Zip System wall sheathing advice

[EddieWalker]

I've been thinking about trying Zip System Sheathing on my house. I'm going to be adding on to my house and redoing my exterior siding with Hardi Lap Siding.

I want to do the siding one wall at a time because I don't want to get too into it and not be able to finish in a timely manner. Work is crazy and time to work on my place is getting harder and harder to find.

I've seen some commercial buildings using Zip System, but haven't seen it in any houses. That just means I havent seen it and that it's not used around here. I don't have any experince with it. Does anybody have anything good or bad to say about it? At $15 for a 4x9 sheet, it's quite a bit more then OSB and house wrap. That's not even including the special tape that is required.

ZIP System Sheathing, Roof & Wall Sheathing From Huber Engineered Woods

Thank you,
Eddie

 

[jeffah]

I just put hardiplank on my house and although harder to work with than vinyl it looks great and I think it is worth it.

I don't have any experience with their zip panels - but Huber's advantech subfloor is well worth its premium price. It is likely that the exterior panels are well engineered too.

I have seen some residential builders use it - I usually see it on townhouse buildings that take a lot of time to get fully dried in.

If you are going to have the sheathing exposed to the weather for any extended periods, as you do small sections at a time, you may see the benefits of its water resistance. You really don't want any swelling of seams of your sheathing under hardiplank siding because it is fastened tightly unlike vinyl and will show any irregularities in your framing.

You may be able to do some research and see if you can use tape other than the proprietary brand - although all housewrap and flashing tapes are expensive anyway.

 

[tommu56]

Ive noticed alot of it going up around here but no personnel experience no my part.

tom

 

[framer]

I have used it good product very dense sharper edges and a little harder to
cut than osb.Holds nails well very good if you leave exposed along time.
We don't use it much cost is the only reason. Roofs and walls get covered
quickly around here.

 

[forgeblast]

How thick is this product. I am in the planning stages to put hardi board over our t111, i would love to have it sealed up first but i worry that the groves in the t111 will make that impossible and i will have to tear it off.

 

[EddieWalker]

From what the website says, the wall product is 7/16" just like OSB. It's the green color. The red color is the roof product and is called 5/8" for a true half inch thickness. It's also tonge and groove so with enough strength that you don't use H clips. I'm wanting it for my walls and will probably order some next week.

Eddie

 

[CurlyDave]

I am really interested to see how this works out.

I think I have a new shop coming up sometime soon in Oregon, and maybe I will give it a try.

 

[EddieWalker]

I've looked on the website about how to attach it, but all they say is to nail it every six inches on the edge and twelve inches in the middle. They don't say what size nails to use, which isn't a big deal, but what I'm really wondering is how do you seal the nail heads? or do you?

I'm assuming that the water barrier on the panels will seal a nail that goes through it just like tar paper and house wrap does. But the nail head is still exposed, and if any moisture gets behind the siding, will it rust or lead to failure?

Eddie

 

[radioman]

Just looked at the website. It looks promising product. I would love to use that on the roof since it has better traction and doent need the weak h clips. I hate the clips in reroofs as they tend to bend and next thing you know you are walking on spring boards!

Eddie- if you are concerned about exposed nail heads, why cant you use the same tape that zip system use to cover seams with over nail heads? I don't see anything wrong with that. If anything, it just a extra few rolls of tape on the project.

Only thing I dont like is the MSDS states too many times about dust hazards, but then its nothing new right?

 

[Carl_NH]

My neighbor used the Zip red sheathing with 8d coated nails and taped the seams. He has 7000SF roof with valleys where they installed Bithuthane membrane in the valleys as an added measure. The sheathing was exposed for about a month before shingles and no leaks.

They used normal sheathing 1/2 CDX on the walls covered with tyvek then cedar shakes and siding combo. Then insulated the whole place with 5" closed cell sprayed insulation in the walls and 8-9" in the roof area. There are no roof vents.. He has a very tight 4K SF house..