Notebook

Notebook... JUNE JLC 1997 Consider a typical wooden wall assembly: A 2x4 or 2x6 stud wall, sheathed with plywood or OSB; fiberglass batt insulation and a poly vapor barrier; housewrap or felt paper over the sheathing, with wood siding nailed over that; and paint or stain on the siding. Should be fine, right? The poly protects the wall from interior moisture, the painted siding sheds most rain and blocks most wind, and the housewrap keeps the remaining wind and water out while letting vapor escape. But in fact, this wall assembly can fail dramatically under severe exposures, according to Joe Lstiburek of Building Science Corporation in Westford, Mass., and Paul Fisette, director of the Building Materials Technology