Search the forums

Loading
Home › Forums › Breaktime › Construction Techniques

Damp Proofing a Stud Wall

StokesATX's picture

Damp Proofing a Stud Wall (post #207013)

StokesATX on Wed, 10/31/2012 - 07:45
in

I have a problem.  We are trying to restart a project that a previous owner had shut down prior to selling to our client.  The house is a 20's era frame house where the interior finishes had been stripped out leaving a shell.  There is no sheathing behind the old "teardrop" sideing.  No sheathing, tar paper/building felt, nuthin, zilch.

The previous owner had done a limited addition but had only put housewrap over the studs prior to installing siding.  I am very concerned that the this thing is gonna leak like the titanic.  My inclination is to advise the client to pull all the siding, install sheathing with a building wrap, then reside.

Is there an alternate such as spraying urethane into the cavities that might skin over to block exterior moisture intrusion or is it what it is?   Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Cheers,

StokesATX

PS-Sadly I can't seem to rotate the attached image.

-A +A

Well, not a lot of options.  (post #207013, reply #1 of 1)

by DanH in reply to StokesATX [original] on Wed, 10/31/2012 - 17:32

Well, not a lot of options.  Foaming the inside will trap any moisture that gets through and promote rot.  And the "teardrop" doesn't offer a smooth surface to allow going over it with something else -- if it was, eg, shiplap you could put housewrap over it and install new siding.  Plus I think I see some daylight through that siding.

There are some kind of half-arsed measures you could take to build a rain screen inside the wall, but they would be, well, half-arsed.


Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed.  --Herman Melville