Water Management CONTINUITY

[@koenraadprincen7212]

A cross section in the vertical plane would have been a nice addition, showing the location of the window frame in relation to the window sill (and how everything gets sealed over there).

[@BrianBaldridgeC]

6:40 … Steve, would it be better to turn the Zip-R9 into the window opening on the head and jambs, versus just a piece of 7/16 Zip Sheathing (liner)? That would be turning the outside WRB inward, making for a more perfect continuity, no?

[@koenraadprincen7212]

It's important to notice that these are aluminium windows (previous projects always showed PVC windows). Aluminium window frames have a clearly defined "thermal control layer" (the plastic profile in between the inner and outer alumunium profiles). The detail showed also clearly demonstrates the problems in regard to air sealing (on the inside) when using "Metal Install Straps" (brackets, clips) for fixing the window. The air barrier tape on the inside has to cross these straps... You can avoid this by using tape that's wide enough to cover these straps, by cutting the straps or by just leaving out these straps and using turbo screws.

[@davidcavanaugh9183]

I have no professional background in construction but I can definitely remember these details in my sleep lol. Makes a lot of sense.

[@armintahoori6524]

Very interesting. Thank you

[@eliinthewolverinestate6729]

I would like a door handle that is more insulated. On really cold days it's freezing. Great video. We have been setting windows more towards interior. We now add more slope and eternal bond on bottoms. To avoid ice dams on window sills.

[@rjygrahamt6c]

Great video as always Steve. Quick question, in this detail what is the purpose of the Tremco acoustic sealant?

[@chadclary5739]

Hi Steve, love the details. Have you ever used the Thermalbuck system? I’m considering using it in my upcoming build.

[@markstipulkoski1389]

Yesterday, Aron Jones in a video was installing a temperature, humidity, and moisture sensor into a wall. He said there has been comments about air and vapor pushing through at the Zip R panel joints. I don't think he'd be installing an expensive Omni Sense S11 sensor to collect data if he could just attribute it to bad installs. I wonder if there are seams that are being overlooked like at the bottom of the bottom sheet or top of the top sheet, at some hard to reach place not susceptible to water but a path for vapor transmission due to inside/outside pressure imbalance. Isn't it recommended that we keep our houses slightly positively pressured?

[@koenraadprincen7212]

I'm one of those people who tell that the seams in the ZIP (R) sheathing are the weak spots of the wall. The inside of the ZIP tape acts as a condensing surface during cold winters. The condensation gets absorbed by the OSB and you have to wait until spring before the OSB can dry again. If you're using insulation that is moisture sensitive like cellulose or blown in wood fibers, your insulation might get wet too. And wet insulation doesn't insulate well... When using ZIP R sheathing combined with lots of cavity insulation, i.e. 2x6 studs, the poly iso layer of the ZIP R sheating might become the condensing suface during cold winter nights as poly iso is not enough vapor open. And agian, when using moisture sensitive material in the cavity, this will then get wet, reducing it's insulating properties (at the moment when you need it the most). In wintertime there is always an "overpressure" in vapor at the inside compared to the outside as vapor wants to travel from "more to less" (and upwards against gravity). There's an article about these issues at the Building Science Corporation website, look for "PA-1501: Moisture in Fat Walls-A Closer Look". Nice to see Aron Jones is installing a sensor but getting it into the seam would be better.

[@markstipulkoski1389]

@koenraadprincen7212 The sensor tests the moisture content of the wood it is probing, as well as the temp and RH of rhe air. He has it poked onto a stud that covers the length of a panel seem. It's one of his most resent YT videos. He asked for comment from people about their experience in installing the sensor. He'd surely welcome your knowledgeable information. I am just a soon to retire electrical engineer educating himself in prep to DIY a retirement home. This issue is yet another reason I will be going ICF to the roof. It is DIY friendly and much fewer details ro mess up to achieve high performance.

[@koenraadprincen7212]

​@markstipulkoski1389 Ben Bogie is a professional builder who has experience with installing sensors and he shows up in plenty of YT and/or Instagram videos. ICF is not my favorite way of building as the mass and insulation are in the wrong place, insulation between two layers of mass would make sense... The interior mass dampens any temperature swings inside, the exterior mass does the same but at the outside... and to keep them separated, you place an insulation in between them. Besides that, such homes are very difficult to rebuild and are not fire safe. If you want to build your home yourself and you do like some formwork, look into *Hempcrete* ... it's one of the best building materials you can get.

[@markstipulkoski1389]

@koenraadprincen7212 And yet there are PH ICF homes. As I said earlier, I am a older person doing a DIY and I want a high performance house that is relatively simple to achieve. DIY means I want to do most of the labor myself, to save money. My labor is free once I retire. Stacking and bracing foam blocks and calling in a crew to assist on pour day is more desirable than me framing a house solo and later installing the insulation. Too much heavy lifting, cutting, and nailing. Too many seams to leak. As for your preference to where the thermal mass and insulation is located, I think different arrangements work better in different climates. I will be building in a warm moist climate. Polystyrene burns when exposed to an open flame but self extinguishes when the flame is removed. No wall cavity and wood for fire to spread in an ICF wall. I plan on using Class A exterior sheathing, and metal roof. I'm not worried about the next guy who would want to tack on an extension to my masterpiece! 🤣 It will be pretty well thought out in the first place. A DIY couple on YT, Mountainview Mesa, built their 2400 sq ft house for $122/sq ft. That' the finished house, including appliances, not just the shell. Not a luxury home but certainly a performance home. My decision is right for me.✌️

[@koenraadprincen7212]

@@markstipulkoski1389 The problem with EPS/XPS/PIR/PUR is that they set free toxic fumes during a fire. So, in your case, install plenty of fire alarms :-)

[@alwaysvacationing5341]

Why do you need the WRB Zip OSB in the window frame since the Zip TAPE does this?

[@stephen-brooks]

Hi Steve. Nice detail. WRB continuity - good, but what about continuity of the thermal boundary? There is a cold bridge right in the corner where heat can track out. Wouldn't it be better to get even a thin layer of insulation between the uninsulated zip and the jack stud, so that the insulation as well as the WRB wraps around into the full depth of the reveal?

[@alexanderogg8304]

I imagine the reason has to do with how the windows are fastened with strap anchors. The fasteners need to go into the wood stud, not just the zip. Yes, you could use longer fasteners, but it's a little more fool-proof this way in my mind.

[@stephen-brooks]

​@alexanderogg8304 You are entitled to your opinion, but I'd rather accept longer fasteners and continuity of the thermal boundary.

[@librogrande]

How is the "exterior jamb" attached?

[@koenraadprincen7212]

I presume you have to srew it into the "ZIP Liner" of the window opening... I would leave a small air gap between the jamb and window frame to enhance the drying potential of the jamb (unless it's made out of PVC).

[@koenraadprincen7212]

Other remark: why also using 2" of spray foam on the inside and not fill the cavity completely with cellulose? Was this done to shift the "possible" condensing surface more inwards? And I don't see a smart vapor retarder here... the air barrier on the inside is fully vapor open... so, you're confident that the combo of ZIP R-9 + 2" spray foam will prevent any possible condensation.

[@hughmason7621]

Hey Steve, isn't the polyiso of the Zip R-9s 1 1/2" rather than 1"?

[@leestebbins5051]

I heard 1 1/2” in the intro.

[@leestebbins5051]

But 1” with red.

[@charlesviner1565]

👍🔨

[@kc9scott]

I don’t know how long ago these videos were shot, but in the last several that were released, the audio quality from your microphone is rather poor - it’s distorted. Just FYI.