While answering a question in General Discussions about exterior siding education, I became interested in this sheathing. It, however, seems to defy some common sense. About an hour of reading through some sites ended with no real answer. One site generally describes it as foam board bonded to thin board made up of laminated fibers like the plywood, but nobody says what these fibers are.
One post here mentions such sheathing with paper board that failed in florida. Another post recounts own eye-witness of “blackjoe” fiber sheathing failing. Would you recount some of your own experience? Is this current example of under-engineering, (not trying to be facetious) like the light bridges that fell? How flexible is it on 16 or 24″ frame?
As an example, my ideas about basement water control is based a lot on the idea of rain fall that is supposed to come every 10, 50 or 100 years. I live in NE new jersey, but is there a such assumption about a wind? If I were to use this sheathing on my house (or recommend to anybody), I would be depending on the manufacturer’s tests and the engineers. Thank you all in advance.
Replies
Consider this a bump...
Might help if you give a link to the exact product you are talking about...
That said, the national builders here are using cardboard as structural sheathing. If that is structural, I guess anything can be. This cardboard I refer to goes under a few brand names like ThermaPly, EnergyBrace, etc.
We built many homes with only thermoply back in the late 70's. They are still standing strong today. None of them had any simpson fasteners, no joist hangers, no beam hangers of any kind, nor any anchor bolts. I think us old carpenters had some magical skills. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Blue,
The differance is they haven't been hit by tornados, or other forces beyond their capability to withstand..
That stands to reason.. considering the millions of homes there are in America only a relative few are hit by tornados or hurricanes.. even few are affected by earthquakes.
NO intelligent person is saying that building a home better is a bad thing, and there are regular developments and improvements in housing all of the time..
I grew up in one of those post war tract houses and thought they were fine.. Only after I saw them demolished did I realize just how cheaply and poorly they were made..
If we are talking about building cheaply prefabricated"moble" homes are the cheapest.. some want something more study than cheap..
Blue: Was that the cardboard stuff?
BTW - I saw your other thread about wind bracing. I used to live in the People's Republic of Fairfax County. Glad to be out of there.... It is NOT a democracy.
Stuck at home today. Trans went out on the truck... bummed...
Yes, it's that cardboard stuff. I've also built hundreds of homes using foam sheathing with either let in wind-braces or metal t-braces.Also I just remembered that there are hundreds of thousands of homes built in SE MI without sill plates or any treated lumber on basements. Rot isn't a problem with them. I lived in several of them like that and rot simply wasn't happening. The real point is that every "advance" in building techniques is not needed in every area. Just because extraordinary efforts are needed on the coast, doesn't mean they need to adopt them inland. Items like treated plates caused more health problems (poor air quality in the home, damage to the carpenters cutting it, kids eating it, etc) yet everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon even though they are un-necessary measures. How do I know they are unnecessary? Google the metro detroit area. Those same homes that we constructed without all the modern day ideas are standing strong...despite what Frenchy thinks...even the mass produced ones by Pulte. In fact, many of those "substandard" Pulte homes are located in upscale posh suburbs and are commanding extraordinary prices. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
I know what you mean about things being overbuilt. We just started using anchor bolts in like 2002. Can't say I've ever heard of any houses falling off their foundations...
this might've been the link that tirggered him. saw it the other day. never used it yet.
http://building.dow.com/styrofoam/na/res-us/products/styrofoam/sis.htm
k1c
Have you looked at SIP's ? Structural insulated panels? Extremely energy efficent.
200% stronger than a stick built home. Very fast and easy to build with for a DIY.
Be careful at how you price it though.. If you are a check writer and stand back and let others do this for you they can often add a lot to the cost simply because most consider it a premium product.. When I built my home with them It was cheaper for me to build with panels that to build it with sticks (2x4's )
Thank you and to all for the reply. I am not necessarily against new technology, but SIS just does not register with me. SIP at least has osb's on either side and is self-bracing. I was admonished for faulty imagination but I imagine if SIS failed, it would fail catastrophically. There would be no time to get out. I wish the manufacturers of SIS would put it on tv shows or in websites withstanding forceful push or something. I found Dow's website to be lacking in information.
Anyway, thank you all.