
@@kc9scott the heat pump needs a temperature differential to operate. Putting it inside defeats the purpose
@@marcob1729 We’re talking about the water heater, not the HVAC. I don’t specifically know if Matt is really using an air-source heat pump as his water heater; they’re pretty rare in the US. But if that’s the case, what it would do is move heat from the air somewhere (wherever its evaporator coil is) to the hot water tank (which is where its condenser coil would be). As a result, it will heat the water and cool the air. My point is that using the inside air for this is great during the summer, and really not that bad in the winter either, since you’ve presumably already chosen an efficient way to heat the house.
It is a CO2 based refrigerant mini split heat pump. It belongs outside.
Great video as usual Matt. I really appreciate the detail you described on the siding installation and rain shield. Here in Canada we install 1 inch outer polystyrene, taped and then have those wood boards to allow for airflow and help dry the siding. 2 inch boards will be even better, well done.
how do you buid-out and vapor barrier windows?
@@cpbmw99 assuming you are in the Northern insulation code area, the vapour barrier is on the inside of the building. The plastic installed is typically on the underside of the gypsum board and goes tight up to the frame of the window. The space between the house framing at the window and the nice window frame is shimmed and foamed. The trim goes over that and it should be caulk sealed to prevent air leaks. Hope this answers your question. Obviously Matt has more beefed up ways around windows but it will cost more to install.
I'll never understand why anyone would want an OUTDOOR load center. You gotta get out in the elements every time a breaker trips. I know breakers aren't normally supposed to trip, but when they do, it's often at a very inconvenient time. Going outside during an electrical storm to reset a breaker is a horrible idea, and you end up encouraging it when you put a breaker box outside. People gotta have their lights or whatever back on, so they're going to expose breakers to rain while touching the breakers with wet hand while standing in a puddle of water. Outdoor breakers invite death!
I agree, i prefer garage, but this is a remodel.
I don't get it either...must be a southern thing?
@@reality150tv yes, i thought, he was merely showing us the placement, and that a large 'shed' or garage was yet to be built. if not that, then something of an additional room/space for storage, and that is quite a necessity for patio cushions and gear like lawn game equipment. also summertime things like extra chairs and portable furnishings or maybe tents: such as for use in celebrations w/ decorations/lights. and 'theme' paraphernalia. 😎
In Arizona it's standard to have our meter and breakers together, I assume Texas is the same. The meter has to be accessible to the power company so unless you do something custom your breakers are as well. That means outside and in the front most of the time. I am considering moving mine to the garage though, it would be much easier to add batteries and solar then later as well.
But yeah, I don't think anyone wants it, it's just not an option on tract housing.
@@robertcrowley9677 Your breakers are your property so they don't have to be available to your power company. There's nothing in the breaker panel they need to access anyway. Our breaker panel is actually located behind the meter on the inside of the house, but it's not required by any means. I live in Oklahoma.
Hey Mike! I'm reading about you in Fine Home Building April/May pg 44..nice write up on you! Congrats!
Amazing work. It’s a different world than my cookie cutter house. Uggg
Hi Matt, as the screws go through the rain screen though the insulation and then into the stud, isn’t that creating a bridge that the cold air or hot air can use to get into your house.
I was wondering the same thing
The thermal bridge is minimal. Using a self sealing WRB will prevent that. The hole is minimal too. Never hurts to use a intelligent interior VB though
I don't like all those service panels on the outside of the house. can't they go in the garage or utility closet?
yeah, that would never fly in a wet climate.
As a Northerner, and an older one at that, it boggles my mind that you would be putting your main (and secondary) electrical panels _OUTSIDE_ the house. I can definitely understand having the ATS for the generator outside next to the meter, but to have to go outside to reset a breaker if it trips? Not to mention the added cost of having a weather (and bug) tight electrical panel. When I first saw the Coravent on the house I was thinking _wasp habitat !_ but then you showed one side has screen and you're adding a _SECOND_ layer of screening as well. Great tips Matt! Pricey of course, but you have three options. Fast, Cheap or well constructed. Pick _ONE_!
Seems like with as good as Matt’s details are, the drip flashing on top of the siding blocks could be better.
At eye level you should shim your furring as needed to straighten the inconsistencies in the wall framing. You know when you have crowned and reversed crowned studs next to each other. Run a 6 to 8' straightedge across the furring and shim or plane the furring's as needed.
My only question is how does the pine hold up in the long run I'm a contractor in maine where honestly we need more code enforcement
5:02
@@worganyos I've never seen treated 1x4's at the Lumber yards. Not in Canada anyways.
@@myfavorites4300 you missed the point. At that part of the video, Matt explains why the pine battens will last a long time.
I guess the theory is that as long as it can dry out faster than it gets wet it will not rot.
Given that it’s Texas, those straps should hold up a long time. In other rain-heavy climates, that durability gets put into question for sure. Local industry practice may also mean that architects/engineers/inspectors only accept treated straps.
Could you run a 1 by 4 batton over the Zip sheathing to create the water gap? If you were not using exterior insulation.
Fig yes you can, I would personally run some zip tape behind the batton. That way when you nail or screw it to the sheathing the tape will hopefully seal the hole penetrating the zip. Or think of a way to seal the battons. In my opinion there is no reason to invest a ton of cash in zip, seal everything and then screw holes into it. This is just my opinion, I am sure someone will say I am wrong haha :) best of luck
Matt, can you clarify on the cost of the rain screen? You stated 10 to 12K. That was just the rain screen?
@6:30 he said rainscreen, batons, and labor.
Hey Matt, this is amazing info. We're installing siding on my folks bungalow this week. The question is how is air flowing on top, do you leave a gap of 1/4" between the top layer of siding and the roof eaves (no soffit), so the coravent on top has a 1/8" gap from the roof's wood? My neighbor's siding along the roof was caulked, so I notice they only have opening air on bottom, we just got confused since you see if seen done so many ways. Thanks for your great videos. Best, B
Can you show how the awnings are made? They look great!
I worked at an awning shop in norcross ga, the ones we made were tig welded aluminum. We used a custom extrusion that let's you staple the upholstery directly into a groove, letting you easily add an edge bead and hide the staples and joints. Then they would either get heavy weight uv stabilized fabric put on them standing seam metal, or powder coated and then covered
@@benadams5557 Way cool. I've been in stately old homes that have black & white photos showing the house with cloth awnings that are long gone. They looked great. Nice to know they do exist.
Please consider doing a video addressing condensation and insulation for building out a van. You could address it in the respects of your recently acquired camper. There are so many contradicting ideas out there I don't know how to address this for my first van build.
See pray Jones, 2" of closed foam will do it.
@@safffff1000 Thank you.
That was Spray Jones on youtube
Is this best practice? Yes. Does adding $10,000 to the cost of a build outside of major markets mean the client will choose to not build? Also yes.
Sure for some that will be true. Until this high building standard becomes an expected and demanded quality, as it is in many European countries. It may result in some choosing to build smaller homes with very high levels of comfort and increased building structure longevity, resulting in healthier happier people who leave a smaller environmental footprint too. Sounds like all pluses to me. Build it and they will come.
@@HandsonJ That could become the norm. In my experience building houses no one cares about the structure and most only care about the pretty finishes.
I don't like the fact that people are forced to pay such high prices for land and homes. It's not right or moral to force someone to go in debt for 30 years just to hav3e a place to live. But, paying on a mortgage is in reality a high interest savings account too!
@@jamesramirez9814 The "free" money that is currently available from banks definately doesn't help. Borrowing money is so cheap right now that everyone is doing it which means builders can set prices at whatever they want. A lot of people are going to find themselves underwater with their mortgages the next time the market crashes.
Also. This is his personal house. A GC. and a smart one at that. He’s building the very best for him and his family. With his channel operating as a vehicle to showcase these methods. Good advertising. Good build. Most clients will not care about this stuff.
I think a rain screen would even be useful in a hot dry climate where it almost never rains like the south west region. Having the exterior finish material lifted off the wall will greatly reduce the overall contact area for conductive heat transfer. Also, as the exterior finish heats up from the sun beaming on it all day, it will radiate heat off the backside of the material, but because there is an air gap, as the airspace heats up, the air will want to rise, and it will go out the vent at the top. Best case scenario, it might create a convection current behind your siding, constantly drawing in cooler air at the bottom vent near the ground and blowing hot air out the top vent.
you are correct; a ventilated rainscreen can help keep the interior walls cooler. however, the manual j models do not capture this effect. this effect is even greater if you use insulation with higher thermal mass.
Added bonus, the wasps now have a nice place to nest.
No they don't. watch the whole video, and you will see why.
@@apscoradiales
2:50 -- still seems like something could get up there.
The one item I would suggest you change in future homes is mounting main service panel w/breakers on exterior. The only electrical on exterior should be metered entrance, the main service breaker panel should be on interior wall opposite that metered entrance.
While you obviously don’t live in snow country which severely obstructs access to a breaker, it’s just more convenient having interior access to all breakers. We generally have a dedicated mechanical room for this but a laundry room or even garage can perform same. An additional advantage of interior over garage or exterior placement, we have just a single penetration through vapor-air barrier for 4/0 wire, not 25+ holes to seal required for each circuit.
While most solar integrated systems from relay safety switches to inverters, junction boxes and battery systems are rated for exterior fitment, having those items in a mechanical room or even garage is also better for management, servicing and monitoring.
Nice details, especially that vertical siding porch. Gonna be a nice home for your family 👍
Still putting the water heater outside, huh? Why don't you locate it in the garage at least given the cold weather from recent times?
Huh? Isn't he putting a reverse cycle heater/ cooler where you need a temperature differential?
Cooling with a garage based unit would not work well.
He was talking Freon lines ..
It's a heat pump to heat the water up and gain efficiencies that way, the tank is inside somewhere.
Awesome and insane amount of product. You are on top of your game but curious, what was the cost per square foot on your house build if delivered to consumer? At time of construction.
Why not just have Yeti build you a 2700 sq ft cooler and cut a hole in it for a door. What ever happened to fresh air.
Ive torn into 75 year old houses with no house wrap, no insulation panels, no artifical wood or plastic. Siding nailed directly to studs. Corner braces and no wood sheathing panels...also, no rotten wood. Just good old fashioned carpentry. Houses that have survived decades of storms, tornados, hurricanes, torrential sideways rain.
Although fun to watch and learn new technology, there's still something to be said about just good sound construction techniques, and a few air leaks for some fresh air.
my house is exactly as you describe, all the cracks and openings create air flow that is why there is no rotting, problem is, it also creates airflow into the house, which its makes it far from ideal in winter.
Interesting point on your siding (cladding in the UK) is it isn't really supposed to stop water getting through. You can even use "open cladding" where boards don't overlap but have small gaps. As long as you have good run-off and ventilation it's totally fine for a bit of rain to get in there - just not being driven in. I'd never thought of it that way, but it's way more important to have ventilation & drainage than to make the sidings waterproof.