Hi all,
I am a Canadian Journeyman carpenter now living in Israel. A friend of mine just ordered a “kit” home from the US with log siding. These are half logs attached to a regular framed house with OSB sheathing. They have kind of a ship-lapped profile. I have just come from the site and saw that the two guys sent with the shipment to build the house are:
1. Installing the OSB vertically.
2. Not using housewrap or tar paper.
I don’t like to critisize other peoples work but I have built a couple of woodframe houses here and always used housewrap or tar paper and always installed the OSB horizontally. I haven’t been in North America for awhile, are these new accepted building standards there or? When it rains here, and it does in the winter, it is like a tropical storm with rain heavier and harder than anything I ever experienced in Canada, and I am from Vancouver! In the summer, in this house’s location it is very hot and humid. What are your thoughts on this construction style and is it OK to build this house in this climate without housewrap?
They also the framed the corners and installed the OSB in such a way that now the corners are closed and it is no longer possible to install insulation. I am a little purturbed about this as I am supposed to continue the work after they leave. They will have framed and sheathed the house, including the roof, in only one week. They are in a hurry.
Thanks
Nagar1
Replies
Has anyone read the instructions?
I don't think there are any instructions. Just two guys who are supposed to know what they are doing.
Find the manufacturer of the log siding and get their recommendation.My personal take is that log siding should not be in physical contact with standard OSB except possibly in desert conditions. (Is this standard OSB or something else?) Given your description of the rain situation, and the likely need to get air behind the logs, a rain screen of some sort is probably advised, vs simple housewrap or felt.You should teach the carps how to do an energy corner, for their future reference.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
It's good quality OSB made in Canada. The stuff we get here is made in Turkey or somewhere and is nowhere near the quality of the stuff from NA.
But not some sort of exterior or "waterproof" OSB?
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
I don't know.
By the way thanks for your help. Us wooden house builders are a little lonely over here. I spend most of my time now building furniture and cabinets etc. Not much call here for wood frame houses.
hard to believe that OSB is a quality product...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Well, Advantec is technically a type of OSB so ....
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....
guess it's in the mind set...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
It's me again, from across the sea. What do you think of installing the 1/2 log (4"radius with ship-lapped edges) siding without first putting some finish on the back side. I just brought this up with the builder and the owner and the builder told me that it wasn't necessary and the owner is worried about the extra time involved. He is planning to put some finish on them after they are up. I feel that without finish on the back as well, moisture can sit between the tarpaper (which he is now going to install) and the log and slowly cause rot and/or warping.
Thanks.
Seems to me the manufacturer should be providing more info about this.I would think that with this sort of thing the mfgr would have had to treat the logs with some sort of sealer/curing agent to minimize splitting.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
I can only speak of the half-log siding produced in the eastern US, but it's typically kiln-dried to minimize checking; the bad ones should be culled out. No "sealer" is usually applied by the manufacturer, although in some cases it can be done as an option.Todd
The corners should be insulated before sheathing if the framing does not have open two stud corners that allows insulating from inside. Now, you may have to drill holes to inject spray foam.
The verticle vs horizontal sheathing is a minor issue. For horizontal, it should have blocking at seams. verticle can be done without blocking.
Tarpaper or housewrap is an absolute must! Check the specs in their contract or the sales contract from the kit company. A lot of cheap builders here are skipping the wrap too so maybe they aren't smart enough to know any better. but it is a long way down from standard or best practices
In the kind of climate you mention, I would even want a rainscreen wall system.
Good luck
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Dan has a good point. Every kit home in the world has a book of details and notes.
Tell us the name of that kit and we can find the "intructions" in PDF format online
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Perhaps "kit home" is a misnomer. It might just be a regular framed house with half log siding. I am not even sure if all the materials were pre-cut. I think the studs were, but that's pretty normal anyway. The house was purchased from Cedar Knoll Log Homes.
http://www.cedarknollloghomes.com
Shalom
Well, the company sure doesn't seem to up to snuf on the housewrap issue. The photo of their log siding being installed does not show any sort of wrap
http://www.cedarknollloghomes.com/clspackage.htmland the list of things included in the "weathertight exterior" does not mention tar paper for the wrap or even for the roof.Here is the builder's handbook you want
http://www.cedarknollloghomes.com/pdf/loghbh_rev3.pdf
I have not reviewed it yet as it seems to be having a hard time downloading for me right now
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
OK, I have it now. That PDF document is for log homes and says nothing about details for the type you have. I'm pretty unimpressed.There is a phone number for the company though if you want to try speaking to them. it is business hours here now.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!