Don't buy Force Shield OSB before watching: Force Shield vs Zip Vs Weather Shield wall Sheeting

Trying to decide between osb, plywood, zip sheets or force shield for your building project. Watch this video first. Force Shield sheeting from Home Depot review.
Force Shield info:
ForceField Panels are at the core of the ForceField Weather Barrier System from Georgia-Pacific, the industry leader in building products. This smarter sheathing system for walls and sloped roofs is a faster, easier alternative to both house wrap and roof underlayment. These panels provide a superior level of protection against air and water intrusion. ForceField Panels help to keep water out without affecting the permeability of the panel itself, allowing water vapor to escape and promote drying. - Consist of structural sheathing with a water-resistive overlay - Install easily like standard OSB or plywood sheathing - Exceptional drainage capability - Work with accessories to help keep builds dry and energy efficient - Ideal for walls and sloped roofs in residential, multifamily and light commercial construction
For Wall Applications:
Use ForceField Panels with ForceField Seam Tape
System helps protect against air and moisture intrusion
Eliminates the need for house wrap and related repairs
Ideal for walls in residential, multi-family, light commercial construction and sloped roofs
Warranty: 6 months for exposure to normal weather conditions and 10 years for manufacturing defects*
For Sloped Roof Applications:
Use ForceField Panels with ForceField Premium Tape
Eliminates the need for a waterproofing underlayment and related repairs
Warranty: 90-day exposure warranty and 10-year limited warranty from Georgia-Pacific*
* For full terms and conditions, please visit warranty.gpforcefield.com.
Zip Sheet Info by Huber:
Zip System roof sheathing and wall sheathing offer structural panels with built-in protective overlays that eliminate the need for house wrap or felt forever. Simply install the panels, tape the seams with the specially designed zip System tape and you're done. You can install siding and roof covering directly on top of zip System roof and wall sheathing, but until you do, you'll differentiate your jobs with the high-quality curb appeal of zip System roof and wall sheathing. Zip System roof and wall sheathing are backed by a best-in-class warranty so that you and your homeowners can rest assured that Huber engineered woods stands behind the zip System products used in your homes.
Use in wall applications
LP Weather Logic:
Designed for roofing and walls, Structural I Rated Sheathing offers greater cross-panel strength and stiffness. Learn more about it here.
Structural I Sheathing
Can be used for both roof and wall applications for greater versatility
Available in 4-foot nominal widths and 8-, 9-, or 10-foot lengths
Seam & Flashing tape is available in 3.75-inch and 6-inch widths; squeegees offer ease of installation and come with every box
30-Year Limited Warranty is one of the longest in the industry
Recognized as carbon negative by ASTM in 2023

[@levibowler]

Does it serve its purpose? yes. It is a barrier not a finished siding product. This fella is correct, it isn't zip or weatherlogic....BUT it is a sheathing with a weather barrier that will in-turn be covered by a permanent siding. Does it really need to be able to withstand being placed "in the dirt for 3 years"? or be able to be used for a mud-mat in front of your chop saw? If applied and used as intended I believe its a better option than tyvek and a more affordable option to the zip or weatherlogic option. For a shed...perfect. for a multimillion dollar house.....probably consider upping the budget and going with the zip or wL.

[@jakebell1947]

Yes, definitely serves my purpose. Am using it as a condensation /moister barrier since the house will be wrapped again in ridged insulation. It is worth the cost and I will probably keep using it if it stays under $20 a sheet!

[@danmarshall5895]

The part where he said he buried the end 3 inches underground, I did one of those "wait, what?' things and rewound. I mean with OSB that's basically a straw.

[@bobbray9666]

Unless water gets behind your siding and the protective wrap starts peeling away exposing the osb to the water, which it turn will turn to moldy mush?

[@michaelshelnutt3534]

@@jakebell1947 $26.45 a sheet in west Georgia.

[@dr.graves5541]

Its good to know. But next project is a small shop. Cheap, so either osb and wrap, or GP force field. Will be sided, so still seems logical. Tapeing your exposed edges might be smart in certain areas too. For those not backstroking in a pool of cash...

[@dudedigital]

ZIP is meant to be stronger due to the creation process, as it was originally created for roofs (being walked on). It was found to be overkill for walls, which is where Forcefield comes in. Obviously both have come a long way since then (Forcefield can now being used on roofs), but they're all good at their primary uses with similar failure points. If you do ZIP vs Forcefield search you can find what each product was designed for by the person that helped create these products.

[@meanstreetsfab]

Force field and joint tape is still more cost effective and serves the same purpose as OSB or Zip with barrier wrap.

[@bobbray9666]

Zip is superior due to the waterproofing impregnated coating vs. ForceField peel and stick membrane. The membrane can peel off, as demonstrated on ForceField . Zip also says their OSB is denser than regular OSB but not sure if ForceField has a similar dense OSB to Zip. I used Zip R-12 on my zone 6a house and I'm glad I used it. Our energy bills are lower than expected probably due to the use of Zip tape and liquid flash sealing the envelop from air infiltration. We built with 2x4's, so the final wall is the same thickness as if we used 2x6 construction and regular windows fit perfectly with no jamb extensions or window bucks and all the details were easy to seal from water and air.

[@make725daily1]

This video is incredible! Can't get enough of it! - "Success is the result of your continuous journey..."

[@trace9130]

They work great for what they're designed for and are affordable. I have a chicken coop made of Force Field with no siding for the last two years. No deterioration at all. I even had a leak for a few months and it dried out just fine.

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

Zip Sheets are not sold in the Big Box stores though!! I checked Menards and Home Depot - maybe Lowes? Sure enough Lowes does have it!

[@Building-IT]

Thanks! Going to build a barndo, was looking at going with the GP ForceField. But now I am definitely going with Zip system.

[@fundamentalcleaning]

thank you

[@williesimpson6757]

Thank you;

[@JFabric500]

That sheet is a secondary process process and you are correct it’s basically glued on. Which still gives it a 3 perm rating. The zip is baked on in the first process with polyurethane glue that makes its have a .3 perm rating. The Forcefield can breathe much better but yeah they are struggling with bonding long term.

[@jakebell1947]

Interesting... So zip provides a much better air infiltration barrier?

[@johnwhite2576]

@@jakebell1947yes, but it’s also very vapor impermeable which they don’t like to advertise

[@jerrywysocki5426]

I bought a load of force field from menards which was flat & uniform. They ran out so I went to home depot for another 50 sheets. They were so warped I took most of them back. I ran out of c clamps & patients trying to install them. I got home depot to unband a new bunk which looked flatter but they were all warped the same way as the prior load. I think gp must be stacking theae after their adhesive roll coating of the skin. The moisture of the glue gets trapped & causes warpage. I also had a sheet that the grey skin blew off in the wind. I sent an email to gp asking for an area rep to contact me.... never got a reply. I'm not impressed at all.

[@jakebell1947]

Right!

[@make725daily1]

I finally stumbled upon this treasure! Subscribed, and I'm eager to follow your path to success! - "Each challenge you conquer brings you one step closer to your goals..."

[@historygradstu]

weather resistant is far different from water proof as you say, its not boat building material, zip is probably far better but both should be used as an underlayment and not constantly weather exposed

[@5stardave]

Zip was originally designed as a roof decking where water might sit a little longer and then used as vertical sheathing. Force Field is strictly designed as a vertical sheathing where water never pools on it.

[@jakebell1947]

buildgp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Warranty.jpg Georgia pacific advertises force field sheeting for use on walls and roofs.

[@5stardave]

@@jakebell1947 McDonald's advertises eating their food. Like most building products, it depends on where you are building.

[@Anquiatous]

I am intrigued by the fact that you painted the zip panels on your shed and used that as your exterior surface. How is it holding up over time? I might like doing something like this for my shed build instead of using the outrageously expensive hardie panels.

[@jakebell1947]

It’s weathering better than the Smartside trim I used for baton boards on it.

[@Anquiatous]

@@jakebell1947 did you use any filler for the nails in the middle of the panel or did you just paint over the heads?

[@jakebell1947]

@@Anquiatous nope

[@HarryKeyworth]

Thing is with all of these sheathing systems is that you bang a bunch of nails and screws in them anyway.

[@jakebell1947]

True that ⬆️

[@johnwhite2576]

Word- force field developed by same inventor-he concedes readily this is inferior to zip -weather logic (blue) . Is better but I think they lost a patent lawsuit to Huber (green)? This tape is very very thin…what I don’t like is zip on roof- as Huber honestly notes, u nmust cober zip on roof-trsut me it will leak- so we do zip on vertical surfaces, osb with the ebst membrane you cna afford-and seriously two layers of jumbo tech can be slapped on quickly and you are more weathertight than zip on roof before you cna get shingles on

[@listenupknucklehead2722]

Oh man, we shouldn't let our ignorance make us look silly. The same engineer develop zip sheathing and force field! Zip was originally designed for an intended to be used for roofing. It's made for the roof it has been commonly adopted to be used for normal siding which means that it is grossly over-engineered for siding which is why it's so much more expensive. If you use the force field the way it's intended which is for both sheathing and sheer but also as the barrier for air and water for vertical panels it is perfect for its job it's job. But if you stick it in the dirt or just paint it and expect it to be your siding that's just ridiculous. Find the KZbin video where the engineer that developed both of them explains the differences in the systems, don't just listen to some well-meaning but uninformed guy that doesn't build to code.