On May 24, Richard Baker and Anthony Grisolia stripped down each of the top 5 construction quality issues they encounter in the field and shared a list of technical and business best practices that can prevent them from occurring.
Watch the archive or download the slides here.
Take a look at some of the questions attendees posed during this session below. Anthony hosted the session, while Richard served as commentator and answered questions.
[Anthony] Why have we seen more damage behind stucco vs. a siding product?
[Rich] I think that goes back to what I mentioned about stucco being a reservoir cladding. It’s 
installed tight to the sheathing and doesn’t allow easy drying, if you compare it to something like vinyl siding, there is the potential for air movement all the way around that cladding. The stucco is held right up against the building, that’s why proper detailing is crucial, including your two layers of paper, drainage plane and a plumb break.
[Anthony] Do manufacturers of batt insulation require six-sided assembly in their installation instructions?
[Rich] Yes, they definitely do. We call it draftstopping, you might see other phrases out there. But both draftstopping and sealing that insulation is required by the manufacturer or you won’t get that rated R-value.
We’re not used to seeing control joints. What’s the max length between control joints?
Industry standard, every 144 sq feet, so if you consider a 12x12 panel, that’s a good rule of thumb. If you have a number of windows or doors on a wall, it’s a great idea to expand your control joints, radiate them off the corners of those windows or doors, so they mix into the aesthetic appeal of the wall a bit better.
Is it sufficient to install weep screed 6 inches above the grade to prevent capillary reaction?
I think if you’re 6 inches above complete final finished grade or landscaping, then that would be acceptable. We say 6 to 8 inches, but you have to remember that that’s above whatever mulch, whatever finished landscaping you’re putting down. So that’s not necessarily just 6 inches above rough grade, because that space gets eaten up quickly over time and when landscaping is done, mulch etc. just keeps getting added on, so you want at least 6 inches from that final finished landscaping.
A lot of concrete contractors in the Southwest, they like to pour concrete on bare soil, or if there is poly, they like to have a bed of sand before they pour concrete. What are some of the issues with those practices?
Well, concrete slab is a reservoir system like the stucco we talked about earlier, so it’s going to absorb moisture over time, just like a stucco cladding would. If you had the poly vapor barrier there, you have all your moisture dried up, and then you create a very stable environment in that slab, that isn’t going to change over time.
Does IBACOS recommend flashing the vertical studs of a rough window opening? I’m assuming the question is, the housewrap comes into a rough opening, do you need to have more flashing tape to protect it?
No, especially if you have a fully sheathed wall assembly, if you wrap that housewrap into your window openings, you can install your window right in that opening.
