Furring Strips Behind Siding

Wall assemblies that incorporate rigid foam insulation over exterior sheathing followed by furring strips and siding are becoming common.

Furring strips behind siding.

An air space of even 1 8th of an inch will do the job so what you use as furring is really only a spacer and isn t too important as long as your siding can grab it or grab the sheathing behind with longer nails. William costello is building a new house in southwest virginia that will be framed with 2x6s and will include up to 2 inches of exterior rigid foam insulation. Trapped moisture behind siding can cause peeling paint rotting wood deteriorating house wrap siding to mold or mildew. Furring strips for use behind sheet siding.

But writing in a q a post at green building advisor sonny chatum wonders whether this wall system often called a vented rainscreen is compatible with vinyl siding. Furring strips furring strips may be necessary if you are installing vinyl siding over existing wood siding or stucco. A homeowner in southwest virginia wants to install engineered wood siding over exterior foam insulation but finds that the manufacturer s installation instructions raises concerns he hadn t thought of. When using a thicker siding install a second furring strip on top of the horizontal furring strips to all the siding to lay flat step 3 install furring strips every 16 on center using fasteners that penetrate plywood 1 2.

Choosing the right furring strips is key to preserving a warranty for this engineered wood siding. And increase your home s susceptibility to termites and wood rot. In order to install wood furring pre treated wood needs to be selected and each measured and painstakingly cut into the proper width and length. Some designs are using the up and down roof firring sometimes in 2x3 material with crosswise firring strips to provide a deep airflow channel so a lot of air flows from the bottom of the roof to the top ridege vent or ridge cupola thereby significantly reducing the heat transfer between the roofing and the sheathing in the warm hot months.

The extra layer of insulation helps reduce thermal bridging through wood framing and the furring strips create a ventilation space behind the siding that promotes drying. Installation details are key.