Good question! Yes I'm using traditional equipment but the key is sizing it correctly. A typical new house might use 1 ton of AC for every 500 sq foot of house, mine are getting closer to 1000sf/ton. We use an engineer to run Manual J calcs. The house in this video is getting a heat pump from Mitsubishi that utilizes variable refrigerant flow technology and can run at any speed from 15% to 115% of rated tonnage. Most AC's are 100% ON or 100% OFF. Look for that video in a few months. Matt
I live in northern Ohio and inherited my childhood home. Built in 1900. The house has old vinyl siding that’s faded and cracked and underneath that is the wood clapboard. I was looking at new windows and siding as part of the remodel. This gives me something to ponder, thank you.
I don't often used closed cell foam on exterior walls in this climate. In general we want everything to dry to the inside here in Texas as this is a cooling dominated climate and we dehumidify our houses 9 months of the year. If you want to use closed cell foam inside the stud bays be sure to do a first rate Weather Resistive Barrier on the outside of your sheathing to ensure it won't get wet. Best, Matt
I prefer to install foam last. That way you've got a normal window installation and you can be sure the house is 100% weatherized with your Tyvek install. Plus, putting the foam on last ensures that your Tyvek is covered so it will experience much less thermal spikes over the decades. Best, Matt
That outside corner is custom bent at a local Austin metal shop. It's in an "x" shape. See my blog for a detail on that flashing. I'll be a local shop or a roofer with a 10' brake can bend it for you. You can also buy them from Tamlyn who makes trim pieces like this for Hardie. Best, Matt
Real pro work and videos...the only thing I ever disagree with on your videos is the "advanced framing"...(HATE it). A person could also fold that flashing into more of a brickmold and match the window/trim colour. Great video...the only way to do exterior foam in any climate
Great video. I live in California and I have a manufactured home but the walls are only 2x4. This looks like a great way to take are of your insulating needs.
thanks.. I figured after searching google until my fingers hurt and couldn't find them. It looks great. Love your work have watched most of them... to bad I am cheap or i would hire you guys. we're in SA.
Has anyone ever seen the rain screening gap be used by wasps or similar insects to create large colonies behind the cladding? I like the water drain concept and the caulk-free application, but would be interested to see any pest control issues that arise from no gap blocking or tight cladding install. I appreciate your thorough insights into the various methods and rationale for building; keep it up.
I like the videos but I see perhaps a potential problem.. We have been doing light framing for 25 years now and over that time I've also been doing the thermal break on the outside like you have been suggesting. The issue is that by insulating the outside with rigid low perm insulation, you are effectively trapping moisture at the dewpoint transition point within the wall. Basically having a vapor barrier on both sides. We have been using ROXUL comfortboard, which is a permeable mineral rock wool insulation instead.. It's fireproof, waterproof, mold proof and pests do not like it.. This gives us the thermal break without causing any trapped moisture issues. Have I missed something? I realize your house wrap is meant to breath but there's nowhere to breathe to when behind the insulation or do you strap the wall afterward first?
wall vents inwards. To do so, you can't have an interior vapor barrier, AND the exterior foam must be thick enough to prevent dew point on inside rigid foam face (as Matt mentions at 5:15 in above video). Like all engineered systems, it's difficult to get the entire concept across in one video; the viewer must supplement concepts with further research.
qwqehwekrhlfjghdklfj < Matt said in northern climates you have use thicker foam for dewpoint issues, but not in Texas. Michael < Comfortboard uses a baton to gap the exterior membrane, correct? What do you do for windows, vents, outlets and door jambs that don't protrude out that far?
Really nice Matt! -- QUESTION -- Isn't this metal siding since @03:27 when you knock on the siding it sort of rattled like metal siding?? We really like this siding but you mentioned it was HardiePlank. Was it made from metal 10 years ago? We do not want to have to caulk the siding and noticed on your peronsal build that your guys did Caulk the Hardie board at the end corder sections. That would be a no-go for us. Why not avoid caulking all together??
Foil faced foam is vapor impermeable, so any vapor trying to exit the warm interior will not be able to escape past the inner surface of the foam panel. It will be trapped there, providing a moist place for mold and rot, no? Why not use a permeable foam panel such as BASF's Neopor or similar?
Foil foam is great except it stops cell signals. Make sure you paint that hardy plank where it is cut or you will swell the siding along that move trim.
I am glad you mentioned this. We pay big bucks for our smartphones and the foil barriers in the attic and walls will drastically affect cell phone reception. I have Low-E glass and this coating also reduces cell signals. A home is a synergy of many technologies. Radiant barriers need better testing so homeowners know exactly what they are getting into.
@@Neubs-xv8tw when you have a superbowl party at the new expensive house, you can have a 2 hour preamble where you give the wifi password to all the guests and configure and troubleshoot wifi calling
That's quite possibly the dumbest response I've ever seen on youtube. My friends already have my wifi password and if they don't, they're not friends and will not be gaining access to my network and I don't care if they can't make calls.
The gaps you are seeing in the video are roughly 1/8". We use a sheet of thermoply against the metal flashing to space the hardie, then pull it out after install. That gives us a straight line, makes a consistent gap, and gives the hardie room for expansion. It is indeed possible to get "some" bugs back there but I've not seen much intrusion. There isn't a path to get in the house from there either. Benefits outweigh this small risk. Best, Matt Risinger
The caulking is not esthetic . That would assume that the water evacuation will act the same in year 20 as it does in year 1. A 1/8” gap will let massive amounts of water in during a storm. Over time the debris will begin to trap water and the pollen will clog any wraps permeability. You will get mold and the water and mold will begin to cause failures in the wraps and tapes. Systems that allow water to leave and dry are good, but they should also stop water from entering in the first place.
actually having water be able to leave once it gets in, is better design, than trying to prevent all water from getting in....especially on hardie fiber siding, that's why they don't have butt joints caulked or tight 1/8" gap on all butt joints, al flashing behind each joint, and flashing on all cut outs, no caulking
Matt I started following you at the builders show in Orlando. I love what you are doing. Like the way you talk about the products you are reviewing you do a great job. I would love to have a conversation with you one day
I am getting there have the house wrapped and r-max up. I looked at your blog for the custom trim and watched a few more of your videos. You consistently talk about a rain-screen. In a comment you mentioned 1x4s or 1/2" plywood. I had planned on going right over the foam like the Hardie instructions say. Is it too late for me to rethink that and be better off to cover my siding with a tarp for another week and find the coroplast battens somewhere or rip some 1/2" plywood strips?
Questions: What is the rainscreen material? What fasteners did you use to attach the siding? (I presume that the fasteners penetrate through the foam to the sheathing. True?
Great videos! But caulking only for aesthetic purposes? I would think you need caulk on the ends of the Hardie to protect those cut ends from excess moisture. Do you at least paint those cut ends?
S Timberlake to me aesthetics are just as important, i would still caulk it, maybe with some pl polyurethane caulking but hey everyone has their own preferences
I have run into this in the past and if you call them and ask the question, their scripted response is that you can caulk the joint between cut ends and trim and not paint those ends. I've approached the question in multiple different ways with Hardie and its the same scripted response. I have done work with their product where they change the installation instructions so much, if you do ever have an issue, any potential warranty claim you may have, they will deny due to improper installation. Look at their panel system, you need a underlayment with a pretty unique per rating. THAT HARDIES OWN WRAP DOESN'T EVEN MEET!!! Someone is going to make alot of money replacing this stuff in a few years when it has wide spread failures.
Would u not build your windows out to meet the depth of the styrofoam, using a 3/4 inch board around the window frame....or maybe im not seeing what u r doing correctly..thanks
Do you still put the reflective foam on the north side of the house? Seems like there would be a lot less radiation pressure there; or is the cost difference between silvered and unsilvered so small as to not make a difference?
I have did a similar window detail on my home. The main issue that I have found with butting up the siding all the way to the window is that you have no way for the home owner to replace a window without tearing off siding. Love the look but just not functional.
Matt, First, I recently discovered your videos, and I've enjoyed them a lot. I've been watching quite a few of them, and it looks like you do really excellent work I've seen you use fiber cement siding over a rainscreen in several videos, but I'd like to hear your thoughts on wood composite siding over a rainscreen. It seems like the extra thickness and rigidity would work well, and the rainscreen should allow full drying to prevent any moisture damage. Thanks, Paul
Paul Frieden Paul, Thanks for the complements! Yes, rainscreen will work well for your application too. See my videos on wood siding with rainscreen. Best, Matt
Have you used wood composite siding over a rainscreen before? I'm looking at LP SmartSide, and I'm curious to know if you'd do anything differently with it versus fiber cement. Thanks again, Paul
I totally don’t understand a word he says as I do not speak building lingo and he is speaking over my head however this sounds like an excellent idea to secure water heat and bugs from outside like this vs. the inside between the wall studs.
What was that outside "corner board" made of? X-Brace? And the inside corner? Do they both have flanges like the window metal detail. What's the nail schedule Hardie through drain screen into 24 O.C. framing? No Wavy Gravy? What the layout of the drain screen?
Matt, does the rain/drain system negate firing nailers? my concern is that the siding will be pulled in and not remain true over 1" foamboard over wrap over cdx 1/2" ply?
Hey Matt, great video. Do you by any chance remember the color of the siding you show in the video? Building a house right now and looking to emulate this Hardie Plank system on the back side of the house, and I think the color looks great.
You're right, it isn't permeable at all with the foil facing. The wall needs to be able to dry to the inside, so you must have air permeable insulation (like fiberglass batts) on the inside. If you were to place an air impermeable barrier on the inside of the wall (like poly sheeting) then you would get mold and rot inside the cavity and on the sheathing.
Any siding guys that have done some remodeling on a 15-20 year old siding and you run in to that DuPont tyvek crumbling in to pieces letting water in to the walls Everything has to be water tight to avoid any future problems
The "tyvek" was found crumbling because it was left exposed to UV radiation for too long before the siding was installed. DuPont Tyvek is an integral part of the water management system and will not deteriorate if correctly installed and protected by siding that has been properly maintained and keep in serviceable condition.
Matt, I am a believer of the "outsulation" concept with exterior rigid foam, this was further explained to me by Martin Holladay's writings on gba.com. However my current project involves cement based stucco and stone veneer exterior.- What are your thoughts of outsulation in these cases? Local engineers (two different ones) said absolutely NOT for a variety of reasons. The structural problem with "creep" was the first and most pressing. I read about creep on the BuildingScience.com website, Joe Lstiburek wrote on the issue. Despite engineered fasteners, specifying gauge and frequency of placement to handle the weight, it seems it is considered a bad idea. The thicker the insulation, the worse the idea. Dana Dorsett, a respected engineer on gba.com said I should be able to use taped 3/8" XPS fan-fold as a WRB and gain some benefits in the process. Given that background, my follow up questions are: - Since stucco gets wet (and absorbs water each time it rains) as the stucco dries, there have been numerous cases where sun driven moisture caused stucco and wall failures. Granted these may have been poorly detailed WRBs over OSB sheathing, but that said, it strikes me as critical that moisture is NOT driven into the wall. Thus a taped XPS WRB would serve me well given its low perm rating (Owen's Corning Propink perm rating 0.75). You agree?* The house (new construction 2x6" stick framing, 1/2" plywood, Zone5) is already wrapped in Tyvek to keep the plywood from the elements. Was going to wrap it with taped 3/8" fanfold then install galvanized mesh for 3 coat cement stucco application. Between the bays was going to use simple fiberglass insulation to allow walls to dry to the interior* with 1" EPS panels (moisture permeable) under the sheetrock. I know you like blown spray foam, and this seems a bit backwards, but this assembly avoids the cost of spray foam and with exterior stone veneer/stucco, thought this is a safer assembly. Any advice or concerns? Thanks much. Great work on the videos! You disseminate great info to so many who need to be reminded of good craftsmanship and energy efficiency.
Hi Matt, thank you for the video! I'm a fairly new builder in Virginia. Two questions. First, are you concerned that the nails used for the flashing penetrate the flashing? (I see the bottom flashing was nailed, I'm assuming the sides and top are also nailed). Second, if the window will get trim, I'm assuming the flashing is not needed because the trim will look fine if it is proud of the window, and the siding can butt into the trim? Thanks again
Christopher, Check out my blog post on this same topic and you'll see some greater in-depth pictures that I think wil answer your questions. Generally nails penetrating flashing (peel & stick) are OK as long as there is gravity on your side. That's why I like a rainscreen so much. Best to you, Matt
So if a house has a Tyvek wrap and you plan to add a layer of external foam should the Tyvek be removed and replaced with DrainWrap? Or would an air gap be better?
Hit the enter key too soon. What I wanted to add is like how you're local. I see a lot of video's like This Old House. They are somewhere up north and have no clue what residents have to deal with in the Texas heat.
How are you securing the L flange (or 1x4 frame from another video) around the window? I am planning to use sips with peel and stick wrapping followed by an air gap, and then the board and batten.
What about INSULATED Vinyl Siding? Specifically PRODIGY brand? I need all my siding replaced, No Insulation in my walls and I need Energy Efficiency. THANKS!
Or is there some kind of Foam Insulation that goes over the tyvek/wrap and use NON-Insulated siding? What is best way to go, both on Cost and Energy Efficiency. I got samples of Insulated Vinyl siding from 3 manufacturers, and the Prodigy is by far the thickest foam, Advertised to have R-Value of 5. I also need badly need the noise reduction, live near airport. Thank You so much!!
Matt, got a question I haven’t seen addressed (maybe I haven’t found it yet?) I’m in Virginia so we have the worst of both worlds, hot humid summers and cold winters down into the teens. I’m interested in retrofitting my house with Roxul on the outside, a reflective wrap and finish with stand-off Hardie siding. So, my question is specific to finishing and sealing the bottom skirt where the wall meets the masonry. I assume a standard bottom finish on the Hardie but I’m trying to figure out how to best close the bottom of the Roxul profile while still leaving a gap for water to escape between the Hardie and the reflective wrap. Anyone have experience or a suggestion to share? Thank you!
Japanese climate is similar. Most siding appears to be air gapped from top to bottom with it hanging over/outside the concrete foundation lip to which the framed/insulated/tyveked walls are attached. The difference is then usually bridged with a non corroding coarse mesh (purpose made aluminum section with a ton of roughly 1/8" holes).to keep out insects and debris while allowing air to rise and moisture to escape.
New to your channel and learning a lot! I may have missed this but since you're using hardie plank here versus pine siding in the other video, why use the rain screen behind the planks? Doesn't the hardie material not absorb water anyway where you don't have to worry about cupping? Great videos !
cement fiber board adsorbs moisture, all cut end must be painted when using factory painted stuff or paint on site. factory painted stuff is best, they sell the trim paint kits for that exact reason, all cut ends get painted
I would have issues in a cold weather zone with water getting into the corners and around the windows and freezing and thawing and freezing and thawing, etc..
Would these products be a good combination to update a 1970's tract house here in N. Austin? Is there any type of "blanket" or spray foam insulation behind the Tyvek between the dry wall and exterior? I'm looking to replace my 40 year old siding and re-insulate at the same time but had only considered the spray foam up until now. How do you recommend re-insulating an older home? Really appreciate your videos by the way! :)
Excellent questions. If you are re-skinning the exterior this is a great way to go. This allows you to do a good weather barrier like Tyvek then add exterior rigid foam to break the thermal bridges at your studs. In your climate I'd recommend going thicker on the outside sheets of foam. Shoot for R-10 or better. Hope that helps. Matt
Now I have Box Elder bugs live in between my insulation and siding gap. Now I have to spray the house down with poison to kill the bugs and it doesn’t work immediately so what would’ve been a better way to seal this up
Matt I have a question for you... I have hardiplank sidings and when it rains heavily my windows leak. My roof needed repairs so I got all of the shingles replaced thinking if leak came from the roof it will be fixed. However it rained for over a week and a half before thanks giving and leakage was as bad as ever. Do you think rain water is seeping into the hardiplank then my walls and draining into my windows. Currently I have termites underneath one of my windows bought home just under 3 months ago. Your response greatly appreciated
R5 ha could have used spray closed cell and never had the weakness of a hollow wall siding, baseball softball or kids will definatly Murphy's that quick. It wash almost an unspoken till to never leave a wall hollow, just dudes trying to reinvent the wheel closed cell foam and conventional building would have build a better house cheaper.
I'm building a rain screen wall just like this. Is it better to follow this detail or use 2x2 wood blocking to push out the window? I'm wondering if this detail is more expensive but easier to waterproof. The wood blocking is cheaper but requires extra effort to waterproof?
1. The WRB should be crinkled wrap or something that gives more of a gap before the foam for proper drying. That is a requirement. That wrap they used looks like the standard wrap. 2. Never use "foil-faced" rigid foam on the outside wall like that as it creates a vapor-impermeable barrier and traps moisture. Wow. 3. I would worry about the dew point level between the outside to the inside wall when only having one 3/4" layer on the outside as they do here. I'm guessing they also used fiberglass on the inside. That can actually cause a problem as inside insulation prevents internal heat from getting to the sheathing. Use a thicker layer or two layers of foam to get at least R10 on the outside and then with cheap R11 fiberglass on the inside, you'll be fine.
1. It is Drainwrap, though I agree it is hard to see. It is definitely not regular Tyvek. 2. Green Building Advisor, Fine Homebuilding, and Building Science Corporation all state that foil faced foam insulation is fine to place, especially if you are using one of the "crinkled" housewraps. Walls only need to dry in one direction only. 3. That is a correct concern for climate zones 4 Marine and above. See www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/calculating-minimum-thickness-rigid-foam-sheathing for more details, but the relevant paragraph is here: "What if I live in one of the warmer climate zones? If you are building a house in one of the warmer climate zones - zone 1, 2, 3, or 4 (except for 4 Marine) - you don't have to worry about the thickness of your foam. Any foam thickness will work, because your sheathing will never get cold enough for “condensation” (moisture accumulation) to be a problem."
Pink fibreglass absorbs moisture and has 0 resistance to air movement through combine that with thin plastic vapour barrier to trap the liquid and you have mould . After 30 years of renos on houses over 160 years old I've seen the results of "modern" technology and vapour barriers are a major problem starter. Roxul and sheet foam are the best insulators. Blown foam degrades and loses r value over several years and suffocates the wood structure .
if its my house i kick u out from the project. how you install that L flashing is wrong second doesnt matter what you do if there are any water has chance to get thru you must put caulking it doesnt matter you have dupont at the back or not.
I don't understand the obsession with rigid foam. It is so overrated! It has virtually no permeability. Yes, you can drain MOST of the water out, but your walls have absolutely no ability to breath! How can you expect your walls to ever be completely dry??
Joseph Lstiburek of Building Science Corporation did a nice article on his barn that he covered in foam. The only places in the foam that supported ants were those that were wet due to incorrect flashing details. Dry foam doesn't seem to support them.
Nicholas Browning my foam has never been wet ...7/16 osb on the outside wraped with tyveck put 15in wide felt paper over that with cedar shingle siding ... carpenter ants foud away in and have been chewing the foam like a beaver chews aspen
I am really sorry to hear that. Was there any detail on the bottom to cover the exposed edge of the foam? What kind of foam did you use? Seems like a pest company might be able to take care of it, though at considerable expense.
Nicholas Browning the foam is placed between the studs tight to the bottom plate and top plate with osb nailed directly to the studs and sheetrock on the inside . the ants found their way threw the cedar shingles chewed threw the tyveck and felt paper and threw the osb to get to the foam . i dont recall the brand . its just plain white styrafoam . i do place traps i dont like useing poisen . i have a number of farm animals
If the water runs out so what the moisture will still cause black mold and that would cause a big problem your children could breathe that garbage in and end up with health problems. So take a moment and caulk it properly or else you did not do the job correctly cuz it wasn't completed!!!
What was that outside "corner board" made of? X-Brace? And the inside corner? Do they both have flanges like the window metal detail. What's the nail schedule Hardie through drain screen into 24 O.C. framing? No Wavy Gravy? What the layout of the drain screen?
That's "Paint Grip". It's a grey matte finish that's intended to hold paint. Architects like it because it has mottled finish and isn't shiny. The outside corner is a "x" shaped open corner from the same sheet metal. See my blog for a detail of the corner. Yes we have termites, No amount of caulk will keep them out. Same for mud daubers, fire ants, etc. Best, Matt
Both the inside and outside corners are bent metal pieces from a local metal fabrication shop. Tamlyn also makes commercial versions but we bend them on a brake and use 24 guage metal. The Hardie is nailed at each stud location. If you site down the wall you might see a slight wave but it's not visable from the ground or looking straight on. The rainscreen battens are also on 24" centers. Best, Matt
Replacement windows are designed to fit inside the existing window jamb without removing the old jamb. The exterior siding contacts the existing jamb so you do not have to remove siding unless you are re-sizing the opening.
No different than a brick house. You would either use replacement windows or have to cut the nailing fins on the original window if you didn't pull the siding
