Framing: OSB vs. PLYWOOD vs. ZIP vs. ZIP-R - Sheathing Options & COSTS

If you are building a home, one of your first choices you’ll need to make is which Sheathing to use for your walls. In this video Matt reviews the common options that he uses for a well built home. Matt has built with all of these options so he speak from experience. He also talks about specific cost per sheet and for a whole house. THIS will help you narrow your choices.

Huge thanks to our Show sponsors USG/Tremco, Polywall, Huber, Dorken Delta, Prosoco, Rockwool & Endura for helping to make these videos possible! These are all trusted companies that Matt has worked with for years and trusts their products in the homes he builds.

[gabelumby]

Prices are 350% - 400% higher in my area as of April 2021. Insane!

[niclong]

You should do a video like this for siding. vinyl, hardi, cedar, ect

[Ayten]

Keep in mind the 1.5"+ Zip-R has less sheer than just a thicker plywood product because the foam is pulling on itself. If you're building for hurricane or even just more stringent code and you want the thick stuff your engineer may as you to include staggered nogging, 1-by or steel wire let-in bracing to make up for the lost tear strength.

[vincentmontambault]

In Canada, Quebec province at least, the building code says that we need R-4 insulation on the outside of the studs to break the thermal bridge. Since that building code is in effect, we saw many different products come to market like the Zip-R. I work in a prefab walls, trusses and floor joists company and we think that some of these products are good but prefer using either OSB or plywood and put the insulation above the sheeting. The reason is simple, shear strenght! When you nail a sheeting to a stud with a 1" of foam in between, the nail becomes very weak. Shear strenght is exponentially lower. Sheeting nailed directly to the studs is way stronger. Then we add something like Atlas R-Board (polyiso with a weather shield included) and strapping. Fhat makes nice and strong wall panels. All our walls are made with 2x6 with at least R-20 fiberglass insulation. Total R value for our "typical" wall panel is a little above R-30. Building code says R-29.5 is required where we are (including the R-4 to break the thermal bridge).

[persistentone]

INCREDIBLY useful video Matt. Please do more like this where you present alternative build methods and whole house costs. It really gives a useful education on home building options.

Does anyone make a product like the Zip R-Sheathing product that uses plywood instead of OSB? That would be a killer product!

[JW-VT-farm]

We renovated our 25 year old Vermont Farm house. We stripped the West and South sides (direction of the weather, water and wind) down to the studs. I was shocked at the amount of rot under the windows !!! Replacing all the rot (2x6 and plywood), we then added 2.5” Zip System with new Anderson windows, taped the heck out of everything, then added Hardi-plank siding. Our heating needs dropped in HALF and the house is much more comfortable when the -30++ degree Vermont Winds start blowing. We will be renovating our 300 year old post-beam barn into 2 apartments and then a new house. Both will be built with many of the modern building principles Matt talks about in his videos. We are looking for homes that can stand for a hundred years before renovations are required to fix rot…..vs 10-20 years!! Thank you for the great information.

[Maadhawk]

Saw a video by This Old House. Tom Silvia was helping a homeowner find a system to protect his windows during a hurricane. 1/2" OSB was punched through like it wasn't even there when fired upon by a 2x4 moving at 34 mph to simulate hurricane wind driven debris. The only system to really stand up and absorb the impact without being damaged in some fashion was genuine plywood.

[stevemckerroll]

Matt as an Architect in Ontario Canada I can point out one serious problem with the pre-insulated zip panels. The wood sheathing is an important part the of the structure and needs to be place directly on the studs for maximum strength, so the continuous insulation should be placed outside the structural wall sheathing. Most contractors do not fully understand all the functions that the exterior wall sheathing does. 1 it provides very good lateral load resistance... ie racking resistance. 2 it is critical for transfer of wind up lift back down to the foundation. to do this the sheathing needs to be placed directly on the wood studs so the nail fasteners act in shear. It also means the fast cheap way of sheathing a structure ie with the horizontal joint(s) aligned with joints in the wood structure (as 98% of framers around here do) is completely unacceptable. for the sheathing to act as a diaphragm and resist the wind up lift all the horizontal joints are to occur on a common structural element . starting at the top of the concrete foundation. the sill plate is anchored to the foundation with anchor bolts at 48" oc (max) .. the wall sheathing is fastened to the sill plate at 6" oc and ideally with a bead of PL Premium construction adhesive and the sheathing spans across the floor assembly up the studs at least 12" so you can get 3 fasteners (min) into each stud and 2 into the rim board (per stud location). At second floor level the upper wall sheathing extends down 12" min onto the stud wall below again 3 fasteners per stud and 2 into the rim board. As an alternate you can locate the sheathing horizontal joint on the rim board and fasten at 6" oc (max) plus I also recommend PL adhesive onto the rim board if the joint occurs on the rim board. and finally the double top plate at the u/s of the roof is secured to the wall studs below via the sheathing not just the top plate toe nailed into the studs. The truss hold down clips are to be installed on the exterior side of the wall into the top plate or ideally left until the sheathing is installed so the clips fasten through the sheathing into the top plate(s) (top and bottom plate) and thus places the wind up lift force in the same plane as the sheathing which is the main structural element resisting the up lift. I had a project where the structural engineer made the framing contractor install Simpson Tie hold down straps on every stud to bridge across the horizontal joints in the sheathing because the framer placed sheathing joints at the underside of the 2nd floor joist and at the top of the 2nd floor floor sheathing.. ie inline with joints in the structural frame.... the framer was not a happy camper. but the framer failed to follow the design drawings and the Simpson tie was the easiest solution to fix his mistake. Personally I don't like the Zip sheathing system, for the cost of the zip system you can install a proper vapour permeable Air/Moisture Membrane like BlueSkin VP (or similar product). And if I can get the client (home owner) to agree, use plywood vs OSB for sheathing.. ideally 5/8" T&G plywood installed horizontally with vertical joints staggered (just like you would on a floor assembly) then wrap with BlueSkin VP. example of cost 2019 07 21 in Ontario Canada 7/16 OSB 4x8 = $10.25 5/8 OSB 4x8 T&G = $17.95 1/2 plywood 4x8 = $25.44 5/8" plywood 4x8 = $33.95 (for butt edge or T&G) could only find online price for zip sheathing at US store (example Lowes USA) = $27.05 USD = $35.33 CAD and BlueSkin VP100 is about $1.00 CAD per sqft

[robertunversaw]

I'm glad you mentioned the pull out value of screws and nails when comparing the sheathing. When installing exterior cladding systems such as a metal roof this is a critical consideration. Most metal roof manufacturers, for example, are asking that you install into 1/2" minimum grade A plywood. Many of them do not want you using anything less than 3/4" OSB if you are going that route.

[robertginsburg]

Love your show Matt. I'm about 2 years away from an owner built house. Your show is proving invaluable.

[moviemakerwannabe]

I noticed that on the deck rebuild you explained the screws to use and the lenth of the screws. Could you do a show explaining how to choose the right nails for each job and why? It would really be helpful for us beginners. Thank you.

[dalew]

I have used osb for exposed interior sheathing in a shop, and noticed one downside is the glue off gases for decades....and is even worse when the space is heated. Plywood has glue as well, but generally hidden under a final ply....osb has far more glue which is exposed unless painted.

[godbluffvdgg]

Zip wall is the way to go; You save a buck or two using Tyvek or similar house wrap but; I like the idea of being able to finish exterior immediately..

[richardbowman]

Matt, Just moved into a house in upper Michigan that was built 2 years ago and discovered that it had zip sheeting (green-7/16") installed. Thanks to you, I have learned much about that siding. I have been enjoying your videos with the many rather outstanding suggestions and observations. I was a licensed builder for 25 years in Michigan and am now non-licensed as I build strictly on personally owned property. We all have our talents and gifts and I do believe that you have yours nailed down like a pole barn spike. Keep it up, if possible. Just watched a recent video where you shared some of the unsavory comments from the trolls. I am sorry for their replusiveness. Not one of those people would dare say that to your face, but I would say any of the above to you in person. I respect your experience and your knowledge. You make me think about my experiences, good and bad. Thank you.

[Uriel]

I would like to see a more complete price breakdown. For example, compare: OSB + Weather Wrap + vapor barrier = How much to do a 3000 sq ft house. Then Plywood + Weather Wrap + Vapor Barrier = how much. Then Zip + Seal Tape + nail hole fillers = how much.

In other words - to get from the frame to be ready for finished siding - what would the total costs be and what steps can be skipped or are better/worse with each system. Maybe Zip + tape is cheaper overall and so it's a way better system. Or maybe zip + tape is way more expensive and only marginally better protection compared to more common building methods.

[pvmcorp]

If you choose higher r value zip, this would have to be taken into consideration before pouring the foundation especially if you have brick as this will really bring it out over the ledger.. which increases the cost of concrete needed

[mythoughts................]

As usual, thank you Matt for spending the time to inform others of the products available for great building.

[ingridfullerton]

I frickin love this channel. This helps fill in the gaps of reasoning that I lack while sitting in an architecture office all day.

[dlg]

For the relatively small increase in price for an average size home, it seems a no brainer to me to just step up to plywood and seal it really well. I'm planning to build my dream home when I retire in a few years, which will only be my 2nd home and my 1st new home, so I don't plan to cut corners. I'll probably go with 5/8 plywood or maybe even 5/8 Zip to create a really strong airtight shell. If an heirloom quality home is what you want, spending an extra few thousand dollars to ensure a strong and tight envelop is a no brainer.

[lecutter]

Lol! Cheapest I can find it local(ish) as of Feb. 2024 is $120 per for the ZIP-R R6. So this stuff is now prohibitively expensive for most, whereas plywood isn't a whole lot more atm.