We are building a new home in Northern BC and it can get very cold here.
I was planning on sheeting the 2″x6″ 16″centers with 3/8″ ply and adding 1″ inch of R-5 foam to break the thermal bridge. Today I ran into a Owens corning guy @ HD and he was telling me about Code Board rigid foam sheeting. I priced it and its only 2$ more a sheet than 3/8″ ply (just the ply not including the 1″ of foam)and it comes in 4’x9′ sheets, perfect for 9′ ceilings. They say it doesn’t require ply, OSB, or wrap.
The exterior finish will be hardie plank horizontal siding with cedar shingle on the peaks(Won’t be installed until Spring). I can save a significant amount by going with code board but how do I handle shingle application on the peaks and is it really a good choice?. Is install more time consuming than 3/8″ ply?
Our climate has temperature extremes but wind or seismic activity is not a concern. I need to decide quickly because I have until Tuesday to adjust my exterior door order to accommodate this change.
Thanks.
Brad
Replies
welcome to breaktime
this response will bump it up to the top,
Do you have a link to this product as I would
be interested in it also?
I would go with the code board and housewrap. The codeboard may not provide the exterior air barrier after a bit of shrinkage/aging of the dwelling. As for the gable end and shingles- will the shingled area enclose heated space or just attic space? If it's just attic space, then you don't need the foam board on these ends and with some adjustments you can install plywood for shingle attachment.
I think you would want osb or plywood for hardie. You can add the foamboard on the inside before drywall. That way you get better nailing for the hardie, better "breathing" of the wall to the outside. Also the product in my picture adds R7.5 and works as a vapor barrier on the inside, where you want it. The product is formed to allow install with 1x3 firring for hanging drywall and installing trim.
Thanks for the quick replies and advice. Here's a link to the product . http://owenscorning.com/worldwide/canada/products.aspProductID=6&Language=1
All gable ends are unheated attic except one above the garage I'm putting in attic trusses there to accommodate a future workshop. I could get away with interior foam there or even 1/2" foam over ply. Is Code board easy to install?
Is it a pain to put foam on the inside strap, accommodate electrical, etc? To be honest I do think this is the best insulation method in our climate, but I assumed this would take more time & money.
I did call hardie and they said you can install over 1" foam with no problems, but I have not seen it done yet, has anyone out there done this?. Here in NBC you rarley ever see Hardie . Builders here use lots of vinyl.
Going over today to put Peel & Stick water proofing on the ICF Basement we poured Friday night.
Have a good day
Brad
That link is NFG.And I did not see anything called "code board".But they do have ProPink foam sheathing.http://owenscorning.com/around/insulation/products/propinkrigid.asp"Owens Corning PROPINK¯ insulating sheathing is a premium insulating panel used to construct the exterior walls of your home. It features a tough laminated skin on both sides of its rigid foam core. The reinforced laminated skin makes it extremely resistant to damage and a perfect choice for new construction.Exterior walls made of PROPINK deliver considerably greater R-value than plywood, oriented strand board (OSB) or other non-insulation products. In fact, once fiber glass insulation is placed in the exterior wall stud cavities, the completed 2x4 wall can achieve a total value of up to R-20. PROPINK is designed to be used with either wood or metal studs and suits a variety of exterior finishes including vinyl, metal and aluminum sidings; masonry veneer; and reinforced stucco.If you're a "do-it-yourselfer," you'll find installation instructions below. Or you can use the Dealer/Contractor Locator to find the professional installer nearest you.PROPINK is NOT A STRUCTURAL material and is not designed to replace corner wall bracing or structural sheathing like OSB or plywood."
I had never heard of code board (CodeBord) so I looked around a little on the OC web site and came up with this:
http://www.owenscorning.com/worldwide/canada/products.asp?ProductID=6&Language=1
BTW - what thickness is it that you want to use?
I'm a bit suspecious since the web page says that it is non-structuraly, but at the same time says that you don't need anyting except drywall inside... to make a structural wall - if I read it right.
Anyway, aside from the structural sheathing question, it sounds like a good product. Foam sheathing has been around for years and years. Personally (having no expierence with this product but a fair amount with hardi plank), I'd say it will work fine with hardi plank since the HP will be nailed to the studs anyway, but my guess would be that you might need to be carefull about driving the siding nails down too thigh so as to "deform" the HP siding boards.
Re the shakes, it would seem that you will want all of the exterior sheathing on the house to be in the same verticle plane, so if, say you have 1" sheathing on the walls, you would want 1" thick sheathing on the gable ends too - the ones that are to get shakes. So, again, guessing at a 1" sidewall sheathing thickness, maybe you could put 1/2" foam board and then 1/2" plywood over it to give a nail base for the shakes - or maybe (likely) you would want the foam on the outside - the combination of the 2 materials giving a 1" thickness on the gable ends.
BTW - have you considered Hardie shakes? I would think they would be less maintenance, and could just be painted along with the siding - unless you just want to let the cedar shakes "go nautral". Keep in mind that you are talking to a southerner here (SE USA) and we are not so used to the look of "natural" cedar shakes - you just don't see it much areound here.
Another Q - what is normally used in your "neck of the woods" for sheathing?
Quote: "the web page says that it is non-structuraly, but at the same time says that you don't need anyting except drywall inside... to make a structural wall - if I read it right."
Yes, you read it right Matt! That's why you can leave out the exterior sheathing except in some irregular conditions. To keep the house strong until the drywall goes on for the final anti-racking structural element, some use "windbrake"- a T shaped piece of diagonal metal brace that just sets into a saw kerf and nails to the studs when the wall is still on the floor. Others will use a piece of 1x4" inlet diag. brace. With either of these diag braces in place when the drywall goes on, you now have more than the code needs for bracing!!!! Yet, a lot of people think you really have to have boards or panel sheathing for strength.
I live in a 2x4" studwall house with inlet 1x4" bracing, wide cedar clapboards, 1" of foam sheathing, 1/2" drywall. Two years ago it easily survived a Cat 2 hurricane (Juan) outside of Halifax, NS. Never even created a new crack in the drywall!!! We missed the eye by about 25 miles and live about 400' from the ocean.
Yea... I was thinking about the metal diagonal 'T' bracing but haven't seen it for sale or used in at least 10 years. BTW - my house is 2x4 studs with let in 1x4s too - but I have OSB sheathing at the corners. You don't see much of anyone doing let-in 1x4s any more.
Structural sheathing or diagonal bracing is required here at the corners though. Every 25' on long straight exterior walls too.
Sorry about the dead link and the spelling.
Around here most use 3/8" Ply or OSB. 3/8" ply standard is 16$CDN a sheet and the 1" CodeBord is 18$
Yes we origionally spec'd Hardie shingle but decided on cedar shingle because we are having timber truss's on the entry and Covered deck and will be staining the fir Beams with a semi transparent. Here shingles are about half the cost as well.
Brad