Mitigating Risk with High-Performance Structural Wood Panels

Next-generation building materials are durable, easy to install, and offer integrated moisture control

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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.

Flashing Details in Multifamily Construction

In large-scale housing as in all buildings, flashing is an important consideration in maintaining air tightness. Wall systems require flashing to integrate and maintain a continuous WRB. In many cases flashing is missing or poorly installed, and in large-scale buildings the effect of the resultant moisture and air leakage can add up, compromising occupant comfort and increasing utility bills. Well-respected building science organizations recommend that structures be built as tightly as possible but with a proper designated ventilation path. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), in fact, stipulates that sealing, caulking, gasketing, or weatherstripping is necessary for joints around fenestration and door frames; junctions between walls and foundations, walls and building corners, walls and structural floors or roofs, and walls and roof or wall panels; joints, seams, and penetrations of vapor retarders; and all other openings in the envelope. The type of flashing used should be able to withstand the elements and handling during construction, with a service life equal to that of the building.

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.

End Notes

1. jchs.harvard.edu/sites/jchs.harvard.edu/files/jchs_americas_rental_housing_2013_1_0.pdf

2. http://www.rci-online.org/interface/2011-03-easley.pdf

3. http://www.icc-es.org/reports/pdf_files//ESR-1785.pdf

4. https://www2.buildinggreen.com/blogs/stickiness-explained-making-building-tapes-and-membranes-stay-put

5. http://www.huberwood.com/assets/user/media/huber_wp1_labor_shortage_final.pdf

6. ICC-ES Evaluation Report ESR-1474 recognizes the use of Zip System sheathing and tape as a code approved alternate water-resistive barrier. Following ICC Evaluation Service AC310, Acceptance Criteria for Water Resistive Membranes Factory-Bonded to Wood-Based Structural Sheathing, Used as Water-Resistive Barriers, Zip System sheathing and tape passed the ASTM E331 Standard Test Method for Water Penetration of Exterior Windows, Skylights, Doors, and Curtain Walls by Uniform Static Air Pressure Difference.

7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS4kTWDeHOY

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.

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Originally published in July 2015

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