Mold and Rot on a BRAND NEW HOUSE - What went wrong?

[@an7h0ny88]

In Canada we aren't allowed to stand OSB up right like it is on that house either. Also the panels need to be installed with the print/stamps facing inwards so the rough side is out. It's written right on the sheets...

[@patrickcowan8701]

Rough side has the moisture barrier.

[@KevinFreist]

Osb is not suitable to build a dog house out of. Ive demolished more bad work than i can count . Just pay for plywood and you'll have something for your money . Especially if you consider you're only going to do the job once instead of two or three times and all the headache that goes with that. Most homeowners like to watch the building shows on TV and go oh yeah it's going to be done just like tomorrow... Bulshit it doesn't work like that and you need to use solid materials or you wasting everybody's time and your money.just because i got paid to fix those messes didn't make for a good job. it's more satisfying to just start new with a good foundation and quality materials.

[@augustreil]

@@KevinFreist, I prefer plywood myself but I made that comment before and was told that OSB was structurally better ? I couldn't understand that theory at all. Been building structures my whole life and never used OSB, just not a fan of it except that it was cheaper.

[@paulmaxwell8851]

OSB is NOT structurally better than plywood. It's only used by some builders because it is cheaper. It is not used by quality builders, at least not one I know.

[@jrchicago9216]

Anthony Fleck I gave up on OSB as it’s a rot-magnet. There is not one remodel I have ever done where OSB did not have rot in it. It becomes so brittle flakey like with failed structural properties. It’s one of those products you wish were never invented after decades of seeing constant examples of such “crap” it really is.

[@theshivelyfamily]

This is obviously a well placed ad for Bounty™ Paper Towels, the Quicker Picker Upper. 👍

[@fhuber7507]

"I'm not calling out the manufacturer" Immediate cut to a clip showing a hole in "BMC" house wrap.

[@cryptickcryptick2241]

Over the 100 year lifespan of a home on average every single window, door, and roof penetration is going to leak. This means the fireplace chimney, the bathroom vents, each window, each door, each skylight, each dormer, each change of angle in the roof, each corner or change of angle in an outside of a home, they are all problems waiting to happen. Now we don't want to live in windowless boxes, so now it becomes a discussion in tradeoffs. By keeping a simple roofline, and adding large overhangs and large portions one can eliminate many of the problems. One of the easy ways to keep a window from leaking is to put a roof over it. One of the ways to keep a plumbing vent from leaking is to combine two or three vents in the attic and only going through the roof once. Smart design can eliminate half of the problems. It is the same with plumbing, every joint or pipe connection has the potential to leak and will at some point. By carefully designing a system, and putting it one one portion of the home, one can eliminate the potential for a large number of problems. There are lots of other factors one needs to consider, such as winter solar gain or air-conditioning needs, lighting needs in the home, privacy, security, noise, quality of life, and more. When building a new home investing time in looking at solar gain or loss, proper building of materials, and a flexible design that will appeal to everyone you may want to sell the home too can make a huge difference.

[@claursen1]

Well said Cryptick. Are you a builder or architect yourself?

[@cryptickcryptick2241]

@@claursen1 I am in the renovation business. Frequently, I get to see many of these problems are they occur.

[@firefighterrobbie]

In my area it is so hard to convince the builders to do this. Also when going to the local building supply that still sells the materials that still causes problems for the home owner they don't want to here about the new ideas that are now available. I do appreciate all of your comments on all the new and the improved materials out there on the market. Your are right about talking to the home owner to prevent the possible water damage in the future and do away with something else in the house and do the outside right the first time and use the proper water proofing first. Thanks again for this video.

[@AbbieHoffmansGhost]

O.K. I fix this stuff all the time. As a matter of fact that's all I've been doing for that last 12 years with only one new build in that time. Here's what I've found: building materials and construction practices for the most part are poor. On the re-models of older homes I've found much less rot with the exception of window sills and siding that is too close to the ground. With felt paper under the siding I never see sheathing rot--not once. The biggest issue I've found with older homes is some sketchy framing practices but those houses can and do breathe. Home construction now is all about fast assembly and avoiding craftsmanship at the expense of longevity and avoiding problems. Whose fault is it? The homeowners, who want instant gratification and the appearance of grandeur. And construction companies are more than happy to provide a lovely looking building built on the cheap. Cynical? You're damn right and with good reason.

[@nholt]

Good 'ol tar/felt paper has stood the test of time and still great in my opinion.

[@jeepsuc99]

Well said

[@wjgoh653]

your so right. You wont see this extent of dry rot on a plywood sheathed home. You also wont find the kind of vapor locking that takes place with felt like you do with tyvek. I like the new wrap codes on the windows, but again, when your only required to give a 1 year warranty on craftsmanship and labor, everyone points back to the product manufacturer. Makes it easy to walk completely away from real quality building and go for volume/time over skills/expertise.

[@syfyrytr1652]

I still use felt paper. Good for a roof, good for a wall.

[@k.richardson5633]

I think it is worth mentioning that Matt is sponsored by both the companies that make the products he is recommending. They very well may be better products but I wish Matt had put in that disclaimer.

[@jrchicago9216]

K. Richardson The end of the video has his sponsors. TRUTH is the only thing that actually matters. I trust Matt, specifically because he admits when he did things wrong with projects he actually built and his quest to find better ways. That humility of admitting error is gold. If he is sponsored by superior products, I see no real reason to be concerned if his motivation of showing inferior products is based on truth. I am constantly forwarding his videos to my subs so they understand the wrong and right ways and the severe importance of what they do.

[@raspberrynomnom]

@@jrchicago9216 I agree with you, Matt is one of few people I'd trust not push things because of sponsorships unless they're actually good products. But that said, he still really should have mentioned it.

[@relaxivegotthis]

Sure. But mold after 6 months tells me both the original builder and that BMC house wrap are absolute trash.

[@KeeganDoomFire11]

I would have liked to have seen the more expensive 'dupont' product and the alumaflash tested side by side with the sprayer. If your putting holes in any of the products they will have a failure point so its not exactly a fair demo.

[@tonyjohn6269]

He's right tho - my house the builder used 15lb tar paper on my OSB and I just had the windows replaced and there is alot of rot and water damage. Zip makes sense.

[@silasbland4515]

14:25 "We should not allow our clients to dictate what to use on the outside of the house". As a client that watches the Build Show, I feel that Matt's advice has helped educate me and make a better choice for my sheathing. My builder will now be installing Zip-R on my home instead of standard OSB. He is excited to use a new product and I am excited to know I will have a higher quality home.

[@abruptpegasus]

I think there's kind of... balance to be had... it should be a-ok for a client to say "no, this product does not meet my standards... I want something better" I mean, if I'm dumping the better part of my life savings into a house, I want to be 100% sure the exterior is done right and waterproof, and that the utilities and stuff inside the walls is both the right materials, and the right installation methods.

[@polarunion]

That’s the right attitude. I commend you.

[@cindyjohnson5242]

Make sure he reads the instructions and watches the videos. My builder messed it up badly. As a women, my husband and the builder are arguing with me about how it's done. I feel it was up to the builder to read and understand the installation process and instructions.

[@JTamilio]

Matt, really fantastic series! Always practical... You may want to mention in your next one like this that these wraps are allowing some leaking at Day 1, so after a few years of thermal expansion and contraction, the holes and penetrations at nails/staples/caps will completely open up. We see a lot of damage to homes from these types of issues and improper or inadequate flashing! We love your stuff - keep up the great work!

[@BiggMo]

Matt, all stone facades need a rainscreen, but to act as a thermal break. Stone being a reservoir cladding, it has a significant cold mass that draws warm moist energy from the interior into that wall cavity. (Reminder to your viewers: heat as an energy moves from hot to cold. Stone acts as a giant heat sync)

[@kendog52361]

I can't remember exactly where I read it, but the best description I've read about this is something like that you have "hard costs" and flex costs. The "hard costs" are what you've described here, such as the waterproofing or subfloor as a couple examples, but it's the structure type of things. The "flex costs" are like you described, the appliances, flooring, stuff like that. The statement was it's better to cut costs from the "flex costs", since if nothing else, you can go back later and upgrade them pretty easily. When it comes to the "hard costs", it's difficult at best, and may even be almost impossible to get to them to alter, at least without tearing apart the house to some degree.

[@AjaxNixon]

That's it. We call it the essentials and the non-essentials. Some people have a really hard time seperating things into those two basic categories.

[@robertjackson4121]

The inspection finds all defects and uses rehab cost estimate for repair. This cost is paid by the seller but risk is on the buyer to find a quality builder who can do the work at that price. He may finder additional damage only found at demo. The municipal inspector must approve material and workmanship.

[@pcno2832]

That makes perfect sense, except to the buyer who sees lovely quartz countertops, Viking ranges, teak flooring or dental crown moldings and thinks "quality!"

[@jpe1]

PC No and we can blame Realtors for that! It’s their marketing strategy that emphasizes bling, square footage, and the latest trends over everything else that convinces homebuyers that they need 6,000’^2 and granite countertops to be happy, but don’t worry that the house will rot and fall down in 10 years you will move before then. If realtors game even half a damn about buyer they would be able to provide buyers with useful information about what actually makes one house higher quality vs another, but since the realtor only wants the quick commission the just shepherd the sheepole into whatever they can sell the quickest.

[@augustreil]

@@jpe1, You could tell a buyer till you're blue in the face about how well the house was built and would last 500yrs and super energy efficient. All the buyer cares about, is what you said, "The Bling" ! lol

[@Krunch2020]

80% of construction defects are OSB in roof, wall and floor. Then the I-joists rot and the whole house turns to termite food. Tyvek is the main cause of exterior leaks.

[@steven_farmer89]

I'm about to start the process of getting my house built, and your videos especially of insulation and keeping the house dry has been an excellent sourse of information. I live in the PNW and I'm going for the 500 year home, I may adjust a bit but the concept will be the same. Thanks again

[@robertjackson4121]

In one the house must be dried at framing stage back to moisture content. A lot of fuel and time best to frame in a week and tarp building. Do section at a time and start pumping hear each section

[@TrailTrackers]

@@robertjackson4121 : What the hell are you even trying to say here? Please go take an English grammar class or better yet, get your GED before making any more comments on KZbin or anywhere else.

[@augustreil]

@@TrailTrackers, Exactly, I think he's drunk !

[@cryptickcryptick2241]

I think you should also call out the designer and architect of the house for "bad design" by not having enough overhang in the corner. There is a reason homes are designed with overhang. All roofs should have overhang on all sides. This is good house design. If there was proper overhang there would not have been a problem. To effectively solve problems we need to attack them with a multi-part plan. Having a good umbrella on a house is the first part of that defense. By having no overhang, there was no first line of defense. Now the second line of defense, -the house wrap- should have held up. Roofs are very important, and every roof is going to leak at some point, but there is a direct correlation between the number of pipes, skylights, chimneys, and architectural details and the number of leaks that happen. Basically, every single thing going through the roof is going to leak, at some point during the life of the home, and so the more you can eliminate, the more problems one can avoid. Years ago, there was a push to simplify and eliminate these roof penetrations and now home owners everywhere are benefiting from them. Now I understand, we do not want to live in ugly box like shaped houses, and most roof leaks can be fixed with a tube of roofing sealant in a few minutes. However, we also do not want drama of having to go up on the roof and constantly fix leaks. Finding the leak can be hard. The current style of big houses with fancy roofs, are going to be causing lots of problems in 20 years when they all start to leak. Every single windows is also going to eventually leak, one of the easiest and cheapest solutions to fix this is by putting a roof over the windows (aka a porch).

[@paulmaxwell8851]

I agree. My house has a 3 1/2 ft overhang, and even my smaller outbuildings all have 3 ft overhangs. It's a no-brainer, but apparently some people want the look of a house with almost no overhang at all. Stupid.

[@syfyrytr1652]

You made my comment .. AYUP, call them out.... Architects should be made to work construction crews as car designers should be forced to work on the vehicles they design before production. Life would be Soooo much easier than putting up with all the pie in the sky wicky wacky ideas of the growed up children w college degrees and not a lick of sense in their heads.

[@bmo5082]

Good point. Materials will fail even if installed properly. Best to design a home that mitigates damage from potential material failures.

[@ormandhunter3546]

I am a veteran Design/Build professional. I majored in architecture in college. Unlike most Architects, I chose to integrate the whole process in my business. As a result, my company performed everything from project conceptualization to locking the door on a structure and even horizontal developments. Few, if any Architects have that level of understanding. If you understood what the education was to become an Architect, you would understand why they don't have a clue in many areas. I did a project locally, a few years back that was designed by a local firm. The structure was very well designed from an historical asthetic, but with virtually no details supplied. After several phone conversations with the architectural designer, he finally admitted this to me... "Look, Architects draw lines on paper, we don't have the knowledge base to figure out how to do what we have designed. That's up to the Builder to figure out how to make it look like the picture." So, you are right, but I don't think that problem will disappear anytime soon, it's systemic from the educational system all the way thru to Builders who haven't kept up with Building Science changes.

[@bmaclaps]

If it wasn't for this channel and the extensive videos on house wrap and waterproofing the openings I would have opted for that garbage tarp style wrap. I'm a week out on sheathing the walls and I will be using prosoco r guard fast flash for my window and door openings along with a premium house wrap. My only complaint about this channel is that I still can't buy one of those BUILD hats.

[@buildshow]

Yeah... working on the hats

[@douglasjolliff2406]

The only times I use the cheap house wrap is to hold up insulation in a crawlspace, keeps the insulation up (paper side up) and keeps down air invitation compared to the wire stays to hold up he insulation.

[@nholt]

Do you use felt paper?

[@douglasjolliff2406]

@@nholt no, I use the cheap woven house wrap. Gives the insulation continuous support (since the craft face needs to be up in my climate). If you use felt it will act as a vapor barrier, instead of a barrier that breathes, and the double vapor barrier will cause vapor condensasion and it will mold.

[@bones549]

wow cool stuff. I work for a fortune 100 company and they moved me twice and would pay closing costs and buy my house if I could not sell it. One rule, if It had stucco they would not touch it with a 10 foot pole.

[@Cody_Ramer]

I honestly wonder how long modern houses are going to last.

[@videosbahja]

It won't last, you'll see the damages after the first winter.

[@JJ-xw8sv]

Residential homes have been constructed for millenia, we've been HVACing them for less than a century. This is uncharted territory, and design requirements and recommendations change every few years as damage is uncovered. Easiest way to make a home that lasts is to build it like the 1800's, and forego HVAC, insulation and air barrier altogether. With fast-grow lumber, though, that may not be possible anymore.

[@kalijasin]

Modern house not an investment, can pass down to family, etc.

[@NuclearSavety]

@@JJ-xw8sv well, IMHO HVAC is not the issue, but that we build houses out of gloryfied cardboard to save 4.65$ ...

[@carlosquiroz7819]

Concrete is the way to go. I have seen many builders in the DFW area using cardboard material instead of OSB sheathing... in tornado alley this is reckless.

[@omaspen]

I was a home improvement carpenter for 15 years. I did major renovation work on many a building. I noticed over the years that houses that had adequate overhangs all the way around the building rarely if ever had water damage issues. Architects design modern style homes with limited to no overhangs and then try all kinds of water sealing products to prevent the resulting water damage. These products in my opinion never work as well as an overhang would. They do have their place such as behind stone facades. however, you eliminate overhangs and you're looking for trouble. It all comes down to this. Do you want a house that's durable or not?

[@patrickcowan8701]

That was the main problem with the leaky condo fiasco in Vancouver BC,no overhang and stucco.

[@tomim7187]

My shop is in Charlotte NC and built it using as close to a Lstribrek 500 year house as possible; it is a shop after all. It sheds water like a champ, it requires very little energy to heat and cool it. The only thing missing right now is humidity control and fresh air. ERV w/ dehumidifier is next year. It's a shop folks. Great vid guys!

[@hammersaw3135]

I agree house wrap is super important. I think its safe to say that good old asphalt impregnated felt, 2 layers would've done a better job at keeping that house dry from rain. But it doesn't even matter what they use, it looks like they didn't flash that corner properly, even the best materials installed incorrectly can cause major damage. You sound like you had a cold Matt, feel better soon.

[@hammertime7349]

Ice and water around the skirt board and felt paper the rest. Never had a problem. I think all these new products are junk.

[@hammersaw3135]

@@hammertime7349 Exactly when its time to remodel the siding the paper under is usually good still enough to use around here, and I work in a cold and wet climate.

[@DriverDude100]

Good video. Yet another reminder that home construction today is a science. "Builders" who build poorly need to be called out.

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

The problem is house wraps were touted as best practice for decades. It's only decades later we see the problems. First problem is using OSB - far as I'm concerned, it's the main problem with that huge monstrosity Matt's fixing. Second problem is the roof/overhang. Current building code wants houses way too tight - it's great when things all work properly, but they never do. A few decades from now, when a generation or two of kids grow up and they find the tight houses were off-gassing from carpets/glues/foam insulation etc, we'll see the health problems in spades and all the builders will shrug their sholders because, you know, "science".

[@vik6980]

@@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb HRVs and ERVs take care of the toxins. Leaky house, no thanks...not in my humid area.

[@cghoward70]

I am just a self DIY’er but have used Tyvek once. The instructions clearly stated to use Tyvek tape over all fasteners. If BMC states similar that “squirt” test isn’t representative.

[@micahwatson9017]

So what about all the siding nails that penetrate the Tyvek after its all cap stapled, seams taped, and fasteners taped properly....😣

[@cghoward70]

If you watched the video the problem was this house sitting for months with house wrap and no siding. Once on, siding is caulked and painted and possible moisture exposure is way less likely. But to your point, yes, that’s why newer products he discussed are better.

[@doubledarefan]

I'm surprised you did not say "Vertical Mulch"!

[@coolramone]

Good thing the osb was not particle board.

[@pcno2832]

I agree with the general point you are making, but I wonder if it's reasonable to call the original housewrap "inferior" if all of the damage can be traced to installation errors. Would this stuff still be inferior if everything had been flashed correctly and the more violent fastenings had been sealed? Maybe it's not the thing for extremely wet climates, and one only has to look at a shoddy building site to see non-adhered housewraps blowing in the wind, tearing on the few staples that are holding them on. And if you can't trust your builder to get all that stuff right, it's possible that a more foolproof system would offer some insurance, but there are so many ways to screw up housewrap and flashing that a bad builder is sure to find some of them, even with the perfect "system" at his disposal.

[@bac4998]

PC No exactly.

[@tomim7187]

Well, yes, the install was wrong but, to get that wrap to work properly would be cost prohibitive; taping, caulking, etc. You might as well just used a better product.

[@MW-gh1mo]

Add in poor design by the architect.

[@Real_Tim_S]

Matt, if you want to cry and then get really angry - you could take a look at how a large builder is constructing some apartment units near the Tesla Factory in Fremont, CA. They never dried it in around November '18 before the heavy rains started. Now that spring is here, no problem just put on fragments of vapor barrier on the still soggy OSB then stucco directly over it!!! SMH... Even from the street, I can see that detail work is not the strong point of the exterior people, and one can see the twisting and warping of the walls.

[@augustreil]

That's not good !

[@kellye.horton8287]

I work in and around new home developers ("custom" track homes) and they push through winter, allowing the framing to sit wet, and then slap the home together in between storms, sealing in all the water int he wood and OSB. They are supposed to test the framing and OSB for water content to make sure the wood is "dry enough," but when using a moisture meter, it is easy to cheat and find a dry spot to justify moving forward with building. Its crazy what developers do to continue pushing forward to build a home. I once saw a home with an open exterior and insulation was exposed during a torrential down pour - all the insulation was soaked, as in water draining out the bottom of it soaked, and then later that afternoon they put more OSB back over the wet insulation. Crazy.

[@GregsStoneYard]

How about telling the client to build a smaller house to save the money? My personal feeling is that if your budget can't afford real plywood for the sheathing then it's too big. OSB mansions are throw away dwellings. I can't see someone in 200 years putting any money into those buildings to save them. Wrapping it in asphalt goop may get you to 20 years without problems but a 100? I realize it's a wood house but wrapping the whole thing in asphalt or synthetic rubber seems like a really bad idea form a fire prevention aspect. Sorry don't mean to be all negative. I appreciate the demo of the house wrap. I didn't realize the basic stuff performed so bad.

[@drewnolan96]

You’re not wrong.

[@ev1558]

I'm in pest control, people don't seem to understand how moisture also attracts insects

[@coolramone]

Yes, bugs like food and water. I left a gallon plastic ice cream container at a house I'm remodeling. Next day found several large roaches in it. :-/ So much for houses that can "breathe."

[@matthiaswandel]

So what you put on the outside, especially with the metal coating, is very effective vapour barrier.You also put a vapor barrier on the inside of the wall, which will be 6 mill polyethelene, which has very low vapor prenetration. But the outside wall has no vapour penetration. So during winter months, moisture will VERY slowly build up in the wall, and it doesn't have a good way to get out.

[@MrKeikari]

Welcome mold!

[@coterthereal]

Absolutly right

[@eh_bailey]

In the south (cooling dominated) we don't use interior vapor barriers.

[@steelyspielbergo]

only Canadians (afaik) put poly inside in the wall

[@Hello-zf5lq]

I don’t think Matt has a good grasp of the engineering and physics and is just kind of pretending to be associated with cool “building science” stuff, and we don’t know how his buildings will hold up over time

[@graemeroberts2935]

Excellent! I am not a builder, but we will build and I will be so much better informed this time.

[@phillipjohnson7583]

Key point in the video...@13:30 "shooting ourselves in the foot by value engineering out the important things in the house."

[@danielmorris879]

I'm currently working on a project that the HVAC was oversized for the house. There's mold everywhere. When we took the subfloor up I split a piece of it and found mold in between. It a total nightmare dealing with an insurance company. It's a hurry up and wait, (protacol) they call it. Meanwhile the family is displaced and we haven't worked a day on it in almost a month, simply because of "protacol". So frustrating.

[@ryanspence7239]

How does an oversized unit cause mold throughout the house?

[@robertjackson4121]

Owner hire your own consulting adjuster. If they fail to negotiate in good faith triple damages in auto regulations. Find the best pit bull attorney and have him give you a list of qualified adjusters your ins company will put most qualified adjuster on your account. Have your adjuster on site for inspection. A friend is a company adjuster he got best restraint in town his wife was always glad to take call. He always got lucky lol

[@jonathanpoppleton1010]

Doesn't sound like HVAC , more like vapour being unable to escape , good luck

[@christopherjameswall5182]

Can you tell us more about Delta, is that a tarpaper product? What do you think about tar paper?

[@guytech7310]

Not a Tar paper product, it's a synthetic underlayment & pretty expensive. Issue with Tar paper is that it breaks down very quickly if exposed to direct sun light for more than about 30 days. Best option in my option is to use ZIP since it save time having to put up a vapor barrier, You just need to roll the seams with the Zip tape. Funny that home was probably a 2M to 3M, yet the home owner options to go the cheapest option. Now they are paying the prices of choosing the lost bid contractor and lowest material costs. Case of penny wise, pound foolish.

[@michaelrichter4941]

It's a brand

[@augustreil]

@@guytech7310, I agree that tar paper breaks down with exposure, but most don't leave it exposed, or at least they shouldn't. The Zip System with liquid applied sealer seems to be the best, but how are the nail penetrations sealed when the siding is installed ?

[@guytech7310]

August:" I agree that tar paper breaks down with exposure, but most don't leave it exposed, or at least they shouldn't." Actually its very difficult to get tar paper covered in time. Consider rarely does the contractor that does the siding or roofing work show up the day after the paper is put up: weather, scheduling delays, material delays or wrong or incomplete materials. 30 days isn't a lot of time in a construction project. Also consider its a good idea to install battens for a rain screen between the sheathing and the siding. Depending on the project this can take about a week or more. Again: Fluid applied requires extensive training to apply correctly & its difficult to find certified contractors. Tape is the safe option.

[@augustreil]

@@guytech7310, True and I agree !

[@raspberrynomnom]

The Alumi-Flash is only for southern building because it's vapor impermeable. But if you were doing a Perfect Wall construction in the north where the Vapor Barrier goes outside the sheathing and the sheathing vents to the inside, then would this product be appropriate for northern climate zones?

[@jfavreau3832]

Ok Matt, renovating a home in northern Ontario, code requires a Vapour Barrier on inside, starting from outside to in: I was thinking the breathable exterior house wrap over the exterior sheeting, than batt insulation with a thin layer of styrofoam on the inside than the vapour barrier and drywall. Your thoughts on this. So I am getting the extra insulation and stopping the studs from migrating the cold by using the styrofoam on the inside but still allowing the wall to equalize the moisture that does accumulate.

[@allenl9214]

Thank you.. great video for anyone working in this industry especiall those working on their desks who never get out on sites to work. Would you be able to create a series showing all steps from laying foundation and everything to fininish a house?

[@alanduke4902]

If you're interested in seeing the whole process, go look at the Essential Craftsman channel. They've been putting out super high detail videos on the whole homebuildling process. Super great content.

[@AjaxNixon]

@@alanduke4902 Was going to say the exact same thing! Great channel! I dont see these two channels as competitors but as complimentary

[@alanduke4902]

Basekitball For real. I work in the industry and Matt Risinger and Scott from essential craftsman are real class acts. It’s really motivating to see people doing things the right way these days, especially with how seemingly disposable construction has become

[@AjaxNixon]

@@alanduke4902 Sometimes I like to imagine that for construction workers, after we die we spend eternity in a house that is the average of our work.

[@johnspence2466]

Didn't see you spray the products you were advertising for to make sure they didn't leak

[@magnus5356]

You should call the company and brand out Matt! Will save a ton of people time and money avoiding a subpar product!

[@fishbonenetworks]

My neighbor found the drywall crew openly relieving themselves on the OSB subfloor during construction. So there’s that.

[@buildshow]

ohhhhh... yikes!

[@weldon9254]

They get the electric chair where I live if you get caught doing that.

[@fishbonenetworks]

But it all worked out. The builder’s fix was to no longer allow owners on the property during construction. Problem solved!

[@pianomoverr]

Secondhand stories should always be taken with a grain of salt.

[@shanek6582]

fishbonenetworks, not being racist but I bet $100 they were Mexican. I was a carpenter for ten years in the 90s in WV and never seen anything like that, I helped a guy drill several hundred holes in marble stairways in some new condo construction in Jacksonville a couple years ago, we were literally the only white workers on the huge job. The entire place smelled like piss and there were Gatorade bottles full of piss in the walls and ceiling everywhere. They even pissed in McDonald’s cups and left them all over. Idk if it’s a cultural thing, if they just had contempt for the people buying the condos, or if they were too lazy to walk down to the portajohns but it was disgusting and I’ll never work around them again.

[@weaksrt4]

The added air sealing to this home will keep it more energy efficient too. That wrap is more like a Wet suit clinging to the house than a rain coat. The conditioned air will be great year round. Only thing that house needs would a dehumidifier I would think.

[@wjgoh653]

As a former Developer/contractor, You prove my ever consistent rant against the use of OSB on the exterior of ANY home that see's a regular moisture gradient above 60%. You point out that the corner that got an infiltration behind the exterior cover looked like a 20 year old house and not a 6 month old house. 20 years is piss poor for longevity and shows the stark differences between quality builders and guys out to make a buck and ride the 1 year defect period. You said it all my friend, and I guarantee your prophesy will still come true in 20 years with all your new WRAPS. take time to ask yourself why a home built prior to 1976 fares better than one we throw together today.

[@6stringsandapick]

Around here they just put the junky house-wrap over the studs, and install the siding. When I meet with clients for insulation, I always push at minimum a High quality wrap applied with cap staples before I will even consider working on their home.

[@camerontabrizi5349]

Great Video, lots a great information. My question is my new home is just now two years old in the Katy TX area with a typical Tyvek house wrap. What can I do to get my home up to this type of standard? Identify areas so little to no overhang, where I can add gutters. But then after that is it a mold test or what to get the water proofing and breath ability to much tighter tolerance? Or are we talking about ripping our sheet rock in those areas and updating from within? Really wish I found your channel during my build process.

[@misterlyle.]

Moisture issues that result from rain typically can only be corrected working on the outside. If your builder and your local inspectors are capable, you will probably not have any problems for many years, if ever. Many expensive repairs are the result of the owner ignoring an obvious problem for a long time. So inspect your house (or have it inspected) every year and investigate anything that starts developing. If something does start to go wrong, then have it repaired to the higher standard you prefer. But remember, not every house will develop any serious problems.

[@joshua840]

So you mention the two wrap in regards to zone/climate which is great but where do things like Zip fit in? I am in a cold dry zone 5 (northern AZ) and planning on using zip.

[@himher9073]

Once upon a time in a wet, cold environment I lived in a $30 nylon child’s play tent. It taught me every thing I needed to know about managing water. First she’d as much as possible. Second, lead water away from critical failure zones. Third ensure the dwelling breathes actively. Fourth keep your insulation dry. Given that that tent was cheap it didn’t even have zipped door flap so orientating it correctly in regards to prevailing weather was also critical. Many years later, I replaced it with a proper Goretex Mountaineering tent, that although technically more waterproof, and vapour permeable was actually harder to keep dry. Why? Because in those early Goretex tents welded seams hadn’t been invented and every seam became a capillary leak- so I re-stitched those seams -by hand in a highway lay-by- with a heavy pure cotton thread and staked the thread ends away from the tent to suck the water away. These days I own an old plywood, solid exterior walled home built in the 1970s. I solved a slight leak under the ageing single glazed aluminium joinery, facing the prevailing hard driven rain by crafting exterior PVC curtains. No more leak, and the house is 3°C warmer in winter. The curtains are only loosely fitted and thus breathe fully. As an added bonus, the exterior paint is no longer suffering dust corrosion beneath the curtains. And LoL I still live in a tent.

[@himher9073]

And I agree with many others here. A good sized overhang, covering all the corners as well are a big advantage. And preventing ground splash also helps keep the water out.

[@dahveed284]

HouseCrap! lol I wonder if this video will be used in the litigation against the first builder?

[@giftfromgodpostcardministr6547]

What if you paint the OSB and the window seals first

[@travischristensen746]

That looks like Solar Board OSB, I am currently in the process of de-stoning/bricking my home because of continual water leaks through the facade and it's eating away/rotting out the the Solar Board and causing black mold behind the walls/sheetrock; its being replaced with the zip system with tyvek over the top the zip

[@thebhut3446]

Hi there, I dont claim to know much about anything, and am learning SO much from you, but my question is why not use an oil based coat of paint on the OSB, or boiled linseed oil application on the OSB sheathing and then put your normal wrap on top? Im thinking just for extra protection, not as a substitution for best practices

[@robertjackson4121]

So 100" rain per year wind speed 60mph and 85% humidity. Salt air destroys HVAC metal units 1/4 mile from ocean.

[@4philipp]

I’ll be getting a cheap cabin build next year. But some things I will ask for is a generous (2’-3’) overhang, no OSB, great housewrap like the Delta and the sealant for foundation to bottom course of build.

[@4philipp]

Juan Hernandez that’s quite possible. Always have to be willing to do some work yourself

[@winniethepooh1931]

What’s good at keeping moisture out also good at keeping moisture in.

[@emiliogomez3523]

Hey Matt, I recently bought a home in Central FL. It's a 1984 wood frame, covered with red brick. I recently discovered at the top of the wall, the approximately 1.5" gap between the water barrier and the back side of the bricks is not sealed. Should I go ahead and seal that opening, or is there a specific reason it was left open?? Thanks

[@TheGregWallace]

there is supposed to be an air gap.....

[@carmichaelcourt3440]

Hey Matt/Jordon - assuming that most of the house is siding and not brick, would the siding pose any issues to the wrap due to the holes required to mount it?

[@justinmathias2495]

I love the 48 inch overhang on my house, I don't even need siding to stay dry😅

[@samvance6571]

Sure would be nice to know the brand names of the inferior products shown.

[@2drsdan]

If you built a house out of chalk and sponge glued together with Elmer's white glue but then put on a roof with 3-foot eaves, it would stand. There is NO substitute for overhang.

[@augustreil]

Agree, love large overhangs !

[@toddr3644]

Any thoughts on retrofitting with rockwool exterior insulation? I figure that I am losing 4 inches of overhang by using it when adding furring, as well.

[@augustreil]

@@toddr3644, If I'm hearing you right, you want to insulate the exterior walls of your home ? If so, you would need to extend the roof rafters, shingles, etc. or deal with the smaller overhang. You also could use 1'' Polyisocyanurate foam board instead of rockwool which has an R-Value of around 6.5 per inch and only lose an inch.

[@toddr3644]

@@augustreil Current overhang is 24-26 inches. I live in zone 6. Problem with only 1 inch of polyiso is that it's impermeable and would result in water condensing on a cool surface, namely in my wall.. Need an R-value of 11.25.

[@augustreil]

@@toddr3644, That's a nice overhang and understand not wanting to lose any of it. How would you get water condensing in your wall from adding the Polyiso to the outside ? Is it because it doesn't breathe ? Also, if you want R-11.25, Couldn't you stagger 2 layers of 1'' ? That would give you at least R 13 and no air infiltration at all.

[@bradmaggard1996]

Another stellar vid. Good job brothers

[@wait4it214]

Probably a dumb question, but how do you manage the perforations from installing the siding?

[@richardspengel5360]

Definitely not a dumb question. In fact, it is such a hard question that no one wants to attempt to answer it.

[@jeepsuc99]

No need to manage. The nail fills the hole, and some products are self sealing

[@rondrury2264]

One source says moisture must migrate from inside to outside and visa versa. Another says their way is the best, air gaps, solid foam inside and/or outside. One video says don't install plastic sheeting over studs on the inside, another says it keeps the interior of the wall dry, etc NOW I see you have completely wrapped a house in impermeable aluminum - what happened to the house needs to "breath"? Please give a straight answer - what kind of material, in or out, in each temperature zone?

[@augustreil]

It sure does get confoosing doesn't it ?

[@Charlieshomeimprovement]

Funny how 60 year old tar paper and wood planks don't have the rot issues that a fancy new house has.

[@pl2604]

It’s not osb

[@amd360virtualtour5]

Also, the old house breathed and had lots of air leaks and it wasn't osb that delaminates. New construction used tyvek which seals moisture in which leads to mold if it doesn't dry

[@johnzach2057]

Stop using engineered wood and most problems will get solved

[@Darrida]

When I was studying to be an architect the professor always told us to "try to use as little organic materials as possible." It's better to use brick if the budget allows.

[@nholt]

What about gold 'ol tar/felt paper?

[@Lee-dn3ou]

If done right good way to go I'm one to go with Tied and true over something new on the market

[@vincentjean6756]

I would like a real test to see if the perms rating are truely the ones that manifacturer claim.

[@thedude7319]

I like the explanation but more I like the fact regarding the budget ''we can safe on the houseWrap but this is actually a worse choice so look at the tiles'' is something that should be done more

[@lastloginavailable]

Hi Mat, how you sure the delta vent s is still permeable if you put the primer behind?

[@davidparker2173]

I think the lesson is: Never get cheap about any system that is designed to protect, and maintain the integrity of a house, ever.

[@boneyfreak9197]

It doesn't take long for excessive moisture to create a serious problem. Especially in a raised subarea with leaky ductwork in it. Come winter time and I've seen that cost the builder $6.3k a year in repairs for a 5 yr old build.

[@kdrpsi]

Hey I'd like to say I would have liked your exterior weatherproofing but my home builder wasn't willing to use them. What should I do?!?!?!?!? I'm trying to rebuild a house in Lake Charles after hurricane Laura through a local home builder. They don't seem to believe what your say.

[@halfglassfull]

We had a 4800 sq ft house built 13 years ago DFW area. I paid extra for Tyvek housewrap. A fair amount of OSB was used in the corners for structural stiffening. Not primed but covered with Tyvek and those staple fasteners. This winter I have been smelling a sweet sickly smell and trying to figure out what it is. Could be sewer gas from a settled pipe or could be mold. From your experience with water problems causing mold, do you know if mold smell has a sweet (but sickly sweet) smell?

[@joansparky4439]

take some osb of that type (or several types) put them int the same conditions you expect under there (moist, dark, humid, etc.) and wait for it to develop smell?

[@rolandmitchell718]

Just get your house tested for mold.

[@michaelrichter4941]

I know that smell well my friend. You have quite a bit of damage. Really good thermal imager and moisture meter should reveal all of the areas.

[@halfglassfull]

@@misterHockey1000 we had an oriental cockroach infestation (large species) they create a smell too. Bought Syngenta roach gel bait on Amazon and this year no smell and have not seen any roaches.

[@warrentrout]

In the Pacific Northwest, rotted siding is the norm. It would be a rare home that isn't half rotted.

[@letmeamazonthat9693]

I 100%agree. The Pacific Northwest is a tuff environment on almost everything.

[@goodun6081]

The weather and climate in Southern New England is basically morphing into something resembling the Pacific Northwest, we are lucky to get a day and a half of Sun every week. This is certainly creating moisture and rot problems for homeowners in this region. My own house was built in 1989 (I bought it in '98), and although I eventually found out that the original builders did not do the greatest job, and cut corners everywhere, thankfully they used plywood sheathing instead of OSB, otherwise I would have had major rot and mold and perhaps even structural issues by now. The biggest issue was that the ledger board(s) for our large wrap-around deck were nailed right through the shiplap cedar siding into the rim joist of the house, with no flashing and no air space between the deck and the house. We have shed roofs without gutters that dump a fair bit of water onto the deck, which splashes back against the cedar, making it rotted, spongy, and green with algae where the deck meets the cedar. I bolted heavy steel brackets to the concrete foundation to support the ledger board, and chopped and chiseled all the cedar out in between the ledger and the house sill, and flashed everything , so now there's an air space for drainage and for keeping everything nice and dry. If the house had been sheathed in OSB I would have had major problems by now I'm sure. Anybody who lives in New England should categorically refuse to use OSB on their homes. The builders also did not backprime any of the shiplap cedar, and they installed it right over Tyvek, which was badly deteriorated because of the oils and tannins in the Cedar. The kitchen and one side of the garage face South, and all of the cedar on that side of the house warped and cupped badly from sun exposure, presumably because it wasn't back primed and didn't have sufficient air space between the cedar and the sheathing to breathe and dry out. The garage section on that side of the house wasn't even Tyvek'd at all, and unsurprisingly that's where the cedar looked the worst. I used Tyvek plus a Cedar Breather type underlayment when I had all of the south-facing cedar replaced three years ago, and I stained both sides of all the planks myself before it was installed. It still looks good.

[@AlexanderRamsey]

Asphalt based wraps can cause issue with trapping humidity in the house and so your HVAC system may need a whole house dehumidifier.

[@johnridout8766]

Matt, you advocate two building practices which appear contradictory, at least to me. Firstly, you like big overhangs to keep rain off the siding. Secondly, you like continuous top quality waterproof, airtight vapour permeable house wrap from the roof to the wall so as to avoid having to try and waterproof penetrations and rafter joints etc. Can you sometime show us an example of combining the two. Continuous top quality waterproof, airtight vapour permeable house wrap with the supporting structure for overhangs.

[@titanwoodworksable]

What would be your house wrap of choice for climate zone 6?

[@scrimithou]

He would recommend whatever company was sponsoring him, just like in this advertisement.

[@brianfox3542]

Where I come from we dry the entire house in after framing ,install mechanicals and then do inside construction.

[@mikejf4377]

What are you using for a primer for the aluminum sealer? Great video.

[@giovannifiorentino8947]

Any review on clay tile roofing that I can look into?

[@kev1nme1er]

I don't understand the difference between BMC and that rubberized product. You showed BMC leaking through at the staple, but wouldn't the same thing happen at each nail perforation when you install siding over that rubber product?

[@augustreil]

I think it's self sealing, so it should not leak. Emphasize on the "Should Not"

[@curtisbme]

It's not 'rubberized', it is like tar and should maintain a seal around a nail. Looks similar to products use for dampening car doors (and other metal surfaces).

[@jennywalker6897]

I am building a house where I am putting stone over zip sheathing. Should I do this alumashield on top of the zip or do you think the zip with the liquid zip on any penetrations is enough? I am doing the stone without the mortar look so I want to be sure the waterproofing is above and beyond.

[@elbuggo]

Most important is to have a gap between zip and siding.

[@biggutter3335]

Is there reason why most of the houses in your videos are without gutters? Is it something to do with the air quality? Having gutters to catch rain falling off the roof seems like a good idea if your trying to protect the house from water penetration, especially with little to no overhang. As a gutter contractor in the Chicago market, what am I missing?

[@steveg5576]

I stuck with plywood as long as I could. In the end it became a budget deal breaker vs OSB ? You're right. should not be sold in the US.

[@calebfuller4713]

Ironically, OSB is actually more expensive than plywood in Japan. But to be honest, I'm not sure they use much sheathing at all - I think my home was just wrap directly over insulation, then battons and siding... Hmmm...

[@HondoTrailside]

There is a project up the street just like this. Except I think they just left a lot of sheeting around, and it was gross when they put it up. Which is crazy because the project is like 10 feet off the street, and multiple home in the development just look like hell.

[@dakdur1126]

I need to air seal an existing construction home from the interior, when I pulled the paneling down inside its bat, and then straight OSB then the exterior siding. Would it be best to create an air cavity all the way up to the existing gable vents near the roof by creating a continuous cavity with rigid foam, seal around that between the studs and then put the batting back in, as it’s in good shape Spray foam is out of my price range and so would new siding This building had a drop ceiling and batting resting on that for an attempted air seal from living space to attic, any fenestrations are foamed and come out the exterior siding under the 1ft overhang all around for protection from rain and the like. I’m really racking my brain trying to improve this building

[@weldon9254]

Damn, BMC gettin’ trashed on The Build Show. Lol

[@orrd]

@VeryCleaverName Tyvek isn't bad. There are now some better options but he wasn't trying to say that Tyvek isn't pretty decent.

[@OOpSjm]

@VeryCleaverName Tyvek doesn't suck. Pretty good product, but all the stapling kind kills it.

[@Mattstafford2009]

"I'm not really calling out the name and manufacturer of this..." [Shows big BMC logo in next shot] Best contractor troll lol lol

[@barnacmongars]

in canada we use Tyvek

[@augustreil]

Has anyone experimented/invented a spray-able type of liquid flashing to coat the exterior sheathing ? That way, one would not need the Zip boards, the envelope would be completely coated and would self seal any future nails or screws that violated the outside envelope ? Just a thought.

[@JordanSmithBuilds]

Yes! This is used a lot in the commercial space. Go look up Polywall Bluebarrier for example. Spray-able and rollable.

[@augustreil]

@@JordanSmithBuilds, Thanks.

[@whymindsetmatters]

What type wrap would you recommend for zone 5 in Nevada or Arizona?

[@alexxxg310]

Hey Matt, Really enjoy and appreciate your videos and the amount of knowledge and information you impart regarding the science of building. Thank you for that. Question- -I always hear you say that you use a primer before applying a peel & stick type house wrap. What exactly is the type of primer you use/recommend ??

[@mrgylex123]

This is misleading. These materials are WRBs:Weather Resistant Barriers. key word in that is Resistant. They are not meant to be for "water proofing". That is a completely different level of building that is still up to debate. That being said, I agree I would not use these house wraps as I have seen many failures due to Staples and penetrations. I'm also experiencing issues with Zip Wall sheathing with over driven nails that are in contact with open cell spray foam on the inside. It becomes a massive sponge with a water bridge from the outside. Huge design flaw. Thoughts?

[@augustreil]

With your Zip Wall sheathing, didn't the builder put some liquid flashing over all the penetrations ? Or are the penetrations caused by something else ?

[@mrgylex123]

@@augustreil liquid flashing over every nail fastening location? That would be incredibly counter productive as that would number in the thousands. I would take back the premise of 'over driven'. It seems to be any nail that broke beyond the primary zip wall green WRB coating has the potential to become a water penetration location. We had to remove foam from several locations in the house after it became water logged due to an exterior sheathing nail coming in contact with the foam.

[@hammersaw3135]

I had to rewind when you said that the house is only 6 months old :o good lord. I like my leaky old house with solid 3/4 sheathing. Wouldn't use vertical mulch on a dog house.

[@d-rbrtsn9989]

Was it a Centex home in Fresno?

[@hall87668]

I am in Kansas city area area code 66048 and considering a siding remodel, but with the weather where I am being extreme on all ends I was wondering what house wrap material you recommend? Wood frame construction slab on grade, with plywood sheething

[@Ihsnetad]

Why not build stone house? Insulate with stone wool? And use stone facade?

[@ef7388]

That would ROCK!

[@dimitrynaumenko5461]

Did he have to use yellow dye for the water? lol

[@fluffygodzilla]

It ain't dye

[@JordanSmithBuilds]

I forgot the dye.... and the water. Had to improvise. #beargryllsstyle

[@graemeroberts2935]

@@JordanSmithBuilds Here Jordan, have another drink. We've got to finish this test!

[@rodneyhammon1793]

What would you use to insulate if your exterior walls are concrete block and your building in Florida?…thanks Rodney

[@marcelosantana9311]

You are luck to have block walls. I also live in Florida and have to deal with a frame house that had way too many mistakes done to the flashing and dripping edge poorly installed.

[@joansparky4439]

BSC website, 'perfect wall'. Florida is hot and humid. You might have a chance of flooding. The thermal mass of the concrete is best on the inside of you home. Do you have HVAC? Not an easy case without more info. Concrete blocks are porous.. so could dry to the inside. If flooding could be a prob, insulation needs to cope with water going into it or onto it. After flooding it would need to be washable. Closed foamcell probably. And in front of that some siding with an airgap that protects the insulation but allows air to dry that surface/space.

[@user-tv5dt3nm9y]

So is the foil on your preferred wrap a radiant barrier, too?

[@urchin11]

Matt, don't you ventilate the underside of the roof deck before install sprayfoam?

[@Nikonfanboy1982]

I’d hate to say it but ikea cabinets can give you that budget slack you need for the better envelope

[@bigpjohnson]

Nothing to hate about them, except maybe the lack of colors and sizes. They are otherwise very well built, much better than most other cabinets on the market.

[@jamesdiyhomestead8263]

How will this work with an ICF house?

[@mbolton]

OBS has 1 to 4 grades what grade is used here?

[@jonesconrad1]

Too right about choosing what to downgrade when assessing budget, you can retile internally when you have some more money in 5 years time, a lot cheaper than re=sheathing !