Justin Fink travels to Wellesley, Mass., to observe a production crew frame and skin a house using Zip System sheathing and compatible seam tape. Lessons include framing, standing, and straightening the walls, and explores the different techniques involved with sheathing walls on the deck and ones that are up.
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Seems like a neat system...but what about the nails tearing through the green layer?
I didn't show those being sealed....
looks like 2x4 walls and no tape between the Zip panels attached to the 1st and 2nd floors... pushing their luck to get R-20 on those walls... OSB remains a nightmare where we are for mold and if they aren't completely sealing the cuts on the OSB the homeowners will regret it. We have houses built with OSB 10, 20 years ago that have had mold completely eat the OSB away - to the extent a local Realtor bought a house only to find nearly all the OSB GONE....mold heaven. Haven't built anything using OSB since then.
The "Zip System" is a clever way to market OSB. The usual repackaging to add value to a questionable product. This has the potential to be another major disaster for builders and real estate. From what is known about OSB anyone using it, has to be more interested in following trends than building science.
TimberJim, 72kingscc, callonor, you called it. OSB is garbage for sale.
OSB is like swiss cheese when it comes to air and water. Here is a video about flaws in the Zip panels system. Water comes in through nail holes. Water comes right through the OSB itself. Water comes in under the tape. Here's the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce7M0vNAeqc
If the tape didn't leak, it might be a good idea to tape every nail. Sounds fun.
In 10 years, FH can write articles showing us all the rotting sheathing being ripped out of today's Zip houses. If I were the Zip manufacturers, I would be just a bit worried. Didn't they run these tests themselves??