I am about to finish the outside of my house with board and batten. I am concerned about sealing around the windows given water can get in behind the battens. So the options are:
- Should I not seal with the intent that any moisture will drain, or
- Should I seal and hope the water doesn’t get behind?
I think I have done things right so far (always looking for tips and suggestions):
- house wrapped with tyvek,
- strapped with 1×3 every 12″,
- windows shimmed out, designed to be flush with battens, and flashed at top and sides.
Is there anything else I should do prior to nailing on the b&b?
Replies
Drip caps over the windows
"As long as you have certain desires about how it ought to be you can't see how it is."
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Andy,
Drip caps I assume are flashing? Installed before the boards are installed and sealed to the tyvek?
Get your friendly sheet metal guy to knock out drip caps from painted aluminum or copper ... the uppermost portion should lay against your wall sheathing under your housewrap, then horizontally out over the top of your window, then down over the upper edge of the window. The tucked-under-the-housewrap part is critical in getting water that penetrates your B&B to be shed from the house. There are also peel-and-stick products made to seal the joint if you lay the drip cap over the housewrap.Formerly BEMW at The High Desert Group LLC
Its a "whole lot" cheaper and just as good to buy premade drip caps unless you want copper in which case be prepared to spend the bucks.
Personally I bend my own on my brake but my guess is most people dont own a brake in which case to save money you can rent one for probably about fifty bucks a day and go to town with copper, aluminum, vinyl, gold.....whatever
BE capped
Namaste
andy"As long as you have certain desires about how it ought to be you can't see how it is." http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Could you explain the "strapped" part to me? I live in an old board and batten house and have considered re-doing some sections. What do you use the 1x3 for? Window install is a problem I can relate to!
I strapped the walls horizontally with 1 x 3's every 12" to nail the boards to. Strapping provides an air gap of approximately 5/8". If (When) moisture does get behind the boards it will drain faster and the boards will dry faster.
I am trying to minimize a high maintenance building method. I was going to paint the boards once installed but my paint supplier convinced me that painting the backs of the boards will extend the finish (painting all 4 sides effectively seals the board and minimizes moisture travel).
My last post seemed to hiccup, so I'll rewrite it at the risk you'll now get two posts on the same subject! I now understand the strapping method. Thanks. My folks built this house pre-Tyvek. We used western red cedar, no paint no stain. (It's a vacation cabin.) Nailed right to the plywood sheathing. I've got wide eaves and haven't had any water problems with the exception of my foyer, which gets driving rain in the summer with no eave. I'm rebuilding the foyer this summer and will think hard about what I've learned from your post. Thanks.
I have been thinking of putting board and batten siding on my house. I've just completed the exterior of an addition to the house (with mansards giving a 30 " overhang). The existing house has Boston Mold vertical siding in cedar, but heavily weathered so it made sense to redo the house to match the addition. From what i have heard and read the stapping is the way to go.
My question is, why 1x3 every 12"? I was thinking of 1x2 every 24"?
Curious as to the rationale for your choice.An ex-boat builder treading water!
I decided to use 1 x 3 because it gives a little more nailing surface (especially when two boards meet on one strap) and is less likely to split when installing the strapping. The extra cost is marginal. Don't forget to make angle cross cuts on the ends so the top board overlaps the bottom one - but joints are no good.
As for the 12" centres.... I buy my material directly from the mill rough cut. Ends may need to be trimmed and could potentially could be slightly less than 10' therefore to minimze waste 12" gives more flexibility (rather cut off <12" than up to 2').
As an aside, the house is a timberframe with structual insulated panels on the outside. The electrical inspector told me I could run the wire on the outside of the house as long as the house was going to be strapped. The only condition being metal protection over the wire whenever it intersected strapping. I couldn't believe I was "allowed" to run electrical on the exterior. Made my life a lot easier!