Tag Archives for building paper

Wow, Oliver’s Nest Is Looking Like A House!

Well, the building felt is going up, and it’s doing a bang-up job hiding the ugly sheathing.  Makes me quite happy.  I have to dig out my stapler/brad nailer thingy to finish off the edges.  I’m going to tape all the seams and cover the nails for extra water protection.  Once again I’m unable to do a “best practice” job, because no way can one person hold the roll, unwind it, keep it from crumpling or ripping, and nail it straight alone!  But with shorter pieces, well layered, I (hope) think the felt will do it’s job and shed water.

Here’s what things look like tonight ~

First the excess wood was trimmed off the bottom all the way around.

First the excess wood was trimmed off the bottom all the way around.

I don’t think I ever explained what the huge opening over the wheels on the south side is for.  Originally it was to access the water tank salvaged from the trailer (it’s tucked under Oliver’s Nest for safekeeping), but I’ve changed my mind and now the solar stuff like batteries will be housed there.  Access to them will be from outside through this space.

The paper has handy lines on it which help tremendously with keeping the paper straight.

The paper has handy lines on it which help tremendously with keeping the paper straight.

I’m not sure how to handle the window and door areas, so left them nailed but not taped.  For now, getting the paper up and nailed securely is my goal.  I don’t care if there are loose ends flapping in the openings.  They will get figured out.

Another view of the mound of wool. It's almost dry!!!!

Another view of the mound of wool. It’s almost dry!!!!

I think I’ll be able to replace the sub-floor within the next few days.  I can’t wait to be able to walk and dream inside again!  This seems uanreal to me…that I’m actually BUILDING MY OWN HOME!!!!

Plywood Sheathing Almost Complete

Once again I change my plans.  I’m free to do so as no-one else is inconvenienced by it. 🙂

I was going to skip hanging the building felt paper altogether.  I forgot, though, what my favorite website Building Science has to say:

“The drainage plane in this assembly is the building paper or building wrap. The air barrier can be any of the following: the interior gypsum board, the exterior stucco rendering, the exterior sheathing or the exterior building wrap.”

Since Oliver’s Nest will live in a very cold climate, the air barrier should be to the inside and  latex-painted barn board attached to thin plywood will serve that function.

(Quote and pictures copied from from  http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/digests/bsd-106-understanding-vapor-barriers)

Figure_12_Frame_Stucco_Vap

In Oliver’s Nest, substitute ceder siding and metal roof panels for the painted stucco with paper bond break.  They act similarly.  Then the thin rigid foam panels, which were going to serve as the drain field.  But the author recommends building paper (ah-ha!) as the drain field.  Then, plywood sheathing and the wool inside the wood stud cavity.  On the interior of the wall will be a very thin layer of plywood and latex-painted wood boards (fastened to the thin plywood), which act like the “Kraft facing on a fiberglass batt or a “smart vapor barrier membrane” combined with the latex-painted gypsum board.  I researched and it’s a very fine substitute. The big change is that my drain field *was* going to be the water-impermeable rigid foam panels, instead of the more water-permeable building felt.  This change allows a much easier exit for water vapor inside the wall assembly.  It’s important.  I’m glad I caught it.

As the rigid foam panels I have are very thin at a quarter inch, my walls are more like the above than the below illustration:

Figure_13_Frame_Ext_Rigid

If I were able to use much thicker foam insulation, I would go with the above design, but I’m limited by house width and (mostly) financial constraints.  If I had the funds, I’d go wide.  After all, the roof is almost 10 feet across.  In fact, now I’m wondering whether to use the foam panels at all, as they won’t provide a thermal break as much as the drain field does, rendering them pretty much unhelpful.  They are a process I think I can safely skip.  Very nice.  I have a future project on my property that they were originally intended for anyway.

I went ahead and finished with the plywood sheathing across the South side.  It ended up looking like this:

Yeah, there are wider gaps...I know.

Yeah, there are wide gaps…I know.

Ugly but functional.  Now just the upper part of the North side and I can go forward with the building felt.  I had a couple rolls from the Restore that got wet in a sideways rain storm, so went back and got a couple more for $5 each.  Not happy that the originals got ruined, but so it goes when you don’t have an indoor space to build and store supplies.  I’d recommend one.
Based on my past performance, it’ll take a couple to three days to finish getting up the plywood.  I have no idea how long hanging the building felt will take. Hopefully not more than a couple days.  We’ll see!

Oh! And the wool?  It’s drying so fast that I’m fluffing a couple times a day instead of every couple days, so the whole process is going super quick.  It’s looking like I won’t need the dehumidifier.  Unless it starts raining again before I get this baby weather-tight.  My poor knee.