cedar breather?

[HD]

In the latest article on wall water management the one siding not covered was cedar shingles. The question is what is the best application procedure? It seems that horizontal nailers invite a place for water to collect,not to mention the extra labor.Is cedar breather or rain slicker and 30# felt effective for creating an effective rain screen on this type of side wall? tghese products are new does anybody have the bottom line?

[Martin Holladay]

HD,
Benjamin Obdyke Inc., the distributor of Cedar Breather (215-672-7200, 877-647-8368, www.benjaminobdyke.com), also distributes a product designed for use under siding -- Home Slicker. Yes, the product works well, creating a rainscreen installation, and can be used with cedar shingles, clapboard, or fiber-cement siding. And yes, it is possible to install cedar shingle siding over horizontal nailers (I did it on my own house 23 years ago). Most people recommend leaving a 1/2-inch gap between adjacent nailers to allow some drainage. But frankly I think the concern over drainage in this case is hooey. The amount of water that gets past the shingles is small enough, and the hygric buffer of the nailers is large enough, and the drying potential to the exterior is large enough, that evaporation soon takes care of any water that gets beyond the shingles. I've had occasion to open up my own exterior walls in a few places, and after 23 years, the nailers (rough spruce 1x3s) are dry and sound.

[Tim Uhler]

HD,

On the house we start next week, the owner wants cedar lap siding. I think we may get to try Home Slicker that Martin mentioned. It'll be awhile, till we side, but I'll let you know how it works.

If it was my house, I would use Home Slicker whether I used cedar or fiber cement, but I live in the northwest.

[Dick Seibert]

I am using Home Slicker behind the mud beds of my shower walls and pans, conducting the water from the saturated mortar beds down the walls, across the pan, directly to the weep holes in the shower drain. I called the engineering department at Benjamin Obdyke and they said the product had never been tested in that application but they could see no reason why not. I've uncovered more rotted out showers than I have exterior walls, so I am installing rain screens inside my houses! Let's face it, showers get torential rain storms on a daily basis, 365 days a year.

[Mike OHandley]

Tim,

Don't forget to come back and tell us how you make out. I'm in the Seattle area and I find that most cedar applications over felt work fine here. I'd be real curious to hear how that product works here.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike