I struggled with deciding whether to update the earlier post (about sheathing and moisture) or start a new one. I felt a unique post would better reflect details of the best practices we took in completing our air and water barrier. Below you will see photos of taped panels demonstrating the basic installation but also how this system provides other options for completing the envelope. We also took additional steps in order to address unique concerns with our particular home. As we complete this house we will see the results of taking these steps when we do the early blower door test.
GP/Forcefield makes a corner material that can be used on inside and outside corners. Essentially, you fold the plastic and tape the sides. This is a much cleaner treatment of the corners and while tape alone can do the job, we choose the “better” method and add the use of the plastic corner material for that added protection.
You can also see the flex tape we used at the base of the doors and windows. According to Landus (and many other experts over generations), the sills of doors and windows are the places that leak most and where most wood rots. Creating a water barrier here is critical. We used GPs Flex Tape that makes turns and stretches to wrap corners. You will see that the tape is not required for the entire window opening but only goes partially up the windows and doors.
It is important to note that a system is just that. A series of products that can be combined for levels of completion. In this case, we are using the Georgia Pacific’s Forcefield system. The system starts with the panel and tape, but there are other products available to address unique aspects of keeping air and water out even better.
Landus advises builders to follow a system, but if you see something that concerns you, do something about it! Tape an overdriven nail hole or run a roller over the tape a little to ensure it is secure. It is important to stay involved in your construction project and address holes and cracks created in construction that you did not anticipate.
We built an overhang around the base of the house that will line up with the stone we plan to put on the foundation. Landus was concerned that water running down the wall would simply “hang” on the base of the wall where the edge of the OSB sheathing could soak it up. So we did something about it. We had some shower stall, liquid applied waterproofing material on hand so we used ProSpec B-6000 Waterproofing Membrane.
There are many of these types of products to choose from. Even tar would work.
We also used a butyl caulking around all the cracks around the roof decking, beams, and small gaps.
I say we did this and we did that, but it is really Bray Construction who is doing this work in most instances.
But, instead of asking Hansel and #hardestworkingteaminusa to do this, we donned our best rags and spent two short evenings (less than 2 hours each night) painting this purple goo around the base of the house. It was not hard to do and we used mesh tape and painted it in place to protect against bugs as well. After we finished, I see no way the bugs would get through this barrier. The mesh tape may have been overkill, but it did give us a crisp edge and may have caused us to be more diligent in our application in order to make the tape stay put.
You can see how you can take a system WAY past the initial installation guidelines of a base install, to incorporating additional materials from the manufacturer, to adding your own solution in order to satisfy personal concerns and help people like Landus (who knows how vulnerable wet wood can be) sleep better at night – and I’m all for that!
The final product is very clean looking and while I have an influenced eye, I can also see where the steps we took have really helped the envelope of the house and from what I understand the additional steps are not that expensive for what they provide. Even if we were not staying in this house for the rest of our lives, I could see taking the system to an additional level of completion to create that Forcefield for your home. (I like that name – Forcefield) Star Trek fan that I am… Below are photos with our Forcefield fully engaged!
Our home construction decisions and why 