a client has requested spruce 1×6 siding, applied to furring strips however the siding is applied in a deck like manner with spacing between the boards. they are not tapered boards. what is the best method of waterproofing the house underneath? All I can think of is the stick on ice and water shield. expensive but do I have any other choices?
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Start by educating the client that they are crazy. Spruce is terrible for siding. It will rot easy. It twists as it dries and is a very unstable wood and will show checks all over the place. I would refuse to use it like that.
That said, study how to build a rainscreen wall.
But you do not want a waterproof wall assembly. It needs to have some permeability to let interior moisture pass through. For instance tarpapers have a perm of 1-5. Typar is somewhere around 11-13 or so, designed to let the house breathe enough to let moisture pass out thru.
A rainscreen creates a space where water can have a drainage p[lane. Typically this is for incidental water, because no siding is water proof, but the wall surface you are talking about actually invites large volumes of water in.
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Clinkard,
The wall that you describe seems to be VERY popular in recent publications of modern home design. My first thought was "that looks kinda cool" but it is not a wise thing to do. Tell the client that their Architect should take an EEBA course.
The only way that it could work is to build a completely functioning wall complete with UV protection..and then apply the siding as decoration..How green is that?
You mean there are Architects who would do something this crazy?!!!!
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It (siding with large gaps) is very fashionable in the recent Architecture Books and magazines.
Nobody ever said Architects were smart. I am an Architect and I think it looks neato.
I also think that houses with no overhang and houses with flat roofs look cool.
I guess I finally saw the light. Maybe I should worry about the long term.
My daughter is in Architecture School right now and they are still trying to convince the students that a flat roof is good design.