Hello.
Here’s the history:
20 year old house, 2X6 framing with sheetrock, poly vapor barrier, fiberglass insulation, and plywood sheathing from inside out.
Originally stained pine clapboards nailed directly to the sheathing- no wrap.
The clapboards cupped and split on the south and east sides of the building. These were replaced with quarter sawn clapboards having felt first applied over the sheathing and painted.The clapboards were primed-both sides. Within a couple of years the clapboards rotted in numerous areas. Rotting has occurred even with the replacement clapboards on the garage which is just frame construction and sheathing and at the gable of the attic.
The clapboards on the north and west are the original clapboards nailed directly to the sheathing and have no rot.
The house is not overly tight.
When clapboards have been removed there has been some moisture on the felt. The sheathing has not rotted.
Options considered: Removing the felt, removing the felt and going to Tyvek, using a cement board instead of a wood clapboard-obviously may not deal with the cause of the problem. Using a Rain Slicker would be a major job in regard to trim etc.
Any thoughts?
Thanks, Dan
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I have done a lot of remodeling of clapboard sided houses and often found problems when felt using between the sheathing and the cedar siding. However, it seems like you have a moisture problem - water must be getting into that area and causing the rot.
What area of the country are you in. Most of my experience with clapboards was in New England and for the most part they worked fine - even on 200 year old houses.
I suspect a problem other than poor clapboards. Too low humidity and too much sun can cause splitting and warping but not rot. Rot is caused by a moisture problem.
It's not only geting wet, it's staying wet.
Two things to do...
Find the water source and eliminate it - maybe a bush or other vegetation keeping humidity turned on. maybe no overhang? I'm puzzled about only on south and east sides.
2 - let it dry out agian. Buid with a rainscreen firring to let the claps dry from the back as well as the front.
or just go to fibrecement.
I wouldn't eliminate the tarpaper..
Excellence is its own reward!
Cedar Breather should have been installed first.
You'd have to feather it from the existing siding but that cold be done with a molding of some sort to make it more attractive.
You have no other choice and Cedar Breather is pretty thin so it shouldn't be all that much of a problem other than having to go around the whole house but it sounds like you should anyway.
Be airated
Namaste
andy
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