Mitigating Risk with High-Performance Structural Wood Panels  

Things have changed in the housing industry. Traditionally, the American dream meant 2.3 children per household, suburban living, and driving to work. Then came the economic downturn from 2005 to 2010. With the loss of jobs and a soaring number of foreclosures, the homebuilding industry collapsed and the landscape changed for homeownership. Many traditional homeowners quickly became renters out of economic necessity.¹ This growing number of renters created a shift in demand from single family to multifamily dwellings.

Traditional single-family dwellings created risk for one family, one builder. One family assumed the risk for the entire property with a traditional mortgage. One builder was responsible for failures in design and construction. The shift to multifamily construction has magnified these risks exponentially. Today the risks involve hundreds of millions of dollars and affect thousands of lives, and are shouldered almost exclusively by the developers and their designers and builders. These risks are exacerbated by the state of the construction industry.

The Great Recession and subsequent downturn in the construction industry led to a shortage of skilled labor. The Associated General Contractors of America estimates that a majority of the 2 million construction workers who lost their jobs during the recession have either retired or found work in other industries.1 Yet today's less experienced workforce is still required to build very sophisticated building envelopes with increasingly complex core structural elements. In addition, cost-conscious developers are influencing contractors to focus on speed and quantity of work finished, to the detriment of quality and attention to detail, making for a higher probability of installation failure.

This article will discuss three primary risks inherent in building a light wood frame structure that meets the demands of today's buyer, both in small-scale single-family homes and large-scale multifamily dwellings. Risk mitigation will be explored from the standpoint of the three main elements of the building envelope—floors, walls, and roofs. Various solutions will be comparatively assessed, incompatibilities between systems addressed, and a best practice approach that utilizes high-performance panels proposed.

The Risks In Light Wood Frame Construction

As in all types of construction, there are inherent risks in building light frame wood structures. Three consistent risks being addressed in building science communities are moisture management, improper installation and, potentially, structural failure. These risks can have disastrous effects on the building and on occupant comfort and safety, not to mention expensive rework and potential litigation against developers, builders, and design professionals. How best to minimize these risks is the focus of this article, beginning with a review of the risks themselves.

 

Moisture and Air Management

For centuries, builders have worked to manage moisture issues during construction and prevent the intrusion of unwanted moisture and air into their structures through the building envelope. High-performance panels provide solutions to these problems based on their ability to resist moisture absorption and intrusion and on their ability to promote drying. High-performance subfloor panels are highly resistant to moisture absorption, which translates to superior performance by minimizing any damage to finished flooring due to moisture-related swelling and movement beneath them. High-performance wall and roof panels manage moisture by creating a barrier that repels bulk water intrusion, yet allows moisture in the form of water vapor to diffuse through the panel once the structure is occupied. Exfiltration (air/vapor leakage out of a structure) can also create risks, resulting in the condensation of moisture within wall cavities or other parts of the structure. Inadequate air barriers may allow heated or air-conditioned air to leak to the outside, carrying the cost of heating or cooling that air with it. This air leakage vulnerability can put building owners at a competitive disadvantage against other properties that have built in energy efficiency controls to provide homeowners lower heating and cooling benefits.

 

Improper Installation

Improper installation of roof coverings, improperly fastened structural wood sheathing, faulty flashing, open seams between sheathing or subfloor panels, poorly flashed windows or tape that fails to make a weather-tight bond are all significant threats in today's building environment and can contribute to improper function of a structure. Misuse of materials and lack of attention to the details in the installation process significantly increase the likelihood of problems in the future, and can lead to more complex and expensive problems like floor bounce or squeaks, water condensing within wall cavities, air leakage, mold and mildew, increased energy bills, and other conditions that are unacceptable to both the developer and dwelling occupant. Building envelope and subfloor problems that lead to structural damage or impact the finished materials that rest upon the structural elements could result in millions of dollars of rework to rectify the problems. The repair process costs the developer time and money, takes profit dollars out of the contractor's wallet, and can cause disruption in the life of the property owner. These situations can sometimes end up in a courtroom to determine where the opportunity was missed to mitigate risk upfront.

Failure Modes

According to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the overwhelming majority—90 percent—of all building and building material failures involve moisture damage, with industry watchers claiming that some 80 percent of construction litigation concerns failures related to moisture.² Structural failure can take the shape of an unhealthy home environment if mold is an issue or disrupt occupant comfort due to inconsistent surfaces affected, like an uneven floor with nail pops, squeaks, and bounce. While not all incidences of moisture intrusion or improper installation lead to severe damage, structural failure is possible. Prolonged exposure to moisture results in the weakening and decay of structural members.

Floors—The Importance of a Proper Subfloor

The finished floor is only as good as the subfloor beneath it. Underneath the finished floor is the structural system that supports it and allows it to perform as designed. The ideal subfloor minimizes moisture absorption during the construction process, which can be one of the biggest risks to the integrity of a subfloor. Exposure to snow and rain during construction constitutes a significant moisture issue and can result in edge swell, thickness swell, and possible delamination in the subflooring.

 

Another consequence of excessive moisture in flooring panels is a reduction in fastener holding strength. The problem usually shows up in the form of swelling and buckling hardwood floors. Excessive moisture in the panel transfers to the unfinished backside of the hardwood, resulting in the hardwood floor moving and pulling away from the subfloor due to reduced fastener holding strength. Even if the floors don't buckle visibly, moisture absorption in the subfloor can lead to loss of structural strength that could affect the safety and durability of the project, as well as the overall performance of the floor system and, certainly, result in squeaking and cracking of the floor finish.

Further, unusually heavy materials such as marble or concrete countertop surfaces create excessive loading on the subfloor that can result in unwanted deflection over time, a phenomenon called dead-load creep. Moisture absorption in subfloor panels weakens the panel, further exacerbating the problem. Due to the weight of the materials, the floor continues to deflect (creep) over time, causing cracking of floor surfaces well after the building is complete and the unit occupied. The weight of a traditional 1 ¼-inch-thick granite countertop is 18 pounds per square foot (psf). Most wood framed floors are designed to resist 10 to 15 psf of material weight. This overstress can lead to movement issues later in the life cycle of the floor system.

The likelihood and severity of subfloor problems is highly dependent on the type of subfloor used. The existing options are oriented strand board (OSB), plywood, and engineered high-performance panels (HPP). Historically, OSB has been particularly susceptible to moisture absorption through the face and edges of the panel leading to edge swell, which can require increased sanding of the subfloor panels, increasing the finished flooring costs. Plywood may wick moisture at the seams and therefore is prone to warping, cupping, and veneer delamination.

HPPs designed with advanced moisture-resistant resins and higher wood density than traditional OSB offer better moisture resistance than commodity OSB and plywood, and can come with better exposure warranties. For instance, one manufacturer offers up to 500 days of exposure with a guarantee of no sanding needed due to edge swell. Further, some high-performance panels are designed to offer up to 10 percent better calculated fastener holding power than either plywood or OSB. In addition, they are engineered to exceed PS 2 code standard design values of plywood and commodity OSB in strength and stiffness.³ To help minimize installation defects, some manufacturers of high-performance panels offer precisely milled self-spacing tongue and groove profiles plus a fastening guide for easier installation. To specify these types of high-standard panels, especially in high-traffic or weight-bearing areas, consider subfloor products that have been tested and reported to have higher design values above PS 2 standards discussed in more detail below.

PS 2 vs. ESR 1785—Using Standards to Specify High Performance

Designers can use higher-performing products to meet the demands of today's buyers for achieving durability, efficiency, and structural integrity in subfloors. Standards can help guide in achieving this objective. The minimum standard for structural wood panels is PS 2, a performance standard initiated by the American Plywood Association (now called The Engineered Wood Association) and published by National Institute of Standards and Technology in accordance with the U.S. Dept. of Commerce. The first edition of PS 2, PS 2-92, was published on August 27, 1992. The most current version is PS 2-10. The goal of this standard is to establish structural criteria for assessing the acceptability of wood-based structural use panels for sheathing and single-floor applications. To build risk-mitigating steps into the design process, designers may consider selecting subfloor panels with design properties tested and proven to produce greater, more consistent levels of panel strength, stiffness, and fastener holding power than those required by minimum PS 2 standards. While high-performance materials cannot compensate fully for every risk in the construction process, selecting products that are designed to perform above PS 2 minimum requirements adds a layer of protection into the building design and construction process.

The International Code Council (ICC) Evaluation Service (ES) provides technical evaluations, called Evaluation Service Reports (ESR), for manufacturers that want to validate and qualify their products as having superior design properties beyond those that only meet the PS 2 industry standard. An example of one of these reports is ESR-1785. It signifies that the high-performance panel product evaluated has passed a battery of testing protocols proving greater levels of panel strength, stiffness, and fastener holding power than PS 2. These high-performance panels have been shown to have more than 60 percent better bending strength than OSB or plywood panels of the same dimensions only meeting the minimum PS 2 standards; more than 25 percent better bending stiffness than OSB meeting PS 2 standards; more than 15 percent better bending stiffness than plywood meeting PS 2 standards; and as much as 10 percent better fastener holding power than both PS 2 performing plywood and OSB.

 

Walls and Roofs—Integrated Systems vs. Building Wrap Products

Designing moisture resistance into wall and roof systems is also key. Three subcomponents, all of which pertain to the adequacy of the moisture and air barrier, must be considered. First is the bulk water barrier, which keeps water from the outside from getting to the inside. Bulk water entering a structure can not only damage contents, but can lead to mold and structural failure if structural elements are not allowed to dry properly. Next is vapor permeability. This allows airborne moisture from showers, kitchens, and occupants to migrate through the building envelope to the outside. Controlling exfiltration, which carries air out of the building, is just as important as controlling infiltration. Air leakage can carry moisture into unwanted places, which could lead to rot, mold, increased energy loss, and indoor air quality problems. An air barrier system is composed of materials that form and seal the building envelope to prevent unwanted air movement. To be effective, the system must be continuous with no holes, openings, or penetrations and resistant to air pressure differentials. Attention should be paid particularly to inadequately sealed penetrations in the exterior wall, such as electrical outlets or mechanical openings—places where air typically leaks into and out of a building.

 

 

The traditional methods of managing moisture and air intrusion such as caulking, building felt, and traditional building wraps can be problematic. They must be properly sealed at all penetrations, which is often complicated and time consuming. Building wraps can be prone to tearing from mishandling or exposure to the elements, particularly wind. There is often poor adhesion of flashing material and tape as well as complex installation details to accommodate in order to effectively install some of these products. Some perforated wraps may result in the passage of water and air or have low abrasion and tear resistance. With macro porous perforated building wraps, the dilemma is that the macro holes in the film provide vapor permeance, but sacrifice air and water resistance. Some micro-porous products may not be sufficiently abrasion- and tear-resistant. Asphalt papers and felts, on the other hand, may be more moisture resistant but less pliable. Rolled- or sprayed-on, water-resistive barriers are another option, with the main advantage being that these applications will stay on the wall without ripping or tearing. However, these products must be installed at a specific thickness, require different installation instructions for different substrates, require a dry time, may require multiple coats, have temperature restrictions, and must be applied to a completely dry surface—a potential problem during rainy seasons. Achieving consistency can be challenging. All of these processes require multiple steps to achieve high-quality air and moisture protection and leave room for error during the installation process.

In view of these problems, one manufacturer is offering a new approach: high-performance panels with an integrated weather-resistive barrier (WRB) that install easily with minimal environmental installation restrictions. Water has the opportunity to become trapped between traditional building wrap and a structural panel since the wrap is not fully sealed to the surface of the panel. With high-performance panels that have integrated WRBs, there is no risk of water being trapped between the panel and the water-resistive layer as they are fused together. Further, integrated systems are specially engineered to allow permeability. To allow for outward drying, a water-resistive barrier must have a higher permeance.

Because the sheathing's WRB is permanently fused to each panel, there is little to no risk of it being ripped or torn, ensuring that the structure panel is not exposed to potential damage or detrimental weather. By contrast, the wood surface of a traditional OSB and building wrap system can be compromised when a building wrap is ripped or torn, as a break in the wrap may expose the entire wood surface underneath to detrimental weather or moisture.

Flashing Tape—The Critical Element

All systems, whether they are integrated systems or traditional OSB panels installed with loose laid building wrap, require fasteners to secure their positioning, sealing tape to seal the edges, and flashing tape to integrate with other building elements. Each manufacturer will provide a compatible tape that seals the edges of its weather-resistant barrier system to each other. The main requirements are ease of use, and longevity when exposed to the elements and the effects of UV radiation. Where manufacturers differentiate themselves is in the area of flexible flashing tapes, and how they integrate other building elements with the weather-resistant barrier.

There are two critical areas where the continuity of the weather-resistant barrier can be compromised by a poorly designed or installed flashing system. These are windows and protrusions. Only recently have windows attracted the kind of attention that is warranted. From metal flashing pans, to advanced sealants, to recent developments in flexible window sill applications, windows and window flashing are now recognized as a significant area of risk when it comes to keeping water where it belongs—on the outside of the building. Stretchable acrylic-based sealant tape allows for one-piece window pans with no voids, easily solving one of the most difficult risks of water infiltration.

Protrusions are most often created by mechanical systems, which must have access between the inside and outside of a structure. Any penetration in the building envelope creates a risk for either moisture penetration or air flow, both of which can cause structural damage if left unsealed and unaccounted for. Again, stretchable acrylic-based sealant tapes provide a high-quality solution for preventing leaks between the building envelope and any mechanical protrusion.

Stretchable flashing tape is the next generation of effective weather proofing with significant ease-of-use advantages over traditional metal flashings and non-flexible flashing tape. Tapes have evolved over the years from asphalt and butyl tapes to acrylic tapes, which have grown in popularity in construction applications. Today's acrylic tapes are engineered for superior durability and temperature range and have been shown to perform so well that they are routinely used not only in the construction field but in high-performance applications in the automotive, marine, and aviation industries as well. Tapes with acrylic adhesives, either water-based, solvent-based, or “solid,” are becoming increasingly popular.

The least expensive acrylic tape adhesive is water-based; however, this type of tape may not bond to as many types of substrates as the other varieties. According to BuildingGreen.com, “solid acrylic adhesives can form the strongest adhesive bonds at a wide range of temperatures and even achieve adhesion to damp or wet substrates.”⁴ Without solvents, the tapes do not become brittle over time. Made of highly polar molecules that pull the adhesive into the substrate, advanced acrylic tapes are formulated to flow into every crevice, increasing total contact area, and producing a permanent bond for a lasting seal that is considerably stronger than traditional asphalt and butyl tapes. With both robust adhesion and cohesion, advanced acrylic tapes are internally strong—intertwined polymer chains provide excellent internal strength, adding to the overall reliability of the seal.

 

Ease of Installation—A Critical Issue

Proper installation is critical to the long-term success of any exterior building envelope system. Integrated sheathing and tape systems have a labor-saving edge over traditional building wraps with a straightforward, all-in-one installation process versus the labor-intensive two-step installation process required by traditional building wrap systems. In systems where the protective layer is permanently fused to each panel, the sheathing and tape can streamline the process, eliminating many of the problems of windy day installations, and rips or tears from weather or mishandling.

Special tapes can quickly seal the panel seams, and some can also be used for flashing applications, creating a permanent bond that provides a cohesive, weather-resistive barrier. Using high-performance panel sheathing with integrated WRB minimizes exposure to the elements by providing quicker dry-in and shortens construction cycle times. Rough dry-in keeps the elements away from unprotected wood framing, a key concern as wood products degrade with prolonged exposure to moisture and ultraviolet rays. Unlike loose layered building wrap systems, integrated WRB products do not require as many steps of application to create a weather-resistant barrier, so as soon as high-performance panels are installed and taped, other trades can begin work.

Third-party testing demonstrates the labor efficiency of integrated WRB panel and tape systems. Under observation by Home Innovation Research Labs, a professional framing crew was tasked with completing full-scale installations of both an integrated WRB sheathing/tape system and a traditional sheathing/building wrap taped system. To ensure equivalent comparison, a three-man framing crew with in-the-field experience in the proper installation techniques of both systems was recruited to install both systems on a two-story mock-up of a 1,300-square-foot typical residential house. Recognizing that building site and weather conditions vary by location, testing was conducted in a controlled indoor environment to ensure that the two products were installed under similar conditions, as recommended by the manufacturer's instructions, with limited environmental influences. To reflect the typical mix of inside and outside wall corners of a new American home, the test structure featured 12 windows, two door openings, and walls with and without openings, alcoves, and bump-outs. The Home Innovation Research Labs third-party test confirmed that the integrated WRB sheathing/tape system installs faster than a traditional sheathing/building wrap taped system.

While sheathing systems and traditional OSB install at a similar pace, the full-scale test found that significant time savings are gained in the time required to create a weather-resistive barrier: an integrated WRB sheathing/tape system installed more than 40 percent faster than a traditional sheathing/building wrap taped system. In addition to the overall labor savings found by Home Innovation Research Labs, the testing also found that installing windows and head flashing was easier with sheathing and tape than with traditional building wrap, requiring fewer steps and less time.

Faster, simplified installation is essential in today's cost-conscious construction environment. Because labor costs are so high and the shortage of skilled workers so great, contractors are continually looking at ways to streamline their construction process and reduce the number of workers needed on site. Some residential experts estimate that the labor deficit has added 30 percent to the average time it takes to build a home.⁵ Easy-to-install building materials are part of their solution. Sheathing and tape systems are a two-step process—install the panels, tape the seams—that results in faster installation when compared with traditional building wrap or building paper. Details are sometimes difficult to implement on site, sometimes creating problems like reverse flashing; building wrap tucked into the building; improperly flashed penetrations; and flashing tape that doesn't stick.

Testing the Systems

ASTM E2273. Testing confirms that high-performance panels with integrated WRB and tape provide superior water management than traditional building wrap. Testing under ASTM E2273, the Standard Test Method for Determining the Drainage Efficiency of EIFS Clad Wall Assemblies, confirms that properly installed panels and tape perform substantially better than traditional building wrap offerings. Under third-party testing conducted by Architectural Testing, Inc, the integrated WRB sheathing/tape system achieved greater than 90 percent drainage, vs. the traditional sheathing/building wrap tape system, which achieved less than 10 percent drainage.

ASTM Water Penetration Test. In a test conducted using modified ASTM E3316 criteria, testers simulated a heavy 8-inch rain per hour with a constant wind of 35 mph on both an integrated WRB and tape system and a traditional building wrap, both properly installed to manufacturer specifications. The ASTM E331 test, the Standard Test Method for Water Penetration of Exterior Windows, Skylights, Doors, and Curtain Walls by Uniform Static Air Pressure Difference, is commonly used on window openings. For this test, however, it was modified to spray directly on the wall systems to examine how the fastener penetrations held up against water intrusion. In one test, a traditional building wrap was secured using the 1-inch crown staples recommended in manufacturer instructions, while the sheathing and tape system was installed with the recommended pneumatic framing nails. A separate building wrap test also was run using button cap nails, an alternative manufacturer-recommended fastener.

In both tests, the high-performance panel with integrated WRB allowed less water to penetrate the WRB system compared to the fastener penetrations of the traditional building wrap system. Using manufacturer recommended fasteners in the building wrap system, bulk water entered the staple holes created during the installation process, exposing the wood panel beneath the wrap to moisture. However, moisture exposure in the integrated WRB system was limited to the wood fibers directly around the nail heads and not the entire panel. Unlike the bulk water intrusion of the building wrap system, the integrated WRB managed the water exposure. In addition, no visible water entered the sheathing and tape system wall cavity.

 

As discussed previously, air leakage is also a concern, and many homes today now require blower door air leakage testing to confirm that their air barrier assemblies meet code-recognized performance targets. Using ASTM E2357, a common, standardized test method for measuring the air leakage of air barrier assemblies, third-party testing indicates that sheathing and tape systems provide a tighter air barrier assembly than traditional building wrap which, in this test, did not pass the standard required for recognition as an air barrier assembly. While the sheathing and tape system passed testing at seven different air pressure levels required under the code-recognized test methodology, the traditional residential building wrap failed at higher pressures, ripping or puncturing to expose the OSB surface beneath the wrap. Sturdier, more expensive commercial versions of the traditional building wrap were required to successfully pass the test.

Multifamily construction is following this trend toward tighter air barrier requirements. Beginning with the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), 2012 International Green Construction Code (IgCC), ASHRAE 189.1-11 and ASHRAE 90.1-2010 all have requirements for air barriers. These codes and standards are all increasing the energy efficiency of buildings in many ways by requiring air barriers to seal a building from air infiltration and exfiltration.

IBHS Hurricane Effect on Integrated WRB and Taped Roof. Wind-driven water damage from hurricanes causes hundreds of millions of dollars in damage annually—a figure that can increase to billions when a hurricane makes landfall. In a first-of-its-kind test, the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety examined the comparative effects of a simulated hurricane on a roof deck that was sealed with tape and one that was not. Testing was performed on a fully furnished 1,300-square-foot duplex house with construction features representative of houses in hurricane-prone areas of the U.S. The structures were transferred to the 21,000-square-foot IBHS lab where 105 350-horsepower fans subjected the structures to several tests, including high-speed multi-directional winds and prolonged exposure to rain typical of hurricanes. Once the roof cover on the units blew off, researchers conducted a wind-driven rainstorm test for just over an hour which included rain in the amount of up to 8 inches of water per hour, typical of a hurricane situation. The difference between the unit with the sealed roof and the non-sealed roof was dramatic. In the non-sealed roof unit, in which there was no tape covering the seams between the layers of plywood or OSB sheathing, damage was substantial. The kitchen ceiling collapsed. The chandelier in the dining room fell from its mount and debris was widespread—in short this unit experienced the level of damage that would render it uninhabitable for weeks, if not months. Conversely, the unit with the taped roof deck suffered far less damage. This unit prevented substantial water from entering. As Julie Rochman, president and chief executive officer of IBHS, put it in a video presentation, “Sealing the roof deck will go a long way toward keeping wind and water out of the home.” ⁷

Florida Building Code Housing Testing Application Standard 100-95. In another third-party test conducted by PRI Construction Materials Technologies, LLC of a modified Florida Building Code Housing Testing Application Standard 100-95, Test Procedure for Wind and Wind Driven Rain Resistance shows that integrated systems and tape are more durable than traditional building wraps. The TAS-100 test as applied to roof application measures the ability of systems to resist water infiltration under wind. Modified for testing on walls, integrated WRB sheathing and tape systems remained intact and performed to the highest test setting while the traditional building wrap system failed under wind speeds between 70 miles per hour (mph) and 90 mph.

The Warranty Issue

In many cases, architects and builders use multiple systems from multiple manufacturers that require multiple layers of installation or application. For example, in traditional methods when sheathing is installed and the WRB installed at a later date, there is a gap in time where problems can occur, from overall exposure to covering misplaced protrusions or other openings in the structural sheathing. At best, this component or layered approach means there is a greater possibility of error among the systems, and at worst there is the potential for systems to work against one another to the point of voiding the warranty of one or more products.

 

Each manufacturer of each different layer has a specific set of installation instructions. If they are not followed specifically, there is the possibility of voiding the warranty on that particular component of the layered system. By contrast, in products where the WRB is integrated with the structural sheathing, a weather-tight seal is created simultaneously with the sheathing application when the tape is applied, minimizing the chance of errors. When it comes to considering warranties for roof or wall systems compared to two-step sheathing applications that require building wrap, there are great efficiencies in one warranty that covers moisture and air protection. Another point of differentiation is the warranty on various products—traditional building wraps typically carry a 10-year warranty, yet integrated systems can be warranted, for example, for 30 years, and may carry a 180-day exposure guarantee against extreme weather and UV exposure during construction.

Towards A Best Practice Scenario

When it comes to achieving a structurally durable, weather-tight structure, what does a good solution that mitigates risk look like? The evidence points to specifying reliable, high-performance floor, wall, and roof sheathing products that have been third-party tested, meet standardized tests, and are easy to inspect for installation and quality by code officials.

A High-Performance Approach

For floors, walls, and roofs, a high-performance panel systems approach points toward increased reliability, providing building professionals with durable, energy-efficient systems that are easy to install, and offer superior resistance to water intrusion and air infiltration. Proven to deliver better results, when installed properly, than traditional materials, high-performance panels also can carry superior warranties—an indication of the manufacturer's experience and confidence in these materials.

Inspectabililty

Inspectability leads to reliability. For example, without an integrated high-performance panel, a meaningful wall inspection is virtually impossible. Wall penetrations are often moved or duplicated and not repaired appropriately. A layered system with faulty patching, or no patching at all, will be hidden behind the layered WRB, or masked by the liquid applied membrane, rendering a wall inspection essentially futile. If the structural layer is not inspected prior to the application of the WRB, what lies behind the WRB will remain unknown. With an integrated structural/WRB high-performance panel, however, both systems can be inspected simultaneously, with everything visible and potential problems can be easily identified. This results in a better constructed home or multifamily structure and an easier inspection process for both the builder and the code official.

Mitigating Risk with High-Performance Panels

As codes evolve toward more stringent performance standards and consumer preference follows suit, a durable structure that mitigates the risks associated with inadequate moisture and air management, improper installation, or structural failure is an economic necessity. High-performance subfloor panels and exterior sheathing with integrated WRBs are engineered to provide developers, architects, builders, and consumers an advantage in mitigating these risks. The latest advancements in manufacturing are both formulaic and strategic. From using advanced resin technology in engineered wood panels to providing a systems approach to exterior sheathing to reduced installation steps, manufacturers have created product solutions that are changing the way professionals build and manage risks.

ZIP System® products are next-generation exterior wall, roof, and sealing solutions. Innovated to meet today’s design and construction challenges, products including ZIP System sheathing tape, ZIP System™ stretch tape, and ZIP System R-sheathing reduce installation steps and room for error on the job site, while helping to create tight, water-resistant building envelopes. Learn more at InsulateYourBuild.com.