https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/6-materials-that-drain-the-rain-on-the-plane-and-keep-a-house-dry/ Building science knowledge, HVAC design, & fun Tue, 11 Jan 2022 15:20:30 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/6-materials-that-drain-the-rain-on-the-plane-and-keep-a-house-dry/#comment-6694 Sat, 01 Feb 2014 16:40:40 +0000 http://energyvanguard.flywheelsites.com/?blog_post=6-materials-that-drain-the-rain-on-the-plane-and-keep-a-house-dry#comment-6694 Allison… 

Allison… 
You and Joe certainly have it right. Thanks for the weekly attention to details!!! 
 
However, under #4, the Foamboard Sheathing, you suggest wood furring strips as a part of the rain screen detail. I would respectfully disagree and suggest that these strips should not be carbon-based but perhaps strips of cellular PVC like AZEK.

]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/6-materials-that-drain-the-rain-on-the-plane-and-keep-a-house-dry/#comment-6693 Thu, 30 Jan 2014 01:27:49 +0000 http://energyvanguard.flywheelsites.com/?blog_post=6-materials-that-drain-the-rain-on-the-plane-and-keep-a-house-dry#comment-6693 Better than conventional
Better than conventional housewraps (adhered or not) is ProClima SOLITEX membranes. It is actively vapor open because of it monolithic TEEE film, which makes it super waterproof (33ft of water column) and airtight. See this blogpost how this is different from conventional housewraps. 
Especially when taped with ProClima TESCON tapes, which SOLID acrylic adhesive has been age tested and exceeds 100yr performances.

]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/6-materials-that-drain-the-rain-on-the-plane-and-keep-a-house-dry/#comment-6692 Wed, 29 Jan 2014 23:15:11 +0000 http://energyvanguard.flywheelsites.com/?blog_post=6-materials-that-drain-the-rain-on-the-plane-and-keep-a-house-dry#comment-6692 Allison 

Allison 
Thank you very timely post and link to information on tape.

]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/6-materials-that-drain-the-rain-on-the-plane-and-keep-a-house-dry/#comment-6691 Wed, 29 Jan 2014 07:12:15 +0000 http://energyvanguard.flywheelsites.com/?blog_post=6-materials-that-drain-the-rain-on-the-plane-and-keep-a-house-dry#comment-6691 Great read , thanks. &amp
Great read , thanks.  
You mention 
if you’re already using foamboard on the outside, you don’t need to cover it with housewrap. Tape the seams, flash the openings, and your rain will drain off the plane. 
 
Do you think this is the best approach? Isn’t it wise to include the housewrap on the interior side of the rigid foam, ideally with plywood over the studs for more durability?  
 
More builders are willing to go with exterior CI , yet want to find ways to cut costs. So how minimalist can you go here? 
 
 

]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/6-materials-that-drain-the-rain-on-the-plane-and-keep-a-house-dry/#comment-6690 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 23:05:34 +0000 http://energyvanguard.flywheelsites.com/?blog_post=6-materials-that-drain-the-rain-on-the-plane-and-keep-a-house-dry#comment-6690 Help me out here. I too am
Help me out here. I too am concerned with the durability of the tape. What tape does anyone know of that has some history of actually staying stuck — particularly with a vented rainscreen?

]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/6-materials-that-drain-the-rain-on-the-plane-and-keep-a-house-dry/#comment-6689 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 21:42:19 +0000 http://energyvanguard.flywheelsites.com/?blog_post=6-materials-that-drain-the-rain-on-the-plane-and-keep-a-house-dry#comment-6689 Steve N.:
Steve N.: Yes, housewrap can certainly help reduce air leakage if you detail it right. It works better under negative pressure than positive pressure, though, and generally has a lot of holes, tears, rips, and cuts that compromise its ability to control air flow. 
 
Skye D.: I wondered how long it would take to get the first comment expressing doubts about tape. It’s a valid concern, but I think the tape manufacturers have it pretty well figured out now. I’ve seen Huber’s test facility, where they’ve left tape exposed to the weather for years and still get good adhesion. In fact, it seems to get even better with time because it appears to fuse with the substrate as the years go by. Martin Holladay did a tape test in his backyard and found the same thing. Yes, it can certainly fail, but that’s most likely to happen when you use the wrong tape, don’t prepare the surface properly, or don’t apply pressure to get full contact. 
 
Sam G.: Ah, thank you. I knew I was forgetting something. We don’t really see that used on walls down here, and I’ve only seen it a couple of times on roofs. It seems to be more popular in cold climates for some reason. I guess I’ll have to write another article now.  

]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/6-materials-that-drain-the-rain-on-the-plane-and-keep-a-house-dry/#comment-6688 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 20:58:55 +0000 http://energyvanguard.flywheelsites.com/?blog_post=6-materials-that-drain-the-rain-on-the-plane-and-keep-a-house-dry#comment-6688 Great summary, Allison.
Great summary, Allison. Another option you might consider adding to the list is fully-adhered membranes, which now come in vapor permeable flavors (as well as the traditional low-perm “peel-and-stick”). These products apparently self-seal around fasteners. More robust; probably more expensive. I don’t have any idea about cost or residential market penetration, but I think it’s good to be aware of this option.

]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/6-materials-that-drain-the-rain-on-the-plane-and-keep-a-house-dry/#comment-6687 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 17:41:08 +0000 http://energyvanguard.flywheelsites.com/?blog_post=6-materials-that-drain-the-rain-on-the-plane-and-keep-a-house-dry#comment-6687 We see the zip system going
We see the zip system going up quite a bit these days. It certainly has it’s appeal, but I have a very hard time believing that tape will last the life of the siding installed over it. I assume that once the tape on the horizontal seams fail there is going to be trouble. There are also the fastener holes to think about.  
 
As with house wrap, accelerated test show… blah blah. When you are installing something that is supposed to last decades, can’t/won’t be inspected, and has the potential to cause extreme damage, is this worth the gamble?  
 
I’d might be OK with using it in a desert. In an area with 40-60 inches of rain/yr., regular wind-driven rain, high humidity, and temps from the teens to the high 90’s, it seems like a fools bet.  
 
Picture yourself looking at a failed wall assembly in 20 years. The siding has been removed from the western wall, you can see where the tape has failed, and there is lots of damage below those areas. Are you really saying, “I can’t believe this tape failed after only 20 years!”? 
 

]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/6-materials-that-drain-the-rain-on-the-plane-and-keep-a-house-dry/#comment-6686 Tue, 28 Jan 2014 17:32:42 +0000 http://energyvanguard.flywheelsites.com/?blog_post=6-materials-that-drain-the-rain-on-the-plane-and-keep-a-house-dry#comment-6686 I believe in Canada the
I believe in Canada the housewraps man function is to act as an Air Barrier for code compliance.

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