FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Subscribe

In every issue you'll find...

  • Expert insights on techniques and principles
  • Unbiased tool reviews
  • Step-by-step details to master the job
  • Field-tested advice and know-how
Subscribe Now!
Subscribe
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
  • Join
  • Log In
Subscribe

Connecticut 2020

The 2020 Fine Homebuilding House is a complete remodel of a 20th-century home in New England. This project will take full advantage of the opportunities for air-sealing, adding insulation, and installing highly efficient mechanicals, resulting in a healthy, comfortable home that will achieve net-zero energy.

How-To

Prepping for Windows

The team at the 2020 FHB House builds ZIP R-Sheathing window bucks and installs Rockwool exterior insulation before the new windows go in.

Before the windows can be installed at the 2020 Fine Homebuilding House, the build team needs to prepare the openings to accommodate exterior insulation. Mindful of thermal bridging, they built insulated window bucks by ripping down sheets of ZIP System R-Sheathing to reach from the interior of the double-stud wall to the plane of the Rockwool insulation that will be installed on the exterior.

The 1-7/16-in. ZIP R-Sheathing window bucks are used to connect the double-stud walls and create a strong “box” for the window installation. The ZIP R-Sheathing extends past the house sheathing by 1-1/2-in., which is the depth of the Rockwool exterior insulation.

Tescon Vana air sealing tape

Tescon Vana air-sealing tape was then used to to create a continuous weatherproof seal from the WRB to the green coating on the ZIP R-Sheathing.

The water resistive-barrier (WRB) is Traspir EVO 160 by Rothoblaas. Like many “smart” WRBs, it is air- and water-tight, yet allows water vapor to pass through so the house’s walls and sheathing can dry to the outside if necessary. The green vertical strips create a weatherproof seal around the screws that attach the furring strips to the house at each framing member.

Rockwool ComfortBoard

Once the window bucks and WRB are on the house, it was time to install 1-1/2-in. of Rockwool ComfortBoard™ 80 on the exterior. This dense continuous insulation board can handle getting wet, so it is an ideal material to use in a rainscreen siding application. Comfortboard is a perfect alternative to rigid foam for exterior insulation because it’s both non-combustible and vapor permeable, making for a safe, durable wall assembly.

Rockwool ComfortBoard Metal disc

The team secured each piece with 2-in. TruFast Metal Insulation Plates, which hold the boards in place until the furring strips are installed.

Watch editor Patrick McCombe talk with architect Elizabeth DiSalvo and Albert Jensen-Moulten about the triple-pane Unilux windows installed in the house: Double-Stud Walls and Insulated Window Bucks

 

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers.

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters
×

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

New Feature

Fine Homebuilding Forums

Ask questions, offer advice, and share your work

Connecticut 2020 Videos

Navigate the Build

  • Introduction
  • Design
  • Deconstruction
  • Framing
  • Windows and Doors
  • Mechanicals
  • Insulation
  • Siding and Trim
  • Kitchen and Baths
  • Completed Home

Behind the Build

  • Kansas 2022
  • Wisconsin 2021
  • Nebraska 2021
  • Connecticut 2020
  • Kentucky 2019
  • California 2018
  • Vermont 2017
  • Rhode Island 2016
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Email

View Comments

  1. dneumeyer | Nov 02, 2020 01:14pm | #1

    What siding is going over this? how is it secured? will there be a rainscreen?

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Sign up Log in

Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

More Connecticut 2020

View All
  • Remodeling to Achieve Passive House Standards
  • FHB House CT Kitchen and Suite-Bath Updates
  • Strong, Energy-Efficient Garage Doors
  • Interior Updates
View All

Thank You To Our Sponsors

  • Zip System Building Enclosures Logo
  • Advantech Subfloor Assembly Logo
  • Benjamin Moore Logo
  • Clopay Logo
  • Boral Eldorado Stone Logo
  • Rockwool Logo
  • Schluter Logo
  • Stabila Logo
  • Titebond Logo
  • Tru Exterior Logo

Up Next

Video Shorts

Featured Story

Choosing the Right Construction Tape for the Job

Keeping out air and water for the long haul requires using seam and flashing tape the right way.

Featured Video

How to Install Exterior Window Trim

Learn how to measure, cut, and build window casing made of cellular PVC, solid wood, poly-ash boards, or any common molding material. Plus, get tips for a clean and solid installation.

Related Stories

  • Fine Homebuilding – Aug/Sept 2022, Issue #309
  • Keep Craft Alive Podcast: Ep.14, Ryan Shanahan, Birdsmouth Design-Build
  • Find a Female Tradesperson With Matriarchy Build
  • Schneider Electric Recalls Line of Electrical Panels

Discussion Forum

Recent Posts and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
View More Create Post

Highlights

Fine Homebuilding All Access
Fine Homebuilding Podcast
Tool Tech
Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20

"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Video

View All
  • Podcast 468: PRO TALK With Shutter Manufacturer Rick Skidmore
  • Podcast 462: PRO TALK With Construction Attorney Karalynn Cromeens
  • Podcast 461: Adding a Screened Porch, Insulating a Raised Addition, and Preventing Termites in Exterior Foam
  • Podcast 459: Leaky Attic Stairs, Right-Sizing Heat Pumps, and Vapor Barriers in Dirt Crawlspaces
View All

BOOKS, DVDs, & MERCH

Shop the Store
  • Pretty Good House
    Buy Now
  • Code Check Building 4th Edition
    Buy Now
  • 2021 Fine Homebuilding Archive
    Buy Now
  • Outdoor Projects
    Buy Now
  • Shop the Store

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 309 - Aug/Sept
    • 10 Steps to Install Crown Molding on Cabinets
    • How to Get Sturdy Walls Without OSB
    • Choosing the Right Construction Tape for the Job
  • Issue 308 - July 2022
    • Pretty Good House Book Excerpt: Copper Farmhouse
    • 10 Dos and Don'ts for Electric In-Floor Heat
    • A Sturdy Rail for Outdoor Stairs
  • Issue 307 - June 2022
    • How to Raise a Post-Frame Home
    • Trimming Deck Stairs
    • Evolving an Energy-Efficient Envelope
  • Issue 306 - April/May 2022
    • Framing Stairs to an Out-of-Level Landing
    • Building a Zero-Energy Home for Less
    • Good-Looking and Long-Lasting Traditional Gutters
  • Issue 305 - Feb/March 2022
    • The Steady Surge in Residential Solar
    • The Fine Homebuilding Interview: William B. Rose
    • How Good Is Your Air Barrier?

Fine Homebuilding

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Privacy Preferences

Taunton Network

  • Green Building Advisor
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Fine Gardening
  • Threads
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Site Map
  • Do not sell my information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2022 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

X
X
This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. The modal window is a 'site map' of the most critical areas of the site. Pressing the Escape (ESC) button will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

Shop the Store

  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Taunton Workshops

More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast
  • Customer Support

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 70%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in