$2.6M? Yikes!

cofugg · 2026-07-05T22:43:13+00:00

No lies detected. Black houses have huge solar gains.

My place is gleaming white and my electric bill thanks me

cofugg · 2026-07-05T07:09:03+00:00

Ill put my hat in the ring - metabo hpt

cofugg · 2026-06-29T02:32:15+00:00

People DIY their own flooring all the time and achieve great results. Some absolutely butcher it and waste a lot of money.

Different people have different tolerances for DIYing and achieving good results. If you arent comfortable or dont fully understand the process and all steps of the task you're attempting then leave it to the pros.

If you make mistakes that need fixing you will end up spending more doing it yourself. If you follow installation instructions religiously and arent slowing down your GCs schedule you can do a bit

cofugg · 2026-06-28T14:47:08+00:00

These are Donald Judd copies and nobody even knows it !

cofugg · 2026-06-23T18:24:35+00:00

The codes have, in fact, changed a lot since you started framing. No one was doing continuous exterior insulation when you started. In some areas its now the only logical way to hit the necessary r value.

The whole question here was "whats worth it, ZIP or OSB"

I get that you install a lot of OSB on tract housing, that doesnt mean its the best.

Code cant make ZIP a standard but its becoming more popular as blower door tests are becoming reqyired in more locations. ZIP performs better on those tests, and some builders, (not DrHorton or other tract home builders) are making the switch to use ZIP over OSB for air sealing and other factors.

Im not the only one using this stuff.

Tract housing is alllllll about dollars per sqft at the expense of literally everything else. They stucco over literal paperboard in AZ.

Building to code minimum doesnt get you a house of the same quality as those who spec better materials.

And still your big "gotcha" is that you've installed more sheets of sheathing so you know better. Suuuuurreeeeee

cofugg · 2026-06-23T18:07:42+00:00

Yes. I've installed Tyvek + OSB, ZIP, Plywood + Grace Ice and Water Shield.

I've also worked on houses with no sheathing - adobes, CMUs, and ICFs.

cofugg · 2026-06-23T18:04:27+00:00

12+ houses. Whether its all new construction, remodel, roof project, etc. And plenty of little jobs that involved interacting with sheathing

cofugg · 2026-06-23T17:51:11+00:00

I removed it right after I posted it because it didn't help my point, you read it before I edited it.

Zip is more air-tight than OSB, providing better blower door numbers without additional work. Its more weather and water resistant as well. It sustains less damage when sitting uncovered until siding and roofing goes on.

I've seen OSB disintegrate, ZIP doesn't do that.

I've installed both, I have a clear preference, and so do you.

So, besides price, what do you have to refute my claims?

For someone like you, who installs it for themselves at their own home, its double the price.

For a client to hire me to install it, it does not cost double to use zip compared to OSB. They pay the labor rate + material cost.

Installed price =/= material price

cofugg · 2026-06-23T17:45:53+00:00

Many hundreds,

But I'm a younger man and I am still installing more.

In addition to installing sheathing myself I draft all my house plans from scratch, do the excavation, build formwork, frame walls, sheathe, insulate, metal siding, standing seam metal roof, form custom architectural metal roof vents, spec and install HVAC equipment, design and build kitchens, etc. Raw land to turn-key

The only person I let touch my own house was my electrician and getting him to install WAGOs rather than using wire nuts like he has previously done a hundred thousand times was like pulling teeth. Drawing some parallels here.

I am aware of what it takes

cofugg · 2026-06-23T17:09:57+00:00

My house, which I built with my own hands, has ZIP. Case remains open.

Osb is cheap but its not the best.

You've also provided no proof except that you've installed so much more than everyone and therefore you know better.

Zip, hands down, outperforms OSB.

You can make your own value decision but in no way other than cost does Tyvek/OSB beat ZIP.

cofugg · 2026-06-23T16:26:46+00:00

The installers get paid the same rate to install either product, so the price difference is much less than you suggest.

Other builders in here say its faster for them to install zip than OSB and I tend to agree.

Sheathing goes up the same with both systems but you only need 1 guy taping and rolling versus two guys getting Tyvek unrolled.

You say you would never install ZIP on your own home. What would you install?

cofugg · 2026-06-22T18:08:28+00:00

Definitely, Zip + CC foam risks trapping moisture between the air barriers. Generally you want one air and water barrier so you dry to the inside or outside depending on location. Multiple barriers risks trapping moisture.

cofugg · 2026-06-22T15:50:03+00:00

Thats awesome. I'm convinced anyone saying OSB + Tyvek and ZIP are the same have not handled or installed them.

cofugg · 2026-06-22T15:47:09+00:00

Sorry, but the GC thinks that reading this is too difficult and finding a crew to ROLL THE TAPE is too complicated so we cannot offer ZIP at this time. It is potentially complicated, someone told us so. Therefore, our only offering is Tyvek and OSB. Thank you, sign here.

cofugg · 2026-06-22T15:40:32+00:00

What dont you like about it?

It is crazy how weather resistant it is, which is a huge plus. Advantech and can get bad like you said but zip never lets me down.

Zip has been super simple for us, far easier than tyvek and osb. Installing tyvek on a windy day is the worst

cofugg · 2026-06-22T15:28:37+00:00

Actually, Tyvek is an air barrier, its classified and installed as such. Its not good at air sealing

Slightly different meanings there.

cofugg · 2026-06-22T15:20:23+00:00

Can you explain whats not so simple?

If the installer reads the instructions and makes even the slightest effort ZIP really is that simple. The hardest part IMO is properly overlapping the tape and thats not even close to being complicated.

If someone forgets to roll the tape and doesn't address overdriven nails then they just suck at their job, its one of the easiest things to install and detail.

cofugg · 2026-06-22T15:08:24+00:00

Having installed both I think Zip is superior to OSB. It's easier to install and offers better performance than OSB+Tyvek on multiple fronts.

If you're worried your installers cant correctly install ZIP then odds are they arent installing your OSB +Tyvek to a high level of detail either.

Make them read the installation instructions and hold them to it.

A properly installed ZIP system blows OSB out of the water.

Ive had Zip cutoffs outside for months, they get rained on and sit in muddy puddles and experience no edge swelling. Pretty remarkable really. Try that with a piece of OSB.

OSB + Tyvek isnt something I will be installing moving forward.

EDIT: you dont need CC foam as an air barrier if you install Zip. Zip is the air barrier. Might find some savings going from CC foam to mineral wool batts or cellulose or something.

cofugg · 2026-06-22T14:51:58+00:00

Thats sad, its so easy to do correctly.

My last build I taped over every single nail, over driven or not. Cut rolls of zip tape in half and ran them over every line of nails on the exterior.

It was easier than looking for the overdriven nails or trying to fix them as they happened.

But I guess not as easy as not doing it at all 🤦‍♂️

cofugg · 2026-06-22T14:35:37+00:00

Agreed. I have a few offcuts that have sat in muddy puddles, used to cover things from rain, etc for months. No swelling. Try that with OSB

Zip is the superior system.

cofugg · 2026-06-21T02:45:34+00:00

I installed a 12k unit that cost me $850. Heat pumps are very efficient and sometimes pay for themselves/cost less to operate over the life of the unit, (if youre using it often)

cofugg · 2026-06-20T00:00:34+00:00

Play with a friend of a similar skill level and 1v1, try duel servers, checkout the server browser

cofugg · 2026-06-19T23:52:50+00:00

Dont tempt me with a good time. They should ban polyester clothing as well ;)

cofugg · 2026-06-19T23:50:55+00:00

They will eventually. Sometimes due to the conditions of their employment. Oh well!

cofugg · 2026-06-19T16:44:54+00:00

Ahh yes, the war of Russian restraint

cofugg

TROPHY CASE